Crime in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is the 21st safest county in England and Wales. The overall crime rate in Hertfordshire in 2020 was 44 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 17 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of Hertfordshire's larger towns and cities, Elstree and Borehamwood is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Stevenage, and Watford comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of Hertfordshire, starting with Three Rivers which ranks as the safest area in Hertfordshire, followed up by St Albans in second place, and Hertsmere in third place.
Crime Map of Hertfordshire
Click to use map
Hertfordshire Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26,064 | 16.38 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,500 | 0.94 |
| Burglary | 3,934 | 2.47 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7,147 | 4.49 |
| Drugs | 2,657 | 1.67 |
| Other Crime | 1,455 | 0.91 |
| Other Theft | 6,657 | 4.18 |
| Possession of Weapons | 587 | 0.37 |
| Public Order | 5,474 | 3.44 |
| Robbery | 723 | 0.45 |
| Shoplifting | 6,136 | 3.86 |
| Theft From the Person | 782 | 0.49 |
| Vehicle Crime | 6,744 | 4.24 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26,345 | 16.55 |
Hertfordshire's Population Centres
| Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Hertfordshire | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbots Langley | 1,087 | 50 | 12% more dangerous |
| Aldenham | 478 | 50 | 11% more dangerous |
| Berkhamsted | 682 | 36 | 23% safer |
| Bishop's Stortford | 1,922 | 48 | 8% more dangerous |
| Broxbourne | 6,784 | 70 | 37% more dangerous |
| Chorleywood | 388 | 33 | 32% safer |
| Croxley Green | 379 | 28 | 58% safer |
| Dacorum | 6,358 | 41 | 7% safer |
| Elstree and Borehamwood | 3,321 | 84 | 48% more dangerous |
| Harpenden | 1,121 | 36 | 21% safer |
| Hatfield | 3,556 | 75 | 41% more dangerous |
| Hertford | 1,724 | 59 | 25% more dangerous |
| Hertsmere | 2,810 | 27 | 65% safer |
| London Colney | 591 | 61 | 27% more dangerous |
| North Hertfordshire | 4,180 | 31 | 41% safer |
| North Mymms | 377 | 40 | 9% safer |
| Royston | 632 | 37 | 19% safer |
| Sandridge | 367 | 31 | 41% safer |
| Sawbridgeworth | 339 | 37 | 18% safer |
| St Albans | 3,721 | 25 | 76% safer |
| St Stephen | 861 | 60 | 27% more dangerous |
| Stevenage | 7,267 | 83 | 47% more dangerous |
| Three Rivers | 613 | 7 | 571% safer |
| Tring | 447 | 36 | 23% safer |
| Ware | 924 | 46 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Watford | 7,291 | 75 | 42% more dangerous |
| Watford Rural | 1,236 | 56 | 21% more dangerous |
| Welwyn | 352 | 39 | 14% safer |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 3,390 | 28 | 60% safer |
Crime Trends in Hertfordshire
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.94 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.91 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.50 | 0.37 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5.0 | 5 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.72 | 0.91 | 0.94 | 0.49 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 18 Feb 2021