Crime and Safety in High Wycombe
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
High Wycombe is the safest major town in Buckinghamshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Buckinghamshire's 216 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in High Wycombe in 2026 is 74 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Buckinghamshire's overall crime rate, coming in 25% higher than the Buckinghamshire rate of 59 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, High Wycombe is the 36th safest major town, and the 1,491st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2026, High Wycombe was the worst major town in Buckinghamshire for drugs, with 51 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.51 per 1,000 daytime population. January 2026 was also a bad month for High Wycombe residents, when it was Buckinghamshire's most dangerous major town for public order, recording 59 crimes at a rate of 0.59 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in High Wycombe are violence and sexual offences, with 3,073 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 0.03% lower than 2025's figure of 3,074 offences and a difference of 0.05 from 2025's crime rate of 30. High Wycombe's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 25 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 14% from 2025's figure of 29 crimes.
High Wycombe 2026 Crime Scorecard
Safest
Major Towns, Buckinghamshire
20% higher, regional crime rate
South East
2.3% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in High Wycombe is 20% higher than the South East and 2.3% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
High Wycombe Crime Rate Over Time
| High Wycombe | |
| South East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
High Wycombe Crime Map
Incidents mapped in High Wycombe represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How High Wycombe Compares
You can compare High Wycombe's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to High Wycombe's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around High Wycombe up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of High Wycombe's 1,759 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in High Wycombe? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
High Wycombe • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within High Wycombe has a crime risk score of 521. This is based on analysis of 1,759 nearby areas within High Wycombe, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in High Wycombe's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in High Wycombe, crime risk scores are typically around 521, while in Buckinghamshire they are average 433.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 601 (432 for Buckinghamshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 653 (Buckinghamshire 434).
Trends in Crime Risk
High Wycombe
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates an increase of 23% in High Wycombe's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in High Wycombe's crime risk score is down by 6%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
The risk score trend over the last year has not shown any statistically meaningful movement up or down.
Crime Rates and Indexes
High Wycombe
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
High Wycombe • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Shoplifting offences have a crime rate of 9.69 reports per 1,000 people in High Wycombe, which is 1.36 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 977 crime reports logged by Thames Valley Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Thames Valley Police recorded 416 reports of Drugs in High Wycombe, resulting in a crime rate of 4.16 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.35.
The crime rate for Vehicle Crime is 1.14 times the national average at 4.89 reports per 1,000. This is from 494 crime reports reported to Thames Valley Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
High Wycombe
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Robbery offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.50 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Robbery CrimeRate Index was 0.67 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 25% over this timeframe.
Drugs offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.43 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Drugs CrimeRate Index was 0.86 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 66% over this timeframe.
Shoplifting offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.15 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 0.84 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 37% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
High Wycombe
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Theft From the Person offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.17 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Theft From the Person CrimeRate Index was 0.92 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 82% over this timeframe.
Burglary offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.33 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 0.53 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 38% over this timeframe.
Public Order offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.94 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 1.14 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 18% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
High Wycombe • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
High Wycombe | Buckinghamshire | South East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,015 | 10.06 | 0.71 | 7,186 | 7.11 | 0.50 | 115,500 | 10.87 | 0.77 |
| Bicycle Theft | 25 | 0.25 | 0.34 | 439 | 0.45 | 0.62 | 7,315 | 0.68 | 0.93 |
| Burglary | 171 | 1.71 | 0.55 | 2,233 | 2.21 | 0.71 | 23,535 | 2.23 | 0.71 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 562 | 5.58 | 0.89 | 4,823 | 4.78 | 0.76 | 58,501 | 5.50 | 0.88 |
| Drugs | 416 | 4.16 | 1.35 | 2,302 | 2.28 | 0.74 | 25,203 | 2.37 | 0.77 |
| Other Crime | 158 | 1.58 | 0.85 | 1,416 | 1.40 | 0.76 | 17,151 | 1.61 | 0.87 |
| Other Theft | 661 | 6.55 | 1.15 | 5,425 | 5.37 | 0.94 | 51,336 | 4.84 | 0.85 |
| Possession of Weapons | 52 | 0.52 | 0.61 | 410 | 0.40 | 0.47 | 8,736 | 0.81 | 0.95 |
| Public Order | 644 | 6.37 | 1.10 | 4,944 | 4.89 | 0.84 | 54,745 | 5.15 | 0.89 |
| Robbery | 123 | 1.23 | 1.04 | 744 | 0.74 | 0.63 | 7,588 | 0.72 | 0.61 |
| Shoplifting | 977 | 9.69 | 1.36 | 6,023 | 5.97 | 0.84 | 72,983 | 6.88 | 0.96 |
| Theft From the Person | 66 | 0.66 | 0.43 | 435 | 0.44 | 0.28 | 4,668 | 0.45 | 0.29 |
| Vehicle Crime | 494 | 4.89 | 1.14 | 4,291 | 4.23 | 0.98 | 34,099 | 3.22 | 0.75 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,073 | 30.43 | 1.00 | 26,046 | 25.77 | 0.85 | 286,815 | 26.98 | 0.89 |
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Total Crime by Year
High Wycombe | Buckinghamshire | South East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 7,422 | 73.62 | 1.02 | 59,531 | 58.93 | 0.82 | 652,675 | 61.44 | 0.85 |
| 2025 | 8,025 | 79.66 | 1.08 | 59,766 | 59.70 | 0.81 | 670,274 | 63.35 | 0.86 |
| 2024 | 7,718 | 77.82 | 1.03 | 60,359 | 60.92 | 0.81 | 690,903 | 65.86 | 0.87 |
| 2023 | 8,669 | 89.00 | 1.13 | 65,049 | 66.50 | 0.84 | 713,547 | 68.83 | 0.87 |
| 2022 | 7,837 | 81.46 | 1.06 | 61,059 | 63.22 | 0.82 | 704,444 | 68.58 | 0.89 |
| 2021 | 6,537 | 68.11 | 0.99 | 53,261 | 55.62 | 0.81 | 625,484 | 61.36 | 0.89 |
| 2020 | 6,435 | 66.62 | 0.90 | 53,054 | 55.94 | 0.75 | 669,219 | 65.97 | 0.89 |
| 2019 | 6,024 | 62.03 | 0.81 | 51,386 | 54.12 | 0.71 | 666,505 | 65.82 | 0.86 |
| 2018 | 5,501 | 56.55 | 0.80 | 46,401 | 49.01 | 0.69 | 644,142 | 63.85 | 0.90 |
| 2017 | 5,347 | 55.62 | 0.87 | 42,737 | 45.46 | 0.71 | 552,696 | 55.04 | 0.86 |
| 2016 | 1,626 | 17.02 | 0.89 | 13,443 | 14.37 | 0.75 | 160,273 | 15.99 | 0.84 |
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High Wycombe Compared to Nearby Major Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesbury | 6,399 | 87.22 | 18% more dangerous |
| High Wycombe | 7,422 | 73.62 | - |
Comparing High Wycombe to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| High Wycombe | 73.62 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 8% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 12% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 14% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 33% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 42% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 43% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 45% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 45% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 46% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 70% more dangerous |
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Offences In and Around High Wycombe's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in High Wycombe that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Burt's Hill | 8 | - | 2 | - | 15 | 27 |
| The Pedestal | - | 2 | - | - | 3 | 31 |
| Desborough Recreation Ground | 20 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 40 | 26 |
| Hughenden Park Allotments | 2 | - | - | - | 3 | 5 |
| Wycombe Judo Centre | 5 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 7 |
| Library Gardens | 3 | - | 4 | - | 7 | 4 |
| The Rye | 5 | 1 | 3 | - | 6 | 2 |
| Peace Garden | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 8 |
| Plomer Hill | 2 | 3 | - | - | 4 | 9 |
| Wycombe Leisure Centre | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
| Chairborough Road Nature Reserve | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 6 |
| Round Wood | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 6 | 10 |
Recent Crimes in High Wycombe
The 20 most recent crime reports in High Wycombe.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Kennedy Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Hampden Way | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Gilletts Lane | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Abbey Way | |
| April 2026 | Other crime | On or near Welles Road | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Oxford Street | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Abbey Way | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near High Street | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near High Street | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near High Street | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near High Street | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Gilletts Lane | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Downs Park | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Oxford Street |
Methodology & Data Sources
High Wycombe Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in High Wycombe during August 2026 will typically become available in October 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
High Wycombe Data Points
For High Wycombe, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2022 release of their Built Up Areas dataset, using the BUA22CD column value E63004735.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses High Wycombe's daytime - or "workday" - population of 71,515 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in High Wycombe