Safety index · Tower Hamlets, London · data through August 2026
Is Bow East safe?
Bow East shows a typical level of reported crime for Inner London. Its SafeRoute safety index is 65 out of 100 — 5 points above the Inner London median of 60, ranking 96th of 248 Inner London areas — based on 397 incidents reported to the police within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre over the month to August 2026.
DATA THROUGH AUGUST 2026 · 1 MONTH OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to London — a typical London neighbourhood sits near 60. It ranks Bow East against other neighbourhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (22% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 86 · 22% | |
| Anti-social behaviour | 89 · 22% | |
| Burglary | 26 · 7% | |
| Theft from a person | 27 · 7% | |
| Robbery | 17 · 4% | |
| Other theft | 34 · 9% |
Walking in Bow East at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same official crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Compare the routes and share your walk. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Bow West58/100 · Moderate
- Hackney Wick68/100 · Moderate
- Bromley North54/100 · Moderate
- Victoria59/100 · Moderate
- Bethnal Green East50/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Bow East safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 65/100). At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a short detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Bow East?
Violent crime — 86 of 397 incidents (22%) reported within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre over the month to August 2026.
How is the Bow East safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each police-recorded incident by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre, and normalises against national crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety. The scale is calibrated within London, so scores compare neighbourhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.