Crime in Clarence: statistics, rates and trends
466 crimes were recorded in Clarence in the 12 months to September 2026, 57.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.9, and down 22% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (124), anti-social behaviour (79) and shoplifting (72) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,724th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Clarence | St Albans | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to September 2026 | 466 | 12,320 | 5,630,559 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 57.7 | 81.6 | 96.9 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -22% | +3% | 0% |
| Population | 8,082 | 151,012 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Clarence peaked in the year to September 2025 (601 crimes) and was lowest in the year to September 2022 (328). Between the years to September 2018 and 2026 it fell 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to September 2026 | 466 | 57.7 | 96.9 |
| Year to September 2025 | 601 | 74.4 | 97.1 |
| Year to September 2024 | 490 | 60.6 | 97.6 |
| Year to September 2023 | 418 | 51.7 | n/a |
| Year to September 2022 | 328 | 40.6 | 101.8 |
| Year to September 2021 | 456 | 56.4 | 101.1 |
| Year to September 2020 | 450 | 55.7 | 103.2 |
| Year to September 2019 | 495 | 61.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to September 2018 | 565 | 69.9 | 100.9 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | 55 |
| August 2026 | 57 |
| July 2026 | 61 |
| June 2026 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 31 |
| April 2026 | 30 |
| March 2026 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 25 |
| January 2026 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 32 |
| November 2025 | 44 |
| October 2025 | 35 |
Compared with England and Wales, Clarence recorded notably more vehicle crime (42% above the national rate), and notably less violence and sexual offences (55% below) and anti-social behaviour (37% below). On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 95 to 124, while shoplifting fell from 186 to 72 and anti-social behaviour fell from 94 to 79.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 124 | 15.3 | 34.3 | +31% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 79 | 9.8 | 15.5 | -16% |
| Shoplifting | 72 | 8.9 | 8.6 | -61% |
| Vehicle crime | 57 | 7.1 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 38 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 36 | 4.5 | 6.5 | -3% |
| Public order | 14 | 1.7 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Burglary | 13 | 1.6 | 3.5 | n/a |
| Drugs | 11 | 1.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 10 | 1.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 3 | 0.4 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Clarence; the highest is St Peters, St Albans (186.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Marshalswick East & Jersey Farm (50.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Clarence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill End | 447 | 68.1 | +18% |
| Cunningham | 891 | 102.8 | +78% |
| Bernards Heath | 634 | 75.5 | +31% |
| St Peters | 1,745 | 186.9 | +224% |
| Marshalswick West | 179 | 50.7 | -12% |
| Marshalswick East & Jersey Farm | 469 | 50.1 | -13% |
| Sopwell | 926 | 118.1 | +105% |
| Batchwood | 540 | 69.8 | +21% |
The 10 locations below account for 65% of the crime recorded in Clarence over the 12 months to September 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (118).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 118 |
| On or near St Paul'S Place | 38 |
| On or near Ashley Road | 33 |
| On or near Castle Road | 21 |
| On or near Luna Place | 21 |
| On or near Ely Road | 18 |
| On or near Harlesden Road | 15 |
| On or near Sefton Close | 13 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 13 |
| On or near A1057 | 12 |
Of the 387 crimes in Clarence with a recorded outcome, 48% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 36% across England and Wales; 7.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.3%). The 79 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 187 | 48.3% | 35.5% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 96 | 24.8% | 34.8% |
| Under investigation | 33 | 8.5% | 11.0% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 27 | 7.0% | 5.3% |
| Local resolution | 17 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 7 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 6 | 1.6% | 4.6% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
Clarence has an estimated population of 8,082 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (64%, against 34%), less social housing (3.6%, against 17.1%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (6.3%, against 18.2%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Clarence average decile 9.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Clarence | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 68.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 63.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 6.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 78.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 3.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 9.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Clarence a safe place to live?
Clarence recorded 57.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to September 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.9, and ranks 2,724th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Clarence?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 124 reports in the 12 months to September 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (79).
Is crime in Clarence going up or down?
Recorded crime in Clarence was down 22% on the year before: 466 crimes in the 12 months to September 2026 against 601 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Clarence?
About 8,082 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Clarence?
Clarence is policed by Hertfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (October 2017 to September 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.