Colchester Crime Overview
Colchester is the second safest major town in Essex, and is the 34th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Colchester in 2020 was 92 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 16% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Colchester is the 41st most dangerous major town, and the 653rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Colchester had the worst crime rate in Essex for bicycle theft, with 41 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.30 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Colchester residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for drugs, recording 55 crimes at a rate of 0.40 per 1,000 residents. Colchester recorded 81 reports of shoplifting during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.59 the worst for shoplifting in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Colchester are violence and sexual offences, with 6,099 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 44. This is 0.97% lower than 2019's figure of 6,158 offences and a difference of 0.43 from 2019's crime rate of 45. Colchester's least common crime is theft from the person, with 79 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 86% from 2019's figure of 147 crimes.
Compare Colchester to other towns and cities
See how Colchester shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Colchester and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Colchester Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Colchester This Year
| Colchester | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,197 | 30.38 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 238 | 1.72 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 41% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 532 | 3.85 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 0.26% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,261 | 9.13 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 17% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 852 | 6.17 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 43% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 284 | 2.06 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 16% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 728 | 5.27 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 110 | 0.80 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 19% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,401 | 10.14 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 19% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 92 | 0.67 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 654 | 4.73 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 19% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 79 | 0.57 | 992 | 0.54 | 5% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 426 | 3.08 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 85% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,099 | 44.15 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime in Colchester Compared To Essex
Colchester Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford | 8,752 | 73.70 | 25% safer |
| Colchester | 12,756 | 92.35 | - |
| Grays | 7,270 | 96.17 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Harlow | 9,580 | 109.88 | 16% more dangerous |
| Basildon | 14,364 | 122.06 | 24% more dangerous |
Colchester Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 31 | 29 | 27 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.64 | 0.92 | 1.0 | 0.80 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.90 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.67 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 0.98 | 1.1 | 0.57 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 40 | 45 | 44 | Getting worse |
Changes In Colchester's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Colchester to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 36% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 19% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 11% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 8% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 7% safer |
| Colchester | 92.35 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 5% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 10% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 14% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 33% more dangerous |
Crime in Colchester's Neighbourhoods
Central Colchester is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Colchester, followed by New Town & Hythe in second place, and Mile End & Braiswick as the third most dangerous area. Colchester's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Highwoods, Lexden, and Prettygate & Westlands.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Field | 692 | 88 | Fifth |
| Central Colchester | 2,725 | 235 | First |
| Greenstead | 1,590 | 117 | Fourth |
| Highwoods | 738 | 74 | Seventh |
| Lexden | 407 | 72 | Eighth |
| Mile End & Braiswick | 1,855 | 125 | Third |
| New Town & Hythe | 1,921 | 136 | Second |
| Parson's Heath | 1,091 | 78 | Sixth |
| Prettygate & Westlands | 311 | 43 | Ninth |
Colchester Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Colchester for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Prettygate & Westlands (119) | Central Colchester (1,008) |
| Bicycle Theft | Prettygate & Westlands (2) | Central Colchester (99) |
| Burglary | Mile End & Braiswick (28) | Central Colchester (106) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Prettygate & Westlands (20) | Central Colchester (258) |
| Drugs | Prettygate & Westlands (11) | Central Colchester (180) |
| Other Crime | Parson's Heath (19) | Central Colchester (51) |
| Other Theft | Lexden (13) | Central Colchester (207) |
| Possession of Weapons | Prettygate & Westlands (2) | Central Colchester (24) |
| Public Order | Prettygate & Westlands (33) | Central Colchester (292) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Prettygate & Westlands (1) | Central Colchester (23) |
| Shoplifting | Abbey Field (2) | Central Colchester (301) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Lexden (1) | Central Colchester (48) |
| Vehicle Crime | Prettygate & Westlands (11) | Central Colchester (58) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Prettygate & Westlands (142) | Central Colchester (1,078) |
Crime in Colchester During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Colchester change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Colchester saw a 186% increase in drugs. Colchester saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Colchester's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -21% | +48% | +17% | -10% | +0% | +8% | +2% | +27% | +82% | +96% |
| Bicycle Theft | +8% | -30% | -61% | -54% | -39% | -11% | -40% | -18% | +46% | +10% |
| Burglary | -41% | -59% | -46% | -56% | +18% | -16% | +54% | -46% | -45% | -46% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +37% | -36% | -26% | -11% | -12% | -22% | +2% | -15% | -33% | -26% |
| Drugs | +52% | +53% | +186% | +71% | +41% | -28% | -24% | +79% | -2% | -11% |
| Other Crime | +108% | -24% | -3% | -34% | -63% | +50% | +4% | +40% | -43% | +80% |
| Other Theft | -17% | -44% | -43% | -5% | -15% | +4% | -14% | -38% | -23% | -29% |
| Possession of Weapons | -18% | -73% | +75% | +25% | -33% | -25% | - | -18% | -33% | -67% |
| Public Order | +14% | -19% | +18% | +19% | -19% | -13% | -10% | +1% | +19% | +3% |
| Robbery | -44% | -58% | -50% | -21% | -7% | -88% | -46% | -23% | -18% | -20% |
| Shoplifting | -50% | -67% | -78% | -12% | -60% | -42% | -12% | -48% | -35% | -44% |
| Theft From the Person | -52% | -89% | -67% | -13% | -50% | -25% | -54% | -30% | -70% | -56% |
| Vehicle Crime | +41% | -42% | -17% | -29% | -3% | +20% | +15% | -69% | -57% | -24% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | -16% | -10% | +3% | +4% | +22% | +17% | -7% | -9% | -6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Colchester
What police force serves Colchester?
Colchester's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Colchester?
Colchester is the second safest major town in Essex.What is Colchester's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Colchester are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Colchester?
Colchester's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021