Chigwell Crime Overview
Chigwell is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Essex, and is the 55th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Chigwell in 2020 was 79 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 1.2% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Chigwell is the 134th most dangerous small town, and the 1,038th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Chigwell was the worst small town in Essex for burglary, with 8 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.57 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2020 was also a bad month for Chigwell residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 11 crimes at a rate of 0.79 per 1,000 residents. Chigwell recorded 11 reports of other theft during March 2020, making its crime rate of 0.79 the worst small town for other theft in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Chigwell are violence and sexual offences, with 418 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 450 offences and a difference of 2.29 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Chigwell's least common crime is shoplifting, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 750% from 2019's figure of 17 crimes.
Compare Chigwell to other towns and cities
See how Chigwell shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Chigwell and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Chigwell Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Chigwell This Year
| Chigwell | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 279 | 19.98 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 34% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 5 | 0.36 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 181% safer |
| Burglary | 90 | 6.45 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 40% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 75 | 5.37 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 42% safer |
| Drugs | 49 | 3.51 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 0.57% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 21 | 1.50 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 16% safer |
| Other Theft | 97 | 6.95 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 27% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.29 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 124% safer |
| Public Order | 78 | 5.59 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 46% safer |
| Robbery | 17 | 1.22 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 46% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 2 | 0.14 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 2650% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.21 | 992 | 0.54 | 157% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 241 | 17.26 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 67% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 418 | 29.94 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 18% safer |
Crime in Chigwell Compared To Essex
Chigwell Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heybridge | 504 | 58.96 | 34% safer |
| Buckhurst Hill | 754 | 64.00 | 23% safer |
| Burnham-on-Crouch | 532 | 66.85 | 18% safer |
| Halstead | 870 | 71.54 | 10% safer |
| Maldon | 1,069 | 72.97 | 8% safer |
| Chigwell | 1,100 | 78.79 | - |
| Myland | 1,273 | 84.60 | 7% more dangerous |
| Epping | 1,069 | 86.34 | 9% more dangerous |
| Rochford | 913 | 94.95 | 17% more dangerous |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,312 | 102.89 | 23% more dangerous |
| Harwich | 2,027 | 107.01 | 26% more dangerous |
Chigwell Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 18 | 14 | 20 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.21 | 0.36 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 14 | 13 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 4.4 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 6 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.50 | 0.36 | 0.14 | 0.29 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.0 | 5 | 4.2 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.93 | 0.72 | 0.93 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.4 | 0.79 | 1.2 | 0.14 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.14 | 0.36 | 0.50 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 16 | 17 | 21 | 17 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 21 | 32 | 30 | Getting worse |
Changes In Chigwell's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Chigwell to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 16% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 1.8% safer |
| Chigwell | 78.79 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 5% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 8% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 9% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 19% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 23% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 41% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 43% more dangerous |
Crime in Chigwell's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chigwell | 560 | 84 | First |
| Grange Hill | 540 | 74 | Second |
Crime in Chigwell During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Chigwell change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Chigwell saw a 700% increase in public order. Chigwell saw a large fall in robbery during September, when it fell by 80% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +6% | +333% | +93% | -26% | +8% | +26% | -6% | +18% | +164% | +117% |
| Burglary | - | - | -20% | -63% | +17% | +25% | +67% | -14% | -43% | -43% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | - | -67% | -69% | - | +100% | - | -25% | -44% | -64% |
| Drugs | - | - | +67% | -50% | +50% | +150% | - | +267% | +300% | -43% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | +300% | - | +100% | - | +100% | -60% | - |
| Other Theft | +22% | - | -40% | -31% | -71% | -60% | -60% | -18% | -38% | -68% |
| Public Order | +33% | +33% | - | +700% | +225% | - | -38% | +150% | +40% | -43% |
| Robbery | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -80% | +100% | +200% | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -29% | +7% | -52% | -16% | +43% | -29% | +3% | -13% | -23% | -70% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +69% | -45% | -18% | +6% | +8% | +18% | +2% | -11% | -36% | -39% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Chigwell
What police force serves Chigwell?
Chigwell's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Chigwell?
Chigwell is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Essex.What is Chigwell's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Chigwell are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Chigwell?
Chigwell's least common crime is shoplifting.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021