Waltham Abbey Crime Overview
Waltham Abbey is the third most dangerous small town in Essex, and is the 24th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Waltham Abbey in 2020 was 103 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 24% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Waltham Abbey is the 53rd most dangerous small town, and the 451st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Waltham Abbey was the worst small town in Essex for burglary, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.58 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Waltham Abbey residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 15 crimes at a rate of 0.67 per 1,000 residents. Waltham Abbey recorded 18 reports of other theft during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.80 the worst small town for other theft in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Waltham Abbey are violence and sexual offences, with 920 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 7% higher than 2019's figure of 854 offences and a difference of 2.94 from 2019's crime rate of 38. Waltham Abbey's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 11 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 9% from 2019's figure of 10 crimes.
Compare Waltham Abbey to other towns and cities
See how Waltham Abbey shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Waltham Abbey and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Waltham Abbey Crime Map
Crime in Waltham Abbey Compared To Essex
Summary of Crimes in Waltham Abbey This Year
| Waltham Abbey | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 826 | 36.76 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 11 | 0.49 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 106% safer |
| Burglary | 173 | 7.70 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 50% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 230 | 10.24 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 26% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 116 | 5.16 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 32% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 46 | 2.05 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 15% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 177 | 7.88 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 35% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 14 | 0.62 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 4.8% safer |
| Public Order | 269 | 11.97 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 32% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 26 | 1.16 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 43% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 49 | 2.18 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 77% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 11 | 0.49 | 992 | 0.54 | 10% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 270 | 12.02 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 52% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 920 | 40.94 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 14% more dangerous |
Waltham Abbey Compared to Nearby Small Towns
Crime Over Time in Waltham Abbey
View crime percentage over time forWaltham Abbey Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 31 | 29 | 29 | 37 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.85 | 0.31 | 0.45 | 0.49 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.62 | 0.67 | 0.58 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.40 | 0.53 | 0.27 | 0.49 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 14 | 17 | 20 | 12 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 31 | 38 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Waltham Abbey's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Waltham Abbey's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Waltham Abbey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Gardens | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0.11 |
| Gunpowder Park | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 | 4 | 0.17 |
| The Larsen Recreation Ground | 8 | - | 1 | - | 13 | 9 | 9 |
Comparing Waltham Abbey to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 52% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 33% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 19% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 6% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 0.02% safer |
| Waltham Abbey | 102.89 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Waltham Abbey's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Abbey North | 600 | 80 | Third |
| Waltham Abbey South | 816 | 90 | Second |
| Waltham Abbey West & Outer | 896 | 151 | First |
Crime in Waltham Abbey During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Waltham Abbey change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Waltham Abbey saw a 1,400% increase in drugs. Waltham Abbey saw a large fall in robbery during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Waltham Abbey's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -17% | +102% | +79% | +20% | +25% | +31% | -13% | +5% | +40% | +60% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Burglary | +47% | -46% | -25% | -47% | +100% | +28% | -57% | -13% | -57% | +117% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +25% | -24% | +50% | +22% | +14% | -21% | -40% | -15% | +45% | -8% |
| Drugs | +233% | +50% | +50% | +100% | -9% | -13% | +150% | +67% | +1,000% | +1,400% |
| Other Crime | - | - | -50% | - | +250% | +67% | +100% | - | - | +233% |
| Other Theft | -52% | -47% | -27% | -47% | -27% | -44% | -54% | -10% | -29% | +6% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | -67% | -33% | -50% | - | - | - | - | -33% |
| Public Order | +11% | - | +33% | +46% | +107% | +111% | +14% | -61% | -17% | +13% |
| Robbery | +100% | -88% | - | - | - | +40% | -67% | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -70% | -78% | -38% | -83% | -57% | -73% | -57% | +50% | -33% | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -47% | -64% | -72% | -36% | -46% | -23% | -45% | -54% | -45% | -35% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -15% | +10% | -22% | +4% | +25% | -8% | +3% | +14% | +36% | +24% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Waltham Abbey
What police force serves Waltham Abbey?
Waltham Abbey's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Waltham Abbey?
Waltham Abbey is the third most dangerous small town in Essex.What is Waltham Abbey's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Waltham Abbey are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Waltham Abbey?
Waltham Abbey's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021