Crime in Waltham Forest district: statistics, rates and trends
29,459 crimes were recorded in Waltham Forest district in the 12 months to August 2026, 105.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Waltham Forest district at a glance
- Crime trends in Waltham Forest district
- Types of crime in Waltham Forest district
- Home Office recorded crime in Waltham Forest district
- Waltham Forest district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Waltham Forest district
- Streets with the most crime in Waltham Forest district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Waltham Forest district
- Demographics of Waltham Forest district
- Fly-tipping in Waltham Forest
- Questions about crime in Waltham Forest district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (7,426), anti-social behaviour (6,913) and vehicle crime (2,515) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 85th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Waltham Forest district | London | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 29,459 | 1,126,877 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 105.3 | 124.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 279,737 | 9,089,736 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Waltham Forest district peaked in the year to August 2020 (35,031 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (29,203). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 29,459 | 105.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 30,822 | 110.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 31,981 | 114.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 29,305 | 104.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 29,203 | 104.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 32,429 | 115.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 35,031 | 125.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 30,212 | 108.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 29,239 | 104.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,386 |
| July 2026 | 2,620 |
| June 2026 | 2,513 |
| May 2026 | 2,554 |
| April 2026 | 2,391 |
| March 2026 | 2,445 |
| February 2026 | 2,238 |
| January 2026 | 2,375 |
| December 2025 | 2,369 |
| November 2025 | 2,548 |
| October 2025 | 2,549 |
| September 2025 | 2,471 |
Compared with England and Wales, Waltham Forest district recorded notably more theft from the person (2.6 times the national rate), robbery (84% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (81% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (48% below) and criminal damage and arson (45% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 139 to 191, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,624 to 1,029 and theft from the person fell from 1,725 to 1,225.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,426 | 26.5 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 6,913 | 24.7 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,515 | 9.0 | 5.0 | -21% |
| Other theft | 2,314 | 8.3 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 2,179 | 7.8 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Drugs | 1,596 | 5.7 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Public order | 1,436 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Burglary | 1,289 | 4.6 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Theft from the person | 1,225 | 4.4 | 1.7 | -29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,029 | 3.7 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Robbery | 700 | 2.5 | 1.4 | -25% |
| Bicycle theft | 339 | 1.2 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Other crime | 307 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Possession of weapons | 191 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +37% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
22,436 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Waltham Forest district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 80.2 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Waltham Forest district had the 112th highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Metropolitan Police area in the year ending March 2026, 5.5% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Waltham Forest district is an undercount.
No change on the year or longer series is given for Waltham Forest district: comparable figures start in the year ending March 2026, because the share of crimes in the Metropolitan Police area not assigned to a district moved from 4.3% in the year ending March 2025 to 5.5% in the year ending March 2026, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Offences recorded in Waltham Forest district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 3,016 offences (13% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for theft from the person (2.8 times the national rate), robbery of personal property (2.2 times the national rate) and trafficking of drugs (2.1 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for miscellaneous crimes against society (0.47 times), arson (0.48 times) and rape (0.59 times).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 3,016 | 10.8 | 13.2 | 0.82 |
| Vehicle offences | 2,375 | 8.5 | 5.0 | 1.69 |
| Other theft offences | 2,099 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 1.15 |
| Shoplifting | 2,046 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 0.90 |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,821 | 6.5 | 10.1 | 0.65 |
| Violence with injury | 1,537 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 0.67 |
| Criminal damage | 1,430 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 0.75 |
| Public order offences | 1,416 | 5.1 | 7.0 | 0.73 |
| Theft from the person | 1,406 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 2.84 |
| Possession of drugs | 1,030 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.48 |
| Residential burglary | 781 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.12 |
| Trafficking of drugs | 682 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.06 |
| Robbery of personal property | 558 | 2.0 | 0.91 | 2.19 |
| Other sexual offences | 484 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.76 |
| Non-residential burglary | 464 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.48 |
| Bicycle theft | 348 | 1.2 | 0.85 | 1.46 |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 278 | 0.99 | 2.1 | 0.47 |
| Robbery of business property | 237 | 0.85 | 0.47 | 1.78 |
| Rape | 201 | 0.72 | 1.2 | 0.59 |
| Possession of weapons | 169 | 0.60 | 1.00 | 0.61 |
| Arson | 51 | 0.18 | 0.38 | 0.48 |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 4 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.41 |
| Homicide | 3 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.34 |
Districts in the Metropolitan Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 32 districts in the Metropolitan Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Waltham Forest district had the 12th lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 74,649 | 355.5 | 4.27 |
| Camden | 37,587 | 173.3 | 2.08 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 21,071 | 145.8 | 1.75 |
| Islington | 29,264 | 131.2 | 1.58 |
| Southwark | 38,013 | 120.8 | 1.45 |
| Hackney | 31,080 | 116.5 | 1.40 |
| Lambeth | 36,243 | 114.4 | 1.37 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 20,196 | 107.0 | 1.29 |
| Tower Hamlets | 35,377 | 106.6 | 1.28 |
| Haringey | 27,592 | 104.6 | 1.26 |
| Newham | 38,957 | 104.0 | 1.25 |
| Lewisham | 28,390 | 94.2 | 1.13 |
| Hillingdon | 30,158 | 91.6 | 1.10 |
| Greenwich | 27,035 | 90.3 | 1.08 |
| Brent | 31,528 | 89.3 | 1.07 |
| Hounslow | 26,167 | 87.4 | 1.05 |
| Enfield | 27,907 | 85.2 | 1.02 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 19,592 | 84.2 | 1.01 |
| Ealing | 31,075 | 80.5 | 0.97 |
| Croydon | 32,900 | 80.4 | 0.97 |
| Waltham Forest | 22,436 | 80.2 | 0.96 |
| Wandsworth | 25,804 | 76.4 | 0.92 |
| Redbridge | 23,856 | 74.3 | 0.89 |
| Bromley | 23,157 | 69.1 | 0.83 |
| Havering | 18,875 | 68.3 | 0.82 |
| Barnet | 27,467 | 67.8 | 0.81 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 11,533 | 66.8 | 0.80 |
| Sutton | 12,926 | 60.3 | 0.72 |
| Bexley | 15,432 | 60.2 | 0.72 |
| Harrow | 16,108 | 59.5 | 0.71 |
| Merton | 12,952 | 59.3 | 0.71 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 11,267 | 57.3 | 0.69 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
7 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Waltham Forest district; the highest is City of London (639.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Redbridge district (94.6).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Waltham Forest district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hackney | 38,918 | 145.9 | +39% |
| Redbridge | 30,395 | 94.6 | -10% |
| Haringey | 34,981 | 132.6 | +26% |
| Newham | 50,823 | 135.7 | +29% |
| Enfield | 36,884 | 112.6 | +7% |
| Islington | 41,297 | 185.2 | +76% |
| Tower Hamlets | 48,202 | 145.2 | +38% |
| City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +507% |
Of the 23 areas within Waltham Forest district, High Street had the highest crime rate (234.2 per 1,000) and Endlebury the lowest (56.3), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Street | Neighbourhood | 10,809 | 2,531 | 234.2 |
| Leytonstone | Neighbourhood | 12,089 | 2,573 | 212.8 |
| Lea Bridge | Neighbourhood | 17,462 | 2,435 | 139.4 |
| Valley | Neighbourhood | 15,995 | 1,981 | 123.9 |
| Leyton | Neighbourhood | 12,933 | 1,597 | 123.5 |
| Hoe Street | Neighbourhood | 14,221 | 1,674 | 117.7 |
| Cathall | Neighbourhood | 10,971 | 1,218 | 111.0 |
| Wood Street | Neighbourhood | 10,960 | 1,168 | 106.6 |
| Waltham Forest | Town | 279,737 | 29,459 | 105.3 |
| Forest | Neighbourhood | 17,131 | 1,637 | 95.6 |
| Cann Hall | Neighbourhood | 15,373 | 1,438 | 93.5 |
| Chingford Green | Neighbourhood | 10,712 | 976 | 91.1 |
| Chapel End | Neighbourhood | 12,556 | 1,136 | 90.5 |
| St James | Neighbourhood | 15,540 | 1,357 | 87.3 |
| William Morris | Neighbourhood | 13,995 | 1,202 | 85.9 |
| Grove Green | Neighbourhood | 14,551 | 1,227 | 84.3 |
| Higham Hill | Neighbourhood | 15,449 | 1,271 | 82.3 |
| Markhouse | Neighbourhood | 7,931 | 613 | 77.3 |
| Hale End & Highams Park South | Neighbourhood | 10,689 | 806 | 75.4 |
| Larkswood | Neighbourhood | 12,937 | 920 | 71.1 |
| Upper Walthamstow | Neighbourhood | 7,797 | 502 | 64.4 |
| Hatch Lane & Highams Park North | Neighbourhood | 11,414 | 734 | 64.3 |
| Endlebury | Neighbourhood | 8,222 | 463 | 56.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Waltham Forest district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,479).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,479 |
| On or near Parking Area | 942 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 892 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 585 |
| On or near Lea Bridge Road | 286 |
| On or near Hoe Street | 222 |
| On or near Gillards Way | 212 |
| On or near Lynn Road | 202 |
| On or near Forest Road | 174 |
| On or near St James'S Street | 172 |
Of the 22,546 crimes in Waltham Forest district with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 6,913 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 10,358 | 45.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,243 | 23.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,726 | 12.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,920 | 8.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 888 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 664 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 359 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 144 | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 137 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 46 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 41 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Waltham Forest district has an estimated population of 279,737 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (42%, against 23%), fewer retired residents (12%, against 22%) and a younger population (11%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Waltham Forest district average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Waltham Forest district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 43.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 42.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.6% | 10.1% (England) |
10,246 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Waltham Forest in 2024/25 (36.6 per 1,000 residents; the council counts only fly-tips reported by the public), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Waltham Forest has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Waltham Forest district a safe place to live?
Waltham Forest district recorded 105.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 85th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Waltham Forest district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 7,426 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (6,913).
Is crime in Waltham Forest district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Waltham Forest district was down 4% on the year before: 29,459 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 30,822 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Waltham Forest district?
About 279,737 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Waltham Forest district?
Waltham Forest district is policed by Metropolitan Police.
How many crimes did the police record in Waltham Forest district in the year ending March 2026?
22,436 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 80.2 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales.
Which offences are more common in Waltham Forest district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were theft from the person (1,406 offences, 2.8 times the England and Wales rate), robbery of personal property (558 offences, 2.2 times the England and Wales rate) and trafficking of drugs (682 offences, 2.1 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.