St Albans is the second safest major town in Hertfordshire, and is the 35th most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 140 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in St Albans in 2021 was 59 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 1.3% higher than the Hertfordshire rate of 58 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, St Albans is among the top 20 safest major towns, and the 2,349th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2021, St Albans had the worst crime rate in Hertfordshire for burglary, with 24 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.27 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2021 was also a bad month for St Albans residents, when it was Hertfordshire's most dangerous area for bicycle theft, recording 20 crimes at a rate of 0.23 per 1,000 residents. St Albans recorded 56 reports of vehicle crime during May 2021, making its crime rate of 0.64 the worst for vehicle crime in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in St Albans are violence and sexual offences, with 1,921 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 5.0% higher than 2020's figure of 1,825 offences and a difference of 1.09 from 2020's crime rate of 21. St Albans's least common crime is robbery, with 25 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 44% from 2020's figure of 36 crimes.
Second Safest
Major Towns, Hertfordshire
20% lower, regional crime rate
East of England
30% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in St Albans is 20% lower than the East of England and 30% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| St Albans | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in St Albans represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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 visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59 | 5,161 |
| 2020 | 58 | 5,133 |
| 2019 | 70 | 6,152 |
| 2018 | 70 | 6,147 |
| 2017 | 72 | 6,296 |
| 2016 | 56 | 4,878 |
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| St Albans | Hertfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,675 | 19.09 | 24,485 | 20.58 | 8% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 191 | 2.18 | 1,331 | 1.12 | 49% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 254 | 2.89 | 3,117 | 2.62 | 9% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 479 | 5.46 | 6,856 | 5.76 | 5% safer |
| Drugs | 144 | 1.64 | 2,448 | 2.06 | 26% safer |
| Other Crime | 83 | 0.95 | 1,397 | 1.17 | 23% safer |
| Other Theft | 465 | 5.30 | 6,802 | 5.72 | 8% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 44 | 0.50 | 613 | 0.52 | 4.0% safer |
| Public Order | 416 | 4.74 | 5,245 | 4.41 | 7% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 25 | 0.28 | 525 | 0.44 | 57% safer |
| Shoplifting | 575 | 6.55 | 5,743 | 4.83 | 26% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 81 | 0.92 | 907 | 0.76 | 17% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 483 | 5.50 | 6,670 | 5.61 | 2.0% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,921 | 21.89 | 27,368 | 23.01 | 5% safer |
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watford | 7,981 | 56.48 | 4.1% safer |
| St Albans | 5,161 | 58.82 | - |
| Hemel Hempstead | 6,152 | 59.80 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Stevenage | 7,608 | 80.87 | 27% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Stonecross | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Theft from the person | On or near Chime Square | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Drugs | On or near Grimston Road | Local resolution |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Lime Tree Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near King'S Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Vesta Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shenley Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Possession of weapons | On or near St Stephen'S Hill | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Melbourne Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Sutton Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Jodies Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Westbourne Mews | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Shopping Area | Local resolution |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Alma Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Meadow Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Anson Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Grimston Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Abbey Mill End | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.0 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 5 | 5 | 2.8 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.95 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.4 | 0.71 | 0.57 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.41 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.60 | 0.92 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in St Albans that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Park | 7 | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1.4 |
| Longacres Open Space | 6 | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | 2.3 |
| Victoria Playing Field | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1.2 |
| William Bell Recreation Ground | - | 2 | - | - | - | 0 | 2.1 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| St Albans | 58.82 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 12% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 35% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 42% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 47% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 52% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 55% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 56% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 61% more dangerous |
St Albans Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in St Albans, followed by Cottonmill & Sopwell in second place, and Clarence Park as the third most dangerous area. St Albans's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Bernards Heath, Longacres, and Marshalswick.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernards Heath | 186 | 27 | Tenth |
| Clarence Park | 507 | 62 | Third |
| Cottonmill & Sopwell | 542 | 72 | Second |
| Jersey Farm & Sandridge | 259 | 37 | Seventh |
| London Colney | 566 | 58 | Fourth |
| Longacres | 179 | 27 | Ninth |
| Marshalswick | 226 | 33 | Eighth |
| St Albans Central | 1,365 | 150 | First |
| The Camp & Cunningham | 377 | 54 | Sixth |
| Townsend & New Greens | 443 | 57 | Fifth |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of St Albans for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Longacres (68) | St Albans Central (300) |
| Bicycle Theft | The Camp & Cunningham (1) | St Albans Central (118) |
| Burglary | Bernards Heath (9) | Clarence Park (39) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bernards Heath (13) | St Albans Central (102) |
| Drugs | Longacres (4) | St Albans Central (44) |
| Other Crime | Bernards Heath (1) | London Colney (15) |
| Other Theft | Longacres (17) | St Albans Central (129) |
| Possession of Weapons | Jersey Farm & Sandridge (1) | St Albans Central (11) |
| Public Order | Bernards Heath (9) | St Albans Central (131) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Clarence Park (1) | St Albans Central (5) |
| Shoplifting | Townsend & New Greens (3) | St Albans Central (234) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Jersey Farm & Sandridge (1) | St Albans Central (43) |
| Vehicle Crime | Longacres (20) | Cottonmill & Sopwell (64) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bernards Heath (66) | St Albans Central (438) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in St Albans change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when St Albans saw a 600% increase in other crime. St Albans saw a large fall in theft from the person during June, when it fell by 93% compared to June in 2019. Theft From the Person saw a fall in every month of St Albans's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | - | +4% | +10% | -9% | +27% | +29% | +19% | -17% | +22% | +8% |
| Bicycle Theft | -57% | -22% | -38% | +67% | -35% | -82% | -44% | -15% | -64% | +27% |
| Burglary | -60% | -73% | -50% | -28% | -17% | -29% | -46% | -35% | -74% | -22% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +20% | -35% | -35% | +15% | -16% | -20% | - | +5% | -25% | -49% |
| Drugs | -59% | -61% | +171% | -27% | +140% | +400% | +73% | +6% | +38% | -11% |
| Other Crime | -7% | -38% | +33% | -57% | +167% | +600% | -36% | +200% | -29% | -14% |
| Other Theft | -2% | -69% | -31% | -25% | -41% | -6% | -5% | -46% | -21% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | +17% | -75% | -67% | +14% | - | -75% | -38% | +100% | +60% | -33% |
| Public Order | -37% | -38% | -3% | -61% | -16% | -10% | +17% | +6% | -20% | +5% |
| Robbery | +50% | - | -71% | -89% | +50% | -67% | +20% | -40% | -33% | - |
| Shoplifting | -44% | -71% | -56% | -39% | -10% | -36% | +2% | +45% | -12% | +5% |
| Theft From the Person | -14% | -83% | -75% | -93% | -75% | - | -55% | -60% | -42% | -70% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | +5% | +12% | -17% | -22% | -40% | +39% | -20% | -2% | -48% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -15% | -12% | -20% | -16% | -10% | -5% | +9% | +22% | +2% | +15% |
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