Crime in New Town and Christ Church: statistics, rates and trends
1,915 crimes were recorded in New Town and Christ Church in the 12 months to August 2026, 119.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 19% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in New Town and Christ Church at a glance
- Crime trends in New Town and Christ Church
- Types of crime in New Town and Christ Church
- New Town and Christ Church compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in New Town and Christ Church
- What happened after crimes were reported in New Town and Christ Church
- Demographics of New Town and Christ Church
- Questions about crime in New Town and Christ Church
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (804), shoplifting (251) and anti-social behaviour (168) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 833rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | New Town and Christ Church | Colchester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,915 | 18,986 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 119.6 | 94.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +19% | +8% | -1% |
| Population | 16,016 | 200,222 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in New Town and Christ Church peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,552 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,615). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,915 | 119.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,615 | 100.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,637 | 102.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,949 | 121.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,040 | 127.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,250 | 140.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,552 | 159.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,343 | 146.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,038 | 127.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 181 |
| July 2026 | 212 |
| June 2026 | 182 |
| May 2026 | 151 |
| April 2026 | 179 |
| March 2026 | 174 |
| February 2026 | 168 |
| January 2026 | 134 |
| December 2025 | 117 |
| November 2025 | 138 |
| October 2025 | 161 |
| September 2025 | 118 |
Compared with England and Wales, New Town and Christ Church recorded notably more shoplifting (85% above the national rate), public order (53% above the national rate) and drugs (53% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (54% below) and anti-social behaviour (32% below). On the year before, other crime rose from 23 to 35 and anti-social behaviour rose from 121 to 168, while burglary fell from 43 to 26.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 804 | 50.2 | 34.2 | +23% |
| Shoplifting | 251 | 15.7 | 8.5 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 168 | 10.5 | 15.4 | +39% |
| Public order | 163 | 10.2 | 6.7 | +36% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 127 | 7.9 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 97 | 6.1 | 6.4 | +33% |
| Vehicle crime | 94 | 5.9 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Drugs | 80 | 5.0 | 3.3 | +21% |
| Other crime | 35 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +52% |
| Burglary | 26 | 1.6 | 3.6 | -40% |
| Robbery | 23 | 1.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 22 | 1.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 13 | 0.8 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 12 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than New Town and Christ Church; the highest is Castle, Colchester (290.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Prettygate (55.7).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs New Town and Christ Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | 3,520 | 290.4 | +143% |
| Berechurch | 1,019 | 86.3 | -28% |
| Old Heath and The Hythe | 1,007 | 84.9 | -29% |
| Shrub End | 1,138 | 86.8 | -27% |
| Greenstead | 2,458 | 149.6 | +25% |
| St Anne's and St John's | 757 | 69.5 | -42% |
| Prettygate | 648 | 55.7 | -53% |
| Mile End | 1,766 | 121.7 | +2% |
The 10 locations below account for 49% of the crime recorded in New Town and Christ Church over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Police Station” (350).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Police Station | 350 |
| On or near Supermarket | 286 |
| On or near Simons Lane Magdalen Green | 48 |
| On or near St Helena Road | 41 |
| On or near Artillery Barracks Folley | 40 |
| On or near Kendall Road | 39 |
| On or near Golden Noble Hill | 37 |
| On or near Shrubland Road | 34 |
| On or near Stable Road | 34 |
| On or near Military Road | 33 |
Of the 1,747 crimes in New Town and Christ Church with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 11% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 168 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 600 | 34.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 521 | 29.8% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 193 | 11.0% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 168 | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 82 | 4.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 57 | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 52 | 3.0% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 35 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 26 | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 10 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
New Town and Christ Church has an estimated population of 16,016 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (36%, against 20%), less social housing (9.7%, against 17.1%) and a younger population (11%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up New Town and Christ Church average decile 5.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | New Town and Christ Church | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 9.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 35.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is New Town and Christ Church a safe place to live?
New Town and Christ Church recorded 119.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 833rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and public order.
What is the most common crime in New Town and Christ Church?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 804 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (251).
Is crime in New Town and Christ Church going up or down?
Recorded crime in New Town and Christ Church was up 19% on the year before: 1,915 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,615 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of New Town and Christ Church?
About 16,016 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers New Town and Christ Church?
New Town and Christ Church is policed by Essex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.