Chelmsford Crime Overview
Chelmsford is the safest major town in Essex, and is the 62nd most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Chelmsford in 2020 was 74 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 6% lower than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Chelmsford is the 42nd safest major town, and the 1,244th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Chelmsford had the worst crime rate in Essex for bicycle theft, with 31 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. January 2020 was also a bad month for Chelmsford residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 46 crimes at a rate of 0.39 per 1,000 residents. Chelmsford recorded 13 reports of theft from the person during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.11 the worst for theft from the person in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Chelmsford are violence and sexual offences, with 4,070 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 2.9% lower than 2019's figure of 4,186 offences and a difference of 0.98 from 2019's crime rate of 35. Chelmsford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 66 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 45% from 2019's figure of 96 crimes.
Compare Chelmsford to other towns and cities
See how Chelmsford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Chelmsford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Chelmsford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Chelmsford This Year
| Chelmsford | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,113 | 26.21 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 2.1% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 229 | 1.93 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 48% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 305 | 2.57 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 50% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 782 | 6.58 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 16% safer |
| Drugs | 362 | 3.05 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 14% safer |
| Other Crime | 268 | 2.26 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 23% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 544 | 4.58 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 11% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 66 | 0.56 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 16% safer |
| Public Order | 925 | 7.79 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 4.9% safer |
| Robbery | 69 | 0.58 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 14% safer |
| Shoplifting | 662 | 5.57 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 31% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 103 | 0.87 | 992 | 0.54 | 38% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 367 | 3.09 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 85% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,070 | 34.27 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 3.3% safer |
Crime in Chelmsford Compared To Essex
Chelmsford Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford | 8,752 | 73.70 | - |
| Colchester | 12,756 | 92.35 | 20% more dangerous |
| Grays | 7,270 | 96.17 | 23% more dangerous |
| Harlow | 9,580 | 109.88 | 33% more dangerous |
| Basildon | 14,364 | 122.06 | 40% more dangerous |
Chelmsford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 22 | 23 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.3 | 6 | 5 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.0 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.67 | 0.84 | 0.81 | 0.56 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.83 | 0.80 | 0.83 | 0.58 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.87 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23 | 29 | 35 | 34 | Getting worse |
Changes In Chelmsford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Chelmsford to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 9% safer |
| Chelmsford | 73.70 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 11% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 14% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 15% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 24% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 28% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 45% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 46% more dangerous |
Crime in Chelmsford's Neighbourhoods
Central Chelmsford is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Chelmsford, followed by Melbourne in second place, and Waterhouse Lane & Admirals Park as the third most dangerous area. Chelmsford's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Great Baddow North & East, Moulsham East, and Springfield South & Coronation Park.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Chelmsford | 3,492 | 274 | First |
| Galleywood | 473 | 67 | Fourth |
| Great Baddow North & East | 209 | 27 | Eighth |
| Melbourne | 960 | 116 | Second |
| Moulsham East | 222 | 33 | Seventh |
| Moulsham West | 535 | 66 | Fifth |
| Springfield South & Coronation Park | 392 | 50 | Sixth |
| Waterhouse Lane & Admirals Park | 1,157 | 110 | Third |
Chelmsford Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Chelmsford for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Moulsham East (100) | Central Chelmsford (1,337) |
| Bicycle Theft | Great Baddow North & East (2) | Central Chelmsford (170) |
| Burglary | Great Baddow North & East (3) | Central Chelmsford (84) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Great Baddow North & East (14) | Central Chelmsford (234) |
| Drugs | Moulsham East (4) | Central Chelmsford (144) |
| Other Crime | Moulsham East (5) | Central Chelmsford (157) |
| Other Theft | Great Baddow North & East (10) | Central Chelmsford (227) |
| Possession of Weapons | Great Baddow North & East (1) | Central Chelmsford (36) |
| Public Order | Moulsham East (11) | Central Chelmsford (405) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Great Baddow North & East (2) | Central Chelmsford (48) |
| Shoplifting | Great Baddow North & East (10) | Central Chelmsford (346) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Melbourne (1) | Central Chelmsford (73) |
| Vehicle Crime | Moulsham East (15) | Central Chelmsford (88) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Great Baddow North & East (91) | Central Chelmsford (1,480) |
Crime in Chelmsford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Chelmsford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Chelmsford saw a 107% increase in bicycle theft. Chelmsford saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 92% compared to May in 2019. Chelmsford saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, criminal damage and arson, other theft, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +12% | +37% | +14% | +13% | +20% | +13% | +6% | +6% | +73% | +14% |
| Bicycle Theft | +9% | -68% | +6% | -45% | -50% | +107% | -29% | -82% | -61% | -33% |
| Burglary | -59% | -73% | -66% | -29% | -61% | +10% | -41% | -52% | -68% | -53% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -2% | -44% | -44% | -15% | +21% | -1% | -30% | -27% | -45% | -56% |
| Drugs | -44% | +51% | +49% | -30% | -6% | -38% | -46% | -14% | -29% | -39% |
| Other Crime | -23% | -8% | +60% | -29% | +35% | -19% | -52% | -38% | -41% | -70% |
| Other Theft | -53% | -67% | -47% | -33% | -47% | +13% | -5% | -25% | -41% | -10% |
| Possession of Weapons | -30% | -73% | +60% | -50% | -60% | -11% | -43% | +75% | -30% | - |
| Public Order | -29% | -29% | -5% | - | +22% | +54% | +3% | -4% | +4% | -28% |
| Robbery | -38% | -67% | -50% | +100% | -56% | -22% | -38% | +33% | - | -71% |
| Shoplifting | +14% | -32% | -61% | -39% | +5% | +46% | -3% | -6% | -36% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -58% | -92% | -83% | -56% | -25% | +33% | +8% | -71% | -38% |
| Vehicle Crime | -65% | -82% | -65% | -56% | - | -54% | -38% | -22% | -9% | -41% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 0% | -13% | -18% | +4% | +14% | -2% | +8% | -21% | -8% | -19% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Chelmsford
What police force serves Chelmsford?
Chelmsford's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Chelmsford?
Chelmsford is the safest major town in Essex.What is Chelmsford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Chelmsford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Chelmsford?
Chelmsford's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021