Safety index · Lambeth, London · data through April 2026
Is Oval safe?
Oval records more reported crime than most London neighbourhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 28 out of 100 — right at the Inner London median of 31, ranking 176th of 248 Inner London areas — based on 591 incidents reported to the police within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre (data through April 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (23% 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 | 133 · 23% | |
| Theft from a person | 104 · 18% | |
| Anti-social behaviour | 79 · 13% | |
| Robbery | 40 · 7% | |
| Other theft | 49 · 8% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 26 · 4% |
Walking in Oval at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Vauxhall28/100 · Elevated
- Kennington27/100 · Elevated
- Stockwell East27/100 · Elevated
- Myatt's Fields29/100 · Elevated
- Stockwell West & Larkhall30/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Oval safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 28/100). At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a short detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Oval?
Violent crime — 133 of 591 incidents (23%) reported within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre through April 2026.
How is the Oval 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.