Saffron Walden Crime Overview
Saffron Walden is among the top 10 safest small towns in Essex, and is the 151st most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Saffron Walden in 2020 was 48 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 63% lower than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Saffron Walden is the 372nd safest small town, and the 3,308th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Saffron Walden was the worst small town in Essex for drugs, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.35 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2020 was also a bad month for Saffron Walden residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for shoplifting, recording 10 crimes at a rate of 0.58 per 1,000 residents. Saffron Walden recorded 4 reports of theft from the person during March 2020, making its crime rate of 0.23 the worst small town for theft from the person in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Saffron Walden are violence and sexual offences, with 365 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 1.1% lower than 2019's figure of 369 offences and a difference of 0.23 from 2019's crime rate of 21. Saffron Walden's least common crime is robbery, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 40% from 2019's figure of 3 crimes.
Compare Saffron Walden to other towns and cities
See how Saffron Walden shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Saffron Walden and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Saffron Walden Crime Map
Crime in Saffron Walden Compared To Essex
Summary of Crimes in Saffron Walden This Year
| Saffron Walden | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 317 | 18.25 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 47% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 0.35 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 189% safer |
| Burglary | 32 | 1.84 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 110% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 96 | 5.53 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 37% safer |
| Drugs | 41 | 2.36 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 48% safer |
| Other Crime | 9 | 0.52 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 235% safer |
| Other Theft | 76 | 4.37 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 17% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.35 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 86% safer |
| Public Order | 67 | 3.86 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 112% safer |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.29 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 128% safer |
| Shoplifting | 68 | 3.91 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 16 | 0.92 | 992 | 0.54 | 41% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 41 | 2.36 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 142% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 365 | 21.01 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 69% safer |
Saffron Walden Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkwell | 415 | 32.90 | 45% safer |
| Wivenhoe | 264 | 33.21 | 44% safer |
| Hockley | 354 | 35.56 | 34% safer |
| Stanway | 409 | 38.09 | 25% safer |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 752 | 47.06 | 1.3% safer |
| Saffron Walden | 828 | 47.66 | - |
| Brightlingsea | 413 | 47.74 | 0.17% more dangerous |
| Tiptree | 521 | 56.51 | 16% more dangerous |
| Frinton and Walton | 1,116 | 57.16 | 17% more dangerous |
| Great Dunmow | 605 | 58.55 | 19% more dangerous |
| Heybridge | 504 | 58.96 | 19% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Saffron Walden
View crime percentage over time forSaffron Walden Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 14 | 15 | 18 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.63 | 0.35 | 0.40 | 0.35 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 0.58 | 0.98 | 0.52 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 3.7 | 5 | 5 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.35 | 0.35 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.17 | 0.29 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.86 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.92 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 13 | 16 | 21 | 21 | Getting worse |
Changes In Saffron Walden's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Saffron Walden's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Saffron Walden that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglo-American Memorial Playing Fields | 3 | - | 1 | - | 3 | 3 | 2.0 |
| Bridge End Gardens | 3 | - | 1 | - | 3 | 3 | 1.2 |
| The Common | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 0.71 |
Comparing Saffron Walden to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Saffron Walden | 47.66 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 30% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 38% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 43% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 44% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 45% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 51% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 54% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 56% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 64% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 65% more dangerous |
Crime in Saffron Walden's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audley End, Ashdon & the Chesterfords | 237 | 32 | Second |
| Saffron Walden Town | 707 | 52 | First |
Crime in Saffron Walden During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Saffron Walden change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Saffron Walden saw a 400% increase in criminal damage and arson. Saffron Walden saw a large fall in other theft during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -46% | +8% | +75% | +121% | +44% | +10% | +106% | - | +150% | +88% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | -86% | -14% | -85% | -88% | - | -43% | - | -67% | +200% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +20% | -33% | -62% | +43% | - | -43% | +400% | -15% | -33% | +23% |
| Drugs | - | +67% | -50% | - | +20% | - | +50% | - | - | -67% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | -67% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -17% | -89% | -67% | -17% | +20% | -25% | +83% | -27% | +50% | -9% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Public Order | - | -50% | -56% | - | -30% | -57% | +88% | -50% | +25% | +50% |
| Shoplifting | - | -67% | -67% | -67% | -50% | -14% | +133% | -45% | -17% | +33% |
| Theft From the Person | +300% | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | -67% | -86% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -43% | +33% | -75% | -40% | -67% | +50% | +67% | +25% | -75% | +100% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | +29% | -50% | +38% | +32% | +33% | +67% | -25% | -53% | -4% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Saffron Walden
What police force serves Saffron Walden?
Saffron Walden's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Saffron Walden?
Saffron Walden is among the top 10 safest small towns in Essex.What is Saffron Walden's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Saffron Walden are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Saffron Walden?
Saffron Walden's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021