Harpenden Crime Overview
Harpenden is the second safest medium-sized town in Hertfordshire, and is the 70th most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 141 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Harpenden in 2020 was 40 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 49% lower than the Hertfordshire rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Harpenden is among the top 20 safest medium-sized towns, and the 4,340th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2020, Harpenden was the worst medium-sized town in Hertfordshire for bicycle theft, with 10 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.32 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Harpenden residents, when it was Hertfordshire's most dangerous medium-sized town for shoplifting, recording 31 crimes at a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 residents. Harpenden recorded 8 reports of theft from the person during February 2019, making its crime rate of 0.26 the worst medium-sized town for theft from the person in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Harpenden are violence and sexual offences, with 349 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 11. This is 2.6% lower than 2019's figure of 358 offences and a difference of 0.30 from 2019's crime rate of 12. Harpenden's least common crime is robbery, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 33% from 2019's figure of 8 crimes.
Compare Harpenden to other towns and cities
See how Harpenden shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Harpenden and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Harpenden Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Harpenden This Year
| Harpenden | Hertfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 414 | 13.44 | 26,059 | 21.91 | 63% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 26 | 0.84 | 1,506 | 1.27 | 51% safer |
| Burglary | 65 | 2.11 | 4,023 | 3.38 | 60% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 122 | 3.96 | 7,241 | 6.09 | 54% safer |
| Drugs | 42 | 1.36 | 2,624 | 2.21 | 62% safer |
| Other Crime | 19 | 0.62 | 1,472 | 1.24 | 100% safer |
| Other Theft | 119 | 3.86 | 6,806 | 5.72 | 48% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.29 | 568 | 0.48 | 66% safer |
| Public Order | 90 | 2.92 | 5,557 | 4.67 | 60% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.19 | 712 | 0.60 | 216% safer |
| Shoplifting | 267 | 8.67 | 6,358 | 5.35 | 38% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 15 | 0.49 | 818 | 0.69 | 41% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 112 | 3.64 | 6,730 | 5.66 | 55% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 349 | 11.33 | 26,803 | 22.53 | 99% safer |
Crime in Harpenden Compared To Hertfordshire
Harpenden Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rickmansworth | 995 | 39.32 | 2.5% safer |
| Harpenden | 1,241 | 40.30 | - |
| Bushey | 1,198 | 43.92 | 8% more dangerous |
| Hitchin | 1,835 | 50.20 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bishop's Stortford | 2,094 | 51.99 | 22% more dangerous |
| Letchworth Garden City | 2,125 | 61.59 | 35% more dangerous |
| Hertford | 1,836 | 62.37 | 35% more dangerous |
Harpenden Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14 | 10 | 10 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.75 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 0.84 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 6 | 3.2 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 4.6 | 5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.97 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.97 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.6 | 0.78 | 0.36 | 0.29 | Safer |
| Public Order | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.42 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.19 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.81 | 0.78 | 0.65 | 0.49 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 8 | 9 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | Getting worse |
Changes In Harpenden's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Harpenden to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Harpenden | 40.30 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 40% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 48% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 52% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 53% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 53% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 59% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 61% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 62% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 70% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 71% more dangerous |
Crime in Harpenden's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harpenden Common | 150 | 22 | Fourth |
| Harpenden East | 326 | 41 | Second |
| Harpenden North | 221 | 28 | Third |
| Harpenden Town | 544 | 67 | First |
Harpenden Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Harpenden for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Harpenden Common (80) | Harpenden East (139) |
| Bicycle Theft | Harpenden Common (1) | Harpenden Town (19) |
| Burglary | Harpenden North (8) | Harpenden Common (18) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Harpenden Common (19) | Harpenden Town (38) |
| Drugs | Harpenden North (4) | Harpenden Town (26) |
| Other Crime | Harpenden East (2) | Harpenden Town (9) |
| Other Theft | Harpenden Common (9) | Harpenden Town (82) |
| Possession of Weapons | Harpenden Town (2) | Harpenden East (3) |
| Public Order | Harpenden Common (8) | Harpenden Town (35) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Harpenden East (1) | Harpenden Town (4) |
| Shoplifting | Harpenden North (9) | Harpenden Town (183) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Harpenden East (1) | Harpenden Town (9) |
| Vehicle Crime | Harpenden Common (13) | Harpenden East (46) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Harpenden Town (84) | Harpenden North (104) |
Crime in Harpenden During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Harpenden change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Harpenden saw a 400% increase in drugs. Harpenden saw a large fall in criminal damage and arson during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019. Vehicle Crime saw a fall in every month of Harpenden's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +238% | +200% | +32% | +65% | +88% | -3% | +25% | +8% | -12% | -33% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -75% | -83% | -80% | -25% | -69% | - | -67% | -75% | -50% |
| Burglary | +140% | -86% | -80% | - | - | +200% | -50% | +100% | -38% | -44% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -53% | -89% | +50% | +13% | +143% | -50% | -18% | -57% | +25% | +46% |
| Drugs | - | +125% | -50% | +150% | - | - | +100% | +400% | +100% | - |
| Other Crime | +50% | -40% | - | +50% | +100% | -67% | - | -67% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -20% | -88% | -53% | -50% | +22% | +30% | -20% | -42% | +60% | +67% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -50% | +200% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | -67% | -17% | +44% | +143% | - | +13% | +38% | +20% | -75% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +53% | -68% | -29% | +27% | +127% | +4% | -30% | -66% | - | +244% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | +200% | - | - | +200% |
| Vehicle Crime | -81% | -37% | -82% | -29% | -62% | -75% | -50% | -31% | -85% | +7% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +12% | -34% | -9% | +55% | -33% | +25% | -28% | - | +43% | +3% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Harpenden
What police force serves Harpenden?
Harpenden's local territorial police force is the Hertfordshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Harpenden?
Harpenden is the second safest medium-sized town in Hertfordshire.What is Harpenden's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Harpenden are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Harpenden?
Harpenden's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021