Watford is the safest major towns in Hertfordshire, and is the 38th most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 140 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Watford in 2021 was 56 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 2.7% lower than the Hertfordshire rate of 58 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Watford is among the top 10 safest major town, and the 2,556th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Watford had the worst crime rate in Hertfordshire for bicycle theft, with 24 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.17 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2021 was also a bad month for Watford residents, when it was Hertfordshire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 46 crimes at a rate of 0.33 per 1,000 residents. Watford recorded 31 reports of drugs during April 2021, making its crime rate of 0.22 the worst for drugs in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Watford are violence and sexual offences, with 3,035 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 5% higher than 2020's figure of 2,880 offences and a difference of 1.10 from 2020's crime rate of 20. Watford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 98 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 20% from 2020's figure of 78 crimes.
Safest
Major Towns, Hertfordshire
25% lower, regional crime rate
East of England
35% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Watford is 25% lower than the East of England and 35% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Watford | |
East of England | |
England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Watford 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 | 56 | 7,981 |
2020 | 56 | 7,918 |
2019 | 70 | 9,934 |
2018 | 69 | 9,815 |
2017 | 68 | 9,609 |
2016 | 57 | 7,993 |
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Watford | Hertfordshire | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,510 | 17.76 | 24,485 | 20.58 | 16% safer |
Bicycle Theft | 272 | 1.92 | 1,331 | 1.12 | 42% more dangerous |
Burglary | 281 | 1.99 | 3,117 | 2.62 | 32% safer |
Criminal Damage and Arson | 724 | 5.12 | 6,856 | 5.76 | 12% safer |
Drugs | 274 | 1.94 | 2,448 | 2.06 | 6% safer |
Other Crime | 134 | 0.95 | 1,397 | 1.17 | 23% safer |
Other Theft | 840 | 5.94 | 6,802 | 5.72 | 3.7% more dangerous |
Possession of Weapons | 98 | 0.69 | 613 | 0.52 | 25% more dangerous |
Public Order | 561 | 3.97 | 5,245 | 4.41 | 11% safer |
Robbery | 101 | 0.71 | 525 | 0.44 | 38% more dangerous |
Shoplifting | 516 | 3.65 | 5,743 | 4.83 | 32% safer |
Theft From the Person | 251 | 1.78 | 907 | 0.76 | 57% more dangerous |
Vehicle Crime | 894 | 6.33 | 6,670 | 5.61 | 11% more dangerous |
Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,035 | 21.48 | 27,368 | 23.01 | 7% safer |
Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Watford | 7,981 | 56.48 | - |
St Albans | 5,161 | 58.82 | 4.0% more dangerous |
Hemel Hempstead | 6,152 | 59.80 | 6% more dangerous |
Stevenage | 7,608 | 80.87 | 30% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Gammons Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Nightclub | Unable to prosecute suspect |
April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near High Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Theft from the person | On or near Wellstones | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Shopping Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Tucker Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Drugs | On or near Durban Road East | Unable to prosecute suspect |
April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Orphanage Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parker Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Eastlea Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Farthing Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Gadswell Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Upton Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Meriden Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Pioneer Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | Safer |
Bicycle Theft | 1.8 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.9 | Safer |
Burglary | 3.6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.0 | Safer |
Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Safer |
Drugs | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 | Safer |
Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.95 | Safer |
Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
Possession of Weapons | 1.4 | 0.77 | 0.55 | 0.69 | Safer |
Public Order | 6 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | Safer |
Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.78 | 0.71 | Safer |
Shoplifting | 9 | 9 | 5 | 3.6 | Safer |
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.8 | Safer |
Vehicle Crime | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | Safer |
Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Watford 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Callowland Recreation Ground | 2 | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | 3.3 |
Harebreaks Recreation Ground | 8 | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Harwoods Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.83 |
Manor House Grounds | 3 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 6 | 1.8 |
Orchard Park | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 2.0 |
Oxhey Activity Park | 18 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 16 |
Oxhey Grange Playing Fields | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.71 |
Oxhey Park | 18 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2.8 |
Smug Oak Green | 21 | - | 1 | - | - | 7 | 41 |
St Matthew's Church | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | 1 | 2 | 23 |
Watford Fields Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 2.1 |
Woodside Recreation Ground | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 4 | 2 | 1.6 |
Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
---|---|---|
Watford | 56.48 | - |
Barnet | 67.08 | 16% more dangerous |
Croydon | 82.48 | 32% more dangerous |
Sheffield | 90.05 | 37% more dangerous |
Bristol | 90.52 | 38% more dangerous |
Coventry | 102.24 | 45% more dangerous |
Leicester | 111.59 | 49% more dangerous |
Liverpool | 123.06 | 54% more dangerous |
Birmingham | 129.64 | 56% more dangerous |
Bradford | 132.28 | 57% more dangerous |
Leeds | 150.94 | 63% more dangerous |
Central Watford is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Watford, followed by North Watford in second place, and Tudor as the third most dangerous area. Watford's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Nascot Wood, Oxhey Hall & Hayling, and Stanborough.
Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Carpenders Park | 427 | 61 | Seventh |
Cassiobury | 406 | 51 | Tenth |
Central Watford | 2,816 | 270 | First |
Garston | 552 | 67 | Fifth |
Holywell | 617 | 66 | Sixth |
Leggatts | 394 | 50 | 11th |
Nascot Wood | 360 | 41 | 13th |
North Watford | 650 | 82 | Second |
Oxhey | 412 | 61 | Eighth |
Oxhey Hall & Hayling | 346 | 47 | 12th |
Stanborough | 286 | 40 | 14th |
Tudor | 430 | 74 | Third |
West Watford | 528 | 61 | Ninth |
Woodside & Leavesden Green | 509 | 68 | Fourth |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Watford for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
---|---|---|
Anti-Social Behaviour | Carpenders Park (86) | Central Watford (841) |
Bicycle Theft | Oxhey Hall & Hayling (2) | Central Watford (138) |
Burglary | Cassiobury (12) | Central Watford (73) |
Criminal Damage and Arson | Carpenders Park (25) | Central Watford (201) |
Drugs | Cassiobury (7) | Central Watford (117) |
Other Crime | Oxhey Hall & Hayling (3) | Central Watford (42) |
Other Theft | Cassiobury (28) | Central Watford (283) |
Possession of Weapons | Nascot Wood (1) | Central Watford (46) |
Public Order | Nascot Wood (17) | Central Watford (185) |
Robbery (inc. mugging) | Carpenders Park (1) | Central Watford (50) |
Shoplifting | Nascot Wood (1) | Central Watford (343) |
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Holywell (1) | Central Watford (189) |
Vehicle Crime | West Watford (50) | Central Watford (169) |
Violence and Sexual Offences | Stanborough (103) | Central Watford (980) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Watford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Watford saw a 113% increase in drugs. Watford saw a large fall in theft from the person during June, when it fell by 85% compared to June in 2019. Watford saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, drugs, other theft, shoplifting, and vehicle crime.
Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Social Behaviour | +5% | +14% | -13% | -19% | -2% | -5% | +2% | -13% | +1% | -34% |
Bicycle Theft | -39% | -58% | -9% | -2% | -82% | -64% | -42% | +38% | -25% | +18% |
Burglary | -45% | -56% | -20% | +25% | -15% | -17% | -41% | -19% | -14% | -70% |
Criminal Damage and Arson | -13% | -41% | -43% | -27% | -16% | -3% | -9% | +25% | +1% | -8% |
Drugs | -17% | -59% | +113% | -30% | -60% | -9% | -29% | -27% | -3% | -11% |
Other Crime | -26% | - | -55% | -35% | +29% | -50% | -31% | +57% | -23% | +27% |
Other Theft | -14% | -67% | -46% | -26% | -48% | -26% | -10% | -14% | +6% | -17% |
Possession of Weapons | +40% | - | -44% | +10% | -17% | +13% | -44% | +40% | -71% | -57% |
Public Order | -15% | -37% | +17% | -15% | -24% | -2% | -38% | +20% | -35% | -14% |
Robbery | -38% | -50% | -38% | -78% | -47% | -69% | -14% | -62% | -54% | -47% |
Shoplifting | -64% | -78% | -83% | -65% | -24% | -7% | -22% | +10% | -57% | -36% |
Theft From the Person | -26% | -81% | -63% | -85% | -75% | -35% | -33% | -45% | -59% | -13% |
Vehicle Crime | -31% | -51% | -42% | -56% | -35% | -42% | -39% | -22% | -28% | +63% |
Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -16% | -18% | -11% | -9% | +0% | +9% | -14% | -8% | 0% |
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