Baldock Crime Overview
Baldock is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Hertfordshire, and is the 50th most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 141 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Baldock in 2020 was 51 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 17% lower than the Hertfordshire rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Baldock is the 416th safest small town, and the 2,923rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2020, Baldock was the worst small town in Hertfordshire for burglary, with 8 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.75 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Baldock residents, when it was Hertfordshire's most dangerous small town for other crime, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.28 per 1,000 residents. Baldock recorded 5 reports of bicycle theft during January 2019, making its crime rate of 0.47 the worst small town for bicycle theft in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Baldock are violence and sexual offences, with 278 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 4.3% lower than 2019's figure of 290 offences and a difference of 1.13 from 2019's crime rate of 27. Baldock's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 400% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.
Compare Baldock to other towns and cities
See how Baldock shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Baldock and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Baldock Crime Map
Crime in Baldock Compared To Hertfordshire
Summary of Crimes in Baldock This Year
| Baldock | Hertfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 185 | 17.41 | 26,059 | 21.91 | 26% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 0.66 | 1,506 | 1.27 | 92% safer |
| Burglary | 24 | 2.26 | 4,023 | 3.38 | 50% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 42 | 3.95 | 7,241 | 6.09 | 54% safer |
| Drugs | 20 | 1.88 | 2,624 | 2.21 | 18% safer |
| Other Crime | 15 | 1.41 | 1,472 | 1.24 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 32 | 3.01 | 6,806 | 5.72 | 90% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1 | 0.09 | 568 | 0.48 | 433% safer |
| Public Order | 33 | 3.11 | 5,557 | 4.67 | 50% safer |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.09 | 712 | 0.60 | 567% safer |
| Shoplifting | 32 | 3.01 | 6,358 | 5.35 | 78% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.28 | 818 | 0.69 | 146% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 55 | 5.18 | 6,730 | 5.66 | 9% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 278 | 26.17 | 26,803 | 22.53 | 14% more dangerous |
Baldock Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawbridgeworth | 364 | 40.13 | 27% safer |
| Royston | 689 | 40.43 | 26% safer |
| North Mymms | 384 | 41.20 | 24% safer |
| Welwyn | 376 | 41.46 | 23% safer |
| Ware | 1,014 | 50.47 | 1.3% safer |
| Baldock | 543 | 51.11 | - |
| Aldenham | 513 | 53.41 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| St Stephen | 881 | 61.52 | 17% more dangerous |
| Potters Bar | 1,511 | 65.47 | 22% more dangerous |
| Waltham Cross | 1,260 | 115.49 | 56% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Baldock
View crime percentage over time forBaldock Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 28 | 19 | 15 | 17 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.66 | 0.94 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.47 | 0.09 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.75 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.09 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.28 | 0.85 | 0.94 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 5 | 4.8 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 23 | 27 | 26 | Getting worse |
Changes In Baldock's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Baldock to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Baldock | 51.11 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 25% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 34% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 39% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 40% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 41% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 48% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 50% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 52% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 62% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 63% more dangerous |
Crime in Baldock's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldock | 555 | 52 | First |
Crime in Baldock During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Baldock change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Baldock saw a 800% increase in vehicle crime. Baldock saw a large fall in criminal damage and arson during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -50% | +60% | +125% | +18% | +9% | +58% | +18% | -30% | +44% | +9% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +300% | - | - |
| Burglary | - | +60% | - | - | -50% | +50% | -86% | -25% | -50% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +100% | -88% | -80% | -75% | -50% | -83% | +20% | +200% | +400% | -17% |
| Drugs | - | +50% | - | -83% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -50% | - | -33% | - | +100% | -33% | +200% |
| Other Theft | - | -50% | -80% | -83% | +50% | -75% | -67% | +400% | +400% | +400% |
| Public Order | - | +50% | - | -71% | +300% | -60% | -50% | +75% | -50% | - |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | +100% | +100% | +50% | - | - | +200% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +800% | -63% | - | -38% | - | -50% | -60% | - | +60% | +300% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -30% | - | -35% | -24% | -32% | +21% | +53% | +70% | +10% | +13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Baldock
What police force serves Baldock?
Baldock's local territorial police force is the Hertfordshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Baldock?
Baldock is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Hertfordshire.What is Baldock's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Baldock are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Baldock?
Baldock's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021