Crime and Safety in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Cheshunt is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Hertfordshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 140 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Cheshunt in 2026 is 73 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 20% higher than the Hertfordshire rate of 60 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Cheshunt is the 68th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 978th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2025, Cheshunt had the worst crime rate in Hertfordshire for shoplifting, with 72 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.6 per 1,000 daytime population. May 2023 was also a bad month for Cheshunt residents, when it was again Hertfordshire's most dangerous area for shoplifting, recording 59 crimes at a rate of 1.4 per 1,000 daytime population. Cheshunt recorded 10 reports of robbery during August 2017, making its crime rate of 0.23 the worst for robbery in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Cheshunt are violence and sexual offences, with 1,267 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 8% higher than 2025's figure of 1,174 offences and a difference of 2.12 from 2025's crime rate of 27. Cheshunt's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 18 offences recorded in 2026, an increase of 12% from 2025's figure of 16 crimes.
Cheshunt 2026 Crime Scorecard
Second Most Dangerous
Medium-Sized Towns, Hertfordshire
18% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
0.74% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Cheshunt is 18% higher than the East of England and 0.74% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Cheshunt Crime Rate Over Time
| Cheshunt | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Cheshunt Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Cheshunt represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Cheshunt Compares
You can compare Cheshunt's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Cheshunt's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Cheshunt up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Cheshunt's 906 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Cheshunt? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Cheshunt • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Cheshunt has a crime risk score of 525. This is based on analysis of 906 nearby areas within Cheshunt, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Cheshunt's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Cheshunt, crime risk scores are typically around 525, while in Hertfordshire they are average 456.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 647 (472 for Hertfordshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 698 (Hertfordshire 489).
Trends in Crime Risk
Cheshunt
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates a decrease of 5% in Cheshunt's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Cheshunt's crime risk score is up by 18%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Cheshunt's crime risk score has shown an upward trend of approximately 10%, indicating that the risk profile is going up. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Cheshunt
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Cheshunt • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Shoplifting offences have a crime rate of 13 reports per 1,000 people in Cheshunt, which is 1.85 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 575 crime reports logged by Hertfordshire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Hertfordshire Police recorded 222 reports of Vehicle Crime in Cheshunt, resulting in a crime rate of 5.09 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.18.
The crime rate for Possession of Weapons is 1.09 times the national average at 0.85 reports per 1,000. This is from 37 crime reports reported to Hertfordshire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Cheshunt
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Violence and Sexual Offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.05 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Violence and Sexual Offences CrimeRate Index was 0.83 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 27% over this timeframe.
Public Order offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.96 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 0.44 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 118% over this timeframe.
Possession of Weapons offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.29 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Possession of Weapons CrimeRate Index was 0.29 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 0% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Cheshunt
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Robbery offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of - for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Robbery CrimeRate Index was 0.22 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a near-complete decrease over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Cheshunt • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Cheshunt | Hertfordshire | East of England | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 777 | 17.84 | 1.26 | 21,601 | 15.50 | 1.10 | 74,182 | 10.23 | 0.72 |
| Bicycle Theft | 18 | 0.41 | 0.66 | 917 | 0.66 | 0.90 | 5,325 | 0.72 | 0.99 |
| Burglary | 106 | 2.43 | 0.78 | 3,683 | 2.65 | 0.85 | 17,593 | 2.42 | 0.77 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 178 | 4.10 | 0.65 | 6,931 | 4.97 | 0.79 | 40,107 | 5.51 | 0.88 |
| Drugs | 109 | 2.51 | 0.81 | 3,411 | 2.45 | 0.79 | 18,935 | 2.59 | 0.84 |
| Other Crime | 71 | 1.63 | 0.88 | 1,983 | 1.41 | 0.76 | 12,241 | 1.70 | 0.92 |
| Other Theft | 314 | 7.20 | 1.27 | 8,371 | 6.01 | 1.06 | 34,703 | 4.78 | 0.84 |
| Possession of Weapons | 37 | 0.85 | 1.09 | 861 | 0.62 | 0.73 | 5,931 | 0.83 | 0.98 |
| Public Order | 189 | 4.35 | 0.75 | 5,446 | 3.91 | 0.67 | 32,088 | 4.42 | 0.76 |
| Robbery | 40 | 0.93 | 0.95 | 991 | 0.70 | 0.59 | 4,492 | 0.61 | 0.52 |
| Shoplifting | 575 | 13.21 | 1.85 | 8,328 | 5.99 | 0.84 | 43,068 | 5.94 | 0.83 |
| Theft From the Person | 30 | 0.69 | 0.48 | 954 | 0.68 | 0.44 | 3,654 | 0.52 | 0.34 |
| Vehicle Crime | 222 | 5.09 | 1.18 | 6,049 | 4.35 | 1.01 | 27,821 | 3.84 | 0.89 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,267 | 29.11 | 0.96 | 36,109 | 25.93 | 0.85 | 200,684 | 27.65 | 0.91 |
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Total Crime by Year
Cheshunt | Hertfordshire | East of England | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 3,156 | 72.51 | 1.01 | 84,034 | 60.33 | 0.84 | 446,642 | 61.53 | 0.85 |
| 2025 | 2,857 | 65.97 | 0.89 | 82,503 | 59.54 | 0.80 | 441,082 | 61.31 | 0.83 |
| 2024 | 2,814 | 65.28 | 0.87 | 73,907 | 53.85 | 0.71 | 443,460 | 62.34 | 0.83 |
| 2023 | 2,734 | 64.04 | 0.82 | 76,470 | 56.33 | 0.71 | 474,715 | 67.51 | 0.85 |
| 2022 | 2,560 | 60.32 | 0.79 | 74,426 | 55.22 | 0.72 | 471,617 | 67.78 | 0.88 |
| 2021 | 2,910 | 68.43 | 1.00 | 72,746 | 54.15 | 0.79 | 437,869 | 63.51 | 0.93 |
| 2020 | 3,056 | 70.86 | 0.96 | 82,388 | 61.55 | 0.83 | 465,376 | 67.88 | 0.92 |
| 2019 | 3,402 | 78.48 | 1.03 | 86,563 | 64.71 | 0.85 | 482,539 | 70.87 | 0.93 |
| 2018 | 3,379 | 77.98 | 1.10 | 84,008 | 63.06 | 0.89 | 439,882 | 64.91 | 0.91 |
| 2017 | 3,041 | 70.11 | 1.10 | 77,119 | 58.04 | 0.91 | 396,747 | 58.76 | 0.92 |
| 2016 | 884 | 20.37 | 1.07 | 21,894 | 16.50 | 0.87 | 116,493 | 17.30 | 0.91 |
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Cheshunt Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatfield | 4,688 | 88.56 | 22% more dangerous |
| Elstree and Borehamwood | 3,653 | 73.14 | 0.87% more dangerous |
| Cheshunt | 3,156 | 72.51 | - |
| Hoddesdon | 2,750 | 65.82 | 9% safer |
| Welwyn Garden City | 3,809 | 59.81 | 18% safer |
| Hertford | 2,036 | 56.52 | 22% safer |
| Letchworth Garden City | 2,082 | 55.56 | 23% safer |
| Bishop's Stortford | 2,494 | 52.47 | 28% safer |
| Bushey | 1,440 | 49.10 | 32% safer |
| Rickmansworth | 1,339 | 47.31 | 35% safer |
| Hitchin | 1,828 | 46.31 | 36% safer |
| Harpenden | 1,179 | 35.14 | 52% safer |
Comparing Cheshunt to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshunt | 72.51 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 10% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 14% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 16% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 44% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 45% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 47% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 48% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 49% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 72% more dangerous |
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Offences In and Around Cheshunt's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Cheshunt that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmore Lane Open Space | 2 | - | 3 | - | 2 | 7 |
| Lush Health Club | 1 | - | - | - | 7 | 12 |
| Moxom Avenue Open Space | 6 | 1 | - | - | 11 | 10 |
| Shaolin Temple | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 5 |
| Cheshunt Park | 23 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 4 |
| The Cedars Park | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| Halfhide Lane Allotments | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 27 |
| The Nightleys | 2 | - | - | - | 5 | 1 |
| Dark Lane Allotments | 8 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 7 |
| Whit Hern Park | 20 | - | 1 | - | 14 | 2 |
| Cadmore Lane Allotment | 1 | - | 3 | - | 1 | 4 |
| Grundy Park | 33 | 4 | 14 | - | 34 | 75 |
| Grundy Park | 35 | 5 | 16 | - | 34 | 76 |
| Russells Ride Allotments | 5 | - | 2 | - | 8 | 8 |
| Lee Valley Country Park | 79 | 17 | 18 | 5 | 116 | 144 |
| Rosedale Way Open Space | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
Recent Crimes in Cheshunt
The 20 most recent crime reports in Cheshunt.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Shanklin Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Cranleigh Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Lower Meadow | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Edenvale | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Fieldings Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Fieldings Road | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Brookfield Lane | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Forest Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lawrance Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Cottage Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Crossbrook Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lawrance Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bushbarns | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bushbarns | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bullwell Crescent | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Beecholm Mews | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Andrew'S Lane | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Beecholm Mews | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Herongate Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bushbarns |
Methodology & Data Sources
Cheshunt Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Cheshunt during August 2026 will typically become available in October 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Cheshunt Data Points
For Cheshunt, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2022 release of their Built Up Areas dataset, using the BUA22CD column value E63004542.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Cheshunt's daytime - or "workday" - population of 30,399 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Cheshunt