Crime in Bishop's Stortford: statistics, rates and trends
3,555 crimes were recorded in Bishop's Stortford in the 12 months to August 2026, 80.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 13% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bishop's Stortford at a glance
- Crime trends in Bishop's Stortford
- Types of crime in Bishop's Stortford
- Bishop's Stortford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bishop's Stortford
- Streets with the most crime in Bishop's Stortford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bishop's Stortford
- Demographics of Bishop's Stortford
- Questions about crime in Bishop's Stortford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,194), anti-social behaviour (885) and shoplifting (340) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 610th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Bishop's Stortford | East Hertfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,555 | 10,712 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 80.1 | 68.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +13% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 44,390 | 156,875 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Bishop's Stortford of any year here (3,555 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 22%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,555 | 80.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,148 | 70.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,348 | 75.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,316 | 74.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,092 | 69.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,817 | 63.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,798 | 63.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,975 | 67.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,923 | 65.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 340 |
| July 2026 | 367 |
| June 2026 | 348 |
| May 2026 | 346 |
| April 2026 | 293 |
| March 2026 | 292 |
| February 2026 | 270 |
| January 2026 | 232 |
| December 2025 | 284 |
| November 2025 | 258 |
| October 2025 | 268 |
| September 2025 | 257 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bishop's Stortford recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (30% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (52% below) and other crime (51% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 59 to 108 and shoplifting rose from 243 to 340, while bicycle theft fell from 32 to 25.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,194 | 26.9 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 885 | 19.9 | 15.4 | +28% |
| Shoplifting | 340 | 7.7 | 8.5 | +40% |
| Other theft | 241 | 5.4 | 6.4 | +17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 179 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Public order | 166 | 3.7 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 158 | 3.6 | 5.0 | -9% |
| Burglary | 125 | 2.8 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Drugs | 108 | 2.4 | 3.3 | +83% |
| Other crime | 46 | 1.0 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Robbery | 36 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +12% |
| Theft from the person | 36 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0% |
| Bicycle theft | 25 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -22% |
| Possession of weapons | 16 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bishop's Stortford; the highest is Takeley and Little Canfield (281.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Sawbridgeworth (53.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bishop's Stortford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stansted Mountfitchet | 693 | 65.7 | -18% |
| Sawbridgeworth | 628 | 53.6 | -33% |
| Takeley and Little Canfield | 1,695 | 281.7 | +252% |
| Harlow | 10,574 | 110.3 | +38% |
| Great Dunmow | 660 | 65.6 | -18% |
| Ware | 1,363 | 67.8 | -15% |
| Buntingford | 563 | 67.3 | -16% |
| Hoddesdon | 3,513 | 87.5 | +9% |
Of the 6 areas within Bishop's Stortford, Bishop's Stortford North had the highest crime rate (126.0 per 1,000) and Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor the lowest (37.2), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop's Stortford North | Neighbourhood | 10,687 | 1,347 | 126.0 |
| Bishop's Stortford Central | Neighbourhood | 6,558 | 700 | 106.7 |
| Bishop's Stortford All Saints | Neighbourhood | 5,302 | 512 | 96.6 |
| Bishop's Stortford South | Neighbourhood | 6,354 | 333 | 52.4 |
| Bishop's Stortford Parsonage | Neighbourhood | 7,284 | 358 | 49.1 |
| Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor | Neighbourhood | 8,205 | 305 | 37.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Bishop's Stortford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (213).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 213 |
| On or near Potter Street | 126 |
| On or near Supermarket | 103 |
| On or near Riverside Walk | 100 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 76 |
| On or near Hadham Grove | 75 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 66 |
| On or near Haymeads Lane | 65 |
| On or near The Causeway | 65 |
| On or near Plaw Hatch Close | 59 |
Of the 2,670 crimes in Bishop's Stortford with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 885 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,039 | 38.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 879 | 32.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 287 | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 132 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 121 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 70 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 52 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 43 | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 4 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Bishop's Stortford has an estimated population of 44,390 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%), less social housing (11%, against 17%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bishop's Stortford average decile 9.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bishop's Stortford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 41.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 9.1 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bishop's Stortford a safe place to live?
Bishop's Stortford recorded 80.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 610th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Bishop's Stortford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,194 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (885).
Is crime in Bishop's Stortford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bishop's Stortford was up 13% on the year before: 3,555 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,148 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bishop's Stortford?
About 44,390 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bishop's Stortford?
Bishop's Stortford 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.