Watford Crime Overview
Watford is the second safest major town in Hertfordshire, and is the 28th most dangerous overall out of Hertfordshire's 141 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Watford in 2020 was 63 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Hertfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 5% higher than the Hertfordshire rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Watford is the 27th safest major town, and the 1,848th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Watford had the worst crime rate in Hertfordshire for bicycle theft, with 20 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Watford residents, when it was Hertfordshire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 37 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 residents. Watford recorded 84 reports of criminal damage and arson during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.59 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Hertfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Watford are violence and sexual offences, with 3,283 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 23. This is 5% lower than 2019's figure of 3,453 offences and a difference of 1.20 from 2019's crime rate of 24. Watford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 84 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 40% from 2019's figure of 118 crimes.
Compare Watford to other towns and cities
See how Watford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Watford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Watford Crime Map
Crime in Watford Compared To Hertfordshire
Summary of Crimes in Watford This Year
| Watford | Hertfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,216 | 22.76 | 26,059 | 21.91 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 264 | 1.87 | 1,506 | 1.27 | 32% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 411 | 2.91 | 4,023 | 3.38 | 16% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 871 | 6.16 | 7,241 | 6.09 | 1.1% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 326 | 2.31 | 2,624 | 2.21 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 194 | 1.37 | 1,472 | 1.24 | 9% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 893 | 6.32 | 6,806 | 5.72 | 9% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 84 | 0.59 | 568 | 0.48 | 19% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 666 | 4.71 | 5,557 | 4.67 | 0.85% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 120 | 0.85 | 712 | 0.60 | 29% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 762 | 5.39 | 6,358 | 5.35 | 0.74% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 182 | 1.29 | 818 | 0.69 | 47% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 882 | 6.24 | 6,730 | 5.66 | 9% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,283 | 23.23 | 26,803 | 22.53 | 3.0% more dangerous |
Watford Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans | 4,560 | 51.97 | 22% safer |
| Watford | 8,938 | 63.25 | - |
| Hemel Hempstead | 6,785 | 65.96 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Stevenage | 7,671 | 81.54 | 22% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Watford
View crime percentage over time forWatford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 33 | 23 | 24 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.2 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.84 | 0.59 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.85 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | Getting worse |
Changes In Watford's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Watford's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Watford that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| 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 |
Comparing Watford to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Watford | 63.25 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 7% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 18% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 35% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 39% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 41% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 52% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 54% more dangerous |
Crime in Watford's Neighbourhoods
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, Leggatts, Nascot Wood, and Stanborough.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenders Park | 420 | 60 | Ninth |
| Cassiobury | 510 | 64 | Seventh |
| Central Watford | 2,498 | 240 | First |
| Garston | 585 | 72 | Fourth |
| Holywell | 590 | 63 | Eighth |
| Leggatts | 421 | 53 | 12th |
| Nascot Wood | 392 | 45 | 13th |
| North Watford | 696 | 88 | Second |
| Oxhey | 381 | 56 | Tenth |
| Oxhey Hall & Hayling | 403 | 54 | 11th |
| Stanborough | 299 | 42 | 14th |
| Tudor | 492 | 84 | Third |
| West Watford | 563 | 65 | Sixth |
| Woodside & Leavesden Green | 521 | 70 | Fifth |
Watford Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 (95) | Central Watford (876) |
| Bicycle Theft | Tudor (4) | Central Watford (75) |
| Burglary | Oxhey Hall & Hayling (16) | Central Watford (61) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Nascot Wood (35) | Central Watford (172) |
| Drugs | Leggatts (9) | Central Watford (104) |
| Other Crime | Nascot Wood (6) | Central Watford (40) |
| Other Theft | Stanborough (15) | Central Watford (276) |
| Possession of Weapons | Woodside & Leavesden Green (1) | Central Watford (35) |
| Public Order | Nascot Wood (18) | Central Watford (196) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Nascot Wood (3) | Central Watford (40) |
| Shoplifting | Cassiobury (1) | Central Watford (438) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Woodside & Leavesden Green (1) | Central Watford (143) |
| Vehicle Crime | Stanborough (31) | Tudor (95) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Tudor (86) | Central Watford (790) |
Crime in Watford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 100% increase in drugs. Watford saw a large fall in shoplifting during May, when it fell by 84% compared to May 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, vehicle crime, and violence and sexual offences.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +8% | +18% | -11% | -20% | -2% | -4% | -1% | -8% | +8% | -24% |
| Bicycle Theft | -32% | -56% | -6% | -2% | -78% | -61% | -44% | +30% | -25% | +18% |
| Burglary | -48% | -61% | -24% | +18% | -7% | -15% | -49% | -20% | -8% | -66% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -5% | -34% | -39% | -19% | -18% | +1% | - | +33% | +12% | - |
| Drugs | -23% | -51% | +100% | -28% | -57% | -13% | -29% | -14% | -13% | -24% |
| Other Crime | -29% | - | -52% | -28% | +13% | -47% | -28% | +67% | - | +13% |
| Other Theft | -14% | -68% | -41% | -27% | -46% | -13% | -12% | -13% | +8% | -17% |
| Possession of Weapons | +60% | - | -50% | - | -8% | +22% | -50% | +14% | -71% | -57% |
| Public Order | -17% | -30% | +15% | -4% | -20% | -2% | -31% | +25% | -27% | -14% |
| Robbery | -38% | -50% | -50% | -74% | -53% | -60% | -14% | -59% | -54% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -60% | -79% | -84% | -64% | -22% | -1% | -24% | +11% | -53% | -32% |
| Theft From the Person | -29% | -82% | -63% | -80% | -75% | -35% | -24% | -47% | -59% | -17% |
| Vehicle Crime | -33% | -55% | -40% | -46% | -35% | -38% | -37% | -19% | -25% | +31% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -9% | -9% | -18% | -10% | -4% | -8% | +16% | -13% | -2% | -5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Watford
What police force serves Watford?
Watford's local territorial police force is the Hertfordshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Watford?
Watford is the second safest major town in Hertfordshire.What is Watford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Watford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Watford?
Watford's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021