Sir Sadiq Khan has come under fire as he said latest figures showed a fall in some serious offences including knife crime.
The mayor says new City Hall data shows knife crime dropped by 19% between April and June this year compared with the same period last year, while the number of residential burglaries, personal thefts and personal robberies also fell.
But he has come under attack from critics after recent analysis showed a huge surge in knife crime during his time as mayor.
The anaysis published last month by Policy Exchange showed Knife crime soared by 86 per cent in London in a decade.
The number of offences surged by 58 per cent in just the three years between 2021 and 2024, their analysis showed.
Reform UK Assembly Member Alex Wilson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "If Sadiq Khan thinks London is getting more safe, he needs to get out more. The idea he points to incremental changes in just a few categories is ridiculous.
"The long term trends under Sadiq Khan are clear: knife crime is up, theft is up, shoplifting is up, fare evasion is up, phone thefts at the highest ever seen and just 2% of burglaries in outer London result in a charge or summons.
"If Sadiq Khan really thought crime was decreasing he would not be running away from accountability at every opportunity."
The Mayor of London boasted of "record funding" for the Metropolitan Police from City Hall as figures, compiled by the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime, showed theft from a person declined from 25,272 between April and June 2024 to 21, 937 in the same months this year - a 13 per cent decrease.
Robbery of personal property went from 7,106 to 6,209, a 13 per cent change, while residential burglary dropped 10 per cent from 7,974 to 7,144.
The Mayor's office also said there was a 19 per cent reduction in knife crime, though this could not be independently verified as the data is not yet publicly available. Overall, the number of crimes reported across the board in London fell from to 236,972 to 234,523.
However, further analysis of the Met Police figures shows that other offences, such as possession of weapons, rape and drug trafficking all increased in the same period.
Sir Sadiq said: "The latest figures show robbery, theft, residential burglary and knife crime are down in London, but there's still a long way to go before I'm satisfied. Backed with record funding from City Hall, the Met is putting high-visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime."
The latest figures show robbery, theft, residential burglary and knife crime are down in London, but there's still a long way to go before I’m satisfied.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) August 11, 2025
Backed with record funding from City Hall, the Met is putting high-visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime. pic.twitter.com/6v7iTI3gxs
The analysis came just days after the Met Police laid out proposals to close almost half of police station front counters in London.
Critics of the plan said the move would have a "devastating" impact on Londoners while only saving £7million, compared to the £260million funding gap the Met Police currently have.
Last month Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the force was "getting smaller but more capable" and was focused on "driving down crime on issues that matter most to Londoners".
The Mayor of London has pledged a policing blitz on London's 20 most blighted town centres for shoplifting, robbery, knife crime and antisocial behaviour this summer.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe. Sadiq is determined to do all he can to tackle crime and its complex causes and build on progress that has been achieved in London, with the number of young people being injured with a knife down 26 per cent, homicides down 17 per cent, gun crime with lethal barrel discharges down 43 per cent and burglary down 27 per cent since 2016.
“The Mayor has doubled his annual investment in the Met police from City Hall and will continue to invest record amounts in policing, as we know there is more to do. That is why, with City Hall funding, the West End will see a 50 per cent increase in the number of police officers on the beat and an additional 90 police officers working in new or enhanced town centre teams in hotspot areas. These officers will focus on tackling shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and phone robbery.
“Despite years of austerity by the previous government, the Mayor and the Met Police will continue to prioritise what Londoners want, putting high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuilding community confidence and trust as we continue to build a safer London for all.”
