Witham Crime Overview
Witham is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Essex, and is the 50th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Witham in 2020 was 82 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 4.9% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Witham is the 77th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 932nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Witham was the worst medium-sized town in Essex for other crime, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.22 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2018 was also a bad month for Witham residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous medium-sized town for bicycle theft, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 residents. Witham recorded 2 reports of possession of weapons during November 2015, making its crime rate of 0.07 the worst medium-sized town for possession of weapons in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Witham are violence and sexual offences, with 1,154 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 43. This is 15% higher than 2019's figure of 981 offences and a difference of 6.42 from 2019's crime rate of 36. Witham's least common crime is theft from the person, with 8 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 50% from 2019's figure of 12 crimes.
Compare Witham to other towns and cities
See how Witham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Witham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Witham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Witham This Year
| Witham | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 733 | 27.20 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 23 | 0.85 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 19% safer |
| Burglary | 108 | 4.01 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 220 | 8.16 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 85 | 3.15 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 11% safer |
| Other Crime | 44 | 1.63 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 7% safer |
| Other Theft | 144 | 5.34 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 4.5% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 13 | 0.48 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 35% safer |
| Public Order | 195 | 7.24 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 13% safer |
| Robbery | 16 | 0.59 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 12% safer |
| Shoplifting | 76 | 2.82 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 37% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 0.30 | 992 | 0.54 | 80% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 119 | 4.42 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 29% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,154 | 42.82 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 17% more dangerous |
Crime in Witham Compared To Essex
Witham Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billericay | 1,213 | 42.71 | 92% safer |
| Rayleigh | 1,507 | 45.19 | 81% safer |
| Wickford | 1,777 | 50.98 | 60% safer |
| Stanford-le-Hope | 1,522 | 52.48 | 56% safer |
| Canvey Island | 3,141 | 80.85 | 1.2% safer |
| Witham | 2,205 | 81.82 | - |
| Brentwood | 4,758 | 83.55 | 2.1% more dangerous |
| Loughton | 2,893 | 87.43 | 6% more dangerous |
| Braintree | 4,366 | 96.88 | 16% more dangerous |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 6,399 | 119.01 | 31% more dangerous |
Witham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 26 | 19 | 27 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.85 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.96 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.41 | 0.52 | 0.82 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.48 | 0.45 | 0.41 | 0.59 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 3.1 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.45 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 34 | 36 | 43 | Getting worse |
Changes In Witham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Witham to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 21% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 6% safer |
| Witham | 81.82 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 1.7% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 5% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 16% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 20% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 38% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 40% more dangerous |
Crime in Witham's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Witham | 451 | 77 | Second |
| Witham Town | 1,149 | 102 | First |
Crime in Witham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Witham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Witham saw a 300% increase in bicycle theft. Witham saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019. Witham 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, and other theft.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +13% | +35% | +76% | +45% | +38% | +37% | +26% | +36% | +215% | +152% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -88% | - | +300% | -33% | - | - | - | - | +100% |
| Burglary | -15% | -67% | -50% | -71% | -36% | -56% | +57% | -18% | -50% | -71% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -20% | -47% | -43% | -31% | +30% | -23% | -69% | -27% | -5% | -37% |
| Drugs | +150% | +175% | +38% | -10% | -56% | +75% | -25% | -63% | -13% | +63% |
| Other Crime | +33% | +75% | +33% | +25% | -50% | - | -80% | -63% | - | +100% |
| Other Theft | -27% | -69% | -47% | -20% | +13% | -22% | -32% | -50% | -22% | -35% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -67% | - | -50% | - | +100% | -50% | - | +50% | - |
| Public Order | -23% | -7% | -29% | -19% | +53% | -17% | -8% | +22% | +9% | +120% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | +200% | - | +100% | +200% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -38% | -89% | -40% | +75% | +17% | -87% | -25% | -23% | -40% | +25% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | -8% | -25% | +10% | -56% | -45% | +114% | -54% | -71% | -78% | -11% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +15% | +10% | -27% | +17% | +47% | +40% | +6% | +12% | +22% | +7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Witham
What police force serves Witham?
Witham's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Witham?
Witham is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Essex.What is Witham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Witham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Witham?
Witham's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021