Crime in Clarence: statistics, rates and trends
456 crimes were recorded in Clarence in the 12 months to August 2026, 56.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 27% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (122), shoplifting (71) and anti-social behaviour (69) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,761st 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 August 2026 | 456 | 11,943 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 56.4 | 79.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -27% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 8,082 | 151,012 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Clarence peaked in the year to August 2025 (626 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (317). Between the years to August 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 August 2026 | 456 | 56.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 626 | 77.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 455 | 56.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 410 | 50.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 317 | 39.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 475 | 58.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 458 | 56.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 502 | 62.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 556 | 68.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| September 2025 | 45 |
Compared with England and Wales, Clarence recorded notably more vehicle crime (49% above the national rate), and notably less violence and sexual offences (56% below) and anti-social behaviour (44% below). On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 94 to 122, while shoplifting fell from 204 to 71 and anti-social behaviour fell from 98 to 69.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 122 | 15.1 | 34.2 | +30% |
| Shoplifting | 71 | 8.8 | 8.5 | -65% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 69 | 8.5 | 15.4 | -30% |
| Vehicle crime | 60 | 7.4 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Other theft | 39 | 4.8 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 36 | 4.5 | 6.7 | -18% |
| Burglary | 14 | 1.7 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Public order | 13 | 1.6 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Drugs | 11 | 1.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 3 | 0.4 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 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 (179.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Marshalswick East & Jersey Farm (48.1).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Clarence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill End | 435 | 66.3 | +17% |
| Cunningham | 867 | 100.0 | +77% |
| Bernards Heath | 615 | 73.2 | +30% |
| St Peters | 1,675 | 179.4 | +218% |
| Marshalswick West | 189 | 53.6 | -5% |
| Marshalswick East & Jersey Farm | 450 | 48.1 | -15% |
| Sopwell | 907 | 115.7 | +105% |
| Batchwood | 511 | 66.1 | +17% |
The 10 locations below account for 62% of the crime recorded in Clarence over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (109).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 109 |
| On or near St Paul'S Place | 35 |
| On or near Ashley Road | 32 |
| On or near Castle Road | 22 |
| On or near Luna Place | 19 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 16 |
| On or near Harlesden Road | 14 |
| On or near Brampton Road | 13 |
| On or near Ely Road | 12 |
| On or near Sefton Close | 11 |
Of the 387 crimes in Clarence with a recorded outcome, 49% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 69 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 191 | 49.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 101 | 26.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 31 | 8.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 20 | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 4 | 1.0% | 4.7% |
| 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 56.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,761st 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 122 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (71).
Is crime in Clarence going up or down?
Recorded crime in Clarence was down 27% on the year before: 456 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 626 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 (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.