Is anyone starting to feel unsafe in London?

[longestlurkerever]

I've always loved London and defended London child rearing but a spate of moped thefts, a grisly murder on my doorstep and the background terror threat is starting to take its toll on my stress levels and I've found myself googling safe places to live in the UK. Is it in my imagination or does it feel more threatening than it used to? Part of me feels like it is related to the general instability in the world and maybe the rest of the UK feels the same.

I've lived in London all my life and I'm raising my child here. There's always been violent crime and theft. I think the reason people feel less safe now is because everyone hears about every local crime via Facebook etc.

I definitely feel less safe in east London in particular since I first arrived in London. Thankfully I commute in so at least I don't have the stress of exposing my children to that. But I wouldn't go as far as to say that I always feel unsafe. In north London I haven't noticed any change for example. I just avoid east/central London in the evenings.

I know the murder you are talking about, it's bound to make you feel vulnerable. I've been that confident young 20 something girl striding about towards the Tube or going home at night in all areas of London and it shakes you to think her life was just snuffed out like that. I'm not sure it is more dangerous per se, but that is close and relatable and awful and I'm not surprised you feel a bit less hardened about it all.

I don’t feel unsafe but I am a born Londoner, from an area people would consider rough, and it was drummed in to us as kids during the IRA years that you look about you and get your exits and plans sorted. My back is up - but it has always been up. I have never in my near 40 years, ever been mugged or had anything stolen from me. I have been followed by men but a good hard stare in the face as of to say “yes I could identify you if I needed to” has seen them off. I sometimes wonder if I look like I am hard and that’s why I have never experienced any crimes (we did have an attempted burglary while we were in but we fought them off. Perhaps we are hard after all 😂)

I am close by Finsbury Park btw.

Murders happen everywhere. Crime happens everywhere. It just gets reported more when it occurs in London. People don’t realise that there are acid attackers on mopeds in Birmingham and Manchester for example, or that there have been many ‘credible’ terror threats in Non-London cities in the last 6 months alone. The thing is money is funnelled to London, and they have the experience and resources to get people through terror attacks quickly, other cities don’t (as was evidenced in manchester). And you are a Londoner and used to a big city and so you wouldn’t really last long in a village away from one.

I generally feel safe in London. We don't wander outside at night though. The acid attacks are unnerving.

RavingRoo, a lot of Londoners originally come from small villages and towns elsewhere in the UK, though, including me. So we're certainly used to to managing away from cities. I agree with your point about how London-centric e reporting and funding is though.

I was replying to @pickle.

I do agree that there is crime everywhere and that London isn't necessarily worse than other places. However I have been feeling increasingly uncomfortable about the increasing number who seem to be living permanently on the streets. I feel like it has increased loads in the last 2 years and that it represents the ultimate and very predictable outcome of the Tory cuts.

We had something like eight stabbings in one week this year within a one mile radius of our our house. If there are small villages with a similar crime rate to that then I’d like to know where. Of course murders happen everywhere but the sheer volume of people in London means that it will happen more there. It’s like living on a busy road vs a small one - more cars = more accidents. Why wouldn’t I survive in a village?

I've lived in London all my life - over 50 years and I don't think it is generally less safe. That said, it's all about who you are and where you are. I felt - and was - much more vulnerable as a teenager in a rough part of London than I am now, middle aged and nestled in suburbia. I also think that even while the actual risk may be relatively low, the edgy atmosphere in some areas can wear you down. I think I am getting soft, living in a very genteel part of town - when I go back to where I spent my first 30 years it feels really tense and threatening. I don't think for a second it has actually got worse - in fact, it has considerably gentrified - but I am less able to hack it.

So maybe London isn't unsafe - but Finsbury Park isn't right for you any more?

Thanks for all the perspectives. All very different! I actually also live close to crouch end which is your archetypal family area but that girl lived and was killed a couple of streets away from me, and I work in Westminster, so there's a level of vigilance needed there too I suppose. I sometimes dream about life on a Scottish island but nowhere is crime and terror free and it'd be just my luck to move specifically for safety and then get caught up in something dangerous. Leeds would be a more realistic possibility to move to, and I've always loved Edinburgh. I think the difference is you could live somewhere quieter without adding to my current commute. I do love loads about London though and the DC would be heartbroken to move

I feel that way about London. So much so I stopped working there and we’ve now moved out.

When I was younger I felt invincible and would walk around late. Now, I’m much more aware and having two dcs means that I will not take as many risks. So that’s why I think I feel less safe.

But the terror attacks have made me even more worried - especially as they’ve happened in places that me and my dh work near.

The threat is different to that of the IRA - they at least gave warnings and could ultimately be negotiated with. At the moment it feels like nothing can be done to tackle it beyond more intelligence.

I lived in London for 15 years and I moved up north. I live near Leeds.

I absolutely love London and I go back regularly. My husband works in London 2/3 days a week. It's a 2 hour commute.

However, Leeds is lovely. I always feel totally safe where I live and wouldn't think twice about walking around in the dark alone. Most people don't even lock their doors around here. Genuinely friendly people.

I would add that there are also bad areas around Leeds where you would not feel safe but that's the same as anywhere really.

Im 55 Ive lived in and around London all my life , both north and siuth of the river. Never really felt unsafe even through the IRA bombings and was caught up in 7/7. However i would not bring a my ds up where i lived in Sydenham/ crystal Palace as too much gang culture. My dsis worked in schools round there and knew a few boys that were stabbed to death.
I was at the Park theatre in Finsbury Park last month. The theatre is lovely but despite gentrification the area is still not that nice.

I've always lived in London and don't feel any different about safety - the acid attacks initially added a new worry but it seems like they are targeted rather than random? not sure about that though.

I've lived in London all my nearly 58 years, all over from furthest reaches of suburbia to "inner" suburbia, north, south and now zone 2. I don't feel any more unsafe now and I've never been a victim of crime yet I think my habits and behaviour have always been pretty average. I witnessed a mugging 20 odd years ago. Believe me, going to school on the tube through the IRA years was dangerous, it wasn't easier or different to today's terrorists, they killed a lot of people

I lived in FP a few years ago. I felt unsafe each time I left my flat. I was punched in the back of the head by a man for no reason my Flatmate at the time was also sexually attacked in broad daylight. When a young lad was stabbed to death yards from our flat that was enough for me to get the hell out of there. I now live in SE London. I do feel safer, but I always have my wits about me.

I remember visiting friends in Turnpike Lane/Green Lanes where there was generally a stabbing a week. That was nearly 20 years ago.. I think we just feel more vulnerable to danger as we get older and feel invincible when younger.

Come out to the outer zones of London if the boredom won't kill you. My street seems to be flooded with people moving out from zone 1.

Another boy stabbed to death on New Year’s Eve within a mile of us. Try and convince me again how its no different to a small village...

I always felt safe in London but just lately the teens seem to be out of control. I think there’s no discipline in the schools anymore and they just do what they like. I feel unsafe just going around in broad daylight sometimes .......

What sparechange said is exactly what I've been asking myself.

We live in suburban East London and the FB groups are ablaze some weeks with reports if "suspicious incidents." They have reduced the number of police stations here too which means people feel more unsafe. It's unclear to me if there are numerically more incidents or just increased ops to let people know about them. I guess I could dig out the stats and take a view. But it does have an impact, regardless, I do feel a bit more unsafe I would say.?

I am born and bred,still live in urban part of London. I feel safe but I am very conscious of all the things I should be doing to help lesson my chances of becoming a victim of crime. Trying not to use my phone in public, using well lit roads, having a burglar alarm etc.

However, sometimes things are random and nothing or no-one could have stopped or anticipated it, however I am confident that things like stranger murders are still quite rare in London. So my advice would be, take care and all the precautions you can, and not to worry too much. X

The acid attacks are horrible and feel very close to where I live in Greenwich/Blackheath. I hope they catch the cowardly little cunts soon.

I came back on the bus after the fireworks and felt very safe walking the 20 minutes to the bus and then walking home after the bus at 2am.

I try not to get my phone out in public any more as I think I would be very easily mugged by a 12 year old never mind an adult.