Crime in Braintree: statistics, rates and trends
3,353 crimes were recorded in Braintree in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Braintree at a glance
- Crime trends in Braintree
- Types of crime in Braintree
- Braintree compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Braintree
- Streets with the most crime in Braintree
- What happened after crimes were reported in Braintree
- Demographics of Braintree
- Questions about crime in Braintree
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,470), anti-social behaviour (379) and shoplifting (308) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 617th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Braintree | Braintree | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,353 | 10,156 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.7 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 42,081 | 164,304 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Braintree of any year here (3,353 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,353 | 79.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,419 | 81.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,873 | 92.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,092 | 97.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,028 | 119.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,056 | 120.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,282 | 125.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,737 | 112.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,580 | 108.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 318 |
| July 2026 | 287 |
| June 2026 | 308 |
| May 2026 | 310 |
| April 2026 | 318 |
| March 2026 | 279 |
| February 2026 | 254 |
| January 2026 | 280 |
| December 2025 | 237 |
| November 2025 | 253 |
| October 2025 | 258 |
| September 2025 | 251 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (68% below) and burglary (61% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 248 to 308 and vehicle crime rose from 113 to 139, while other crime fell from 104 to 77 and drugs fell from 179 to 149.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,470 | 34.9 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 379 | 9.0 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 308 | 7.3 | 8.5 | +24% |
| Public order | 242 | 5.8 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 216 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 214 | 5.1 | 6.4 | -3% |
| Drugs | 149 | 3.5 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 139 | 3.3 | 5.0 | +23% |
| Other crime | 77 | 1.8 | 2.1 | -26% |
| Burglary | 59 | 1.4 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 37 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Robbery | 25 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 23 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -15% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Braintree; the highest is Chelmsford (99.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Great Notley (43.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Notley | 336 | 43.1 | -46% |
| Halstead (Braintree) | 919 | 57.8 | -27% |
| Witham | 2,007 | 79.0 | -1% |
| Kelvedon and Feering | 261 | 45.6 | -43% |
| Great Dunmow | 660 | 65.6 | -18% |
| Tiptree | 386 | 46.3 | -42% |
| Chelmsford | 11,314 | 99.1 | +24% |
| Danbury | 292 | 43.5 | -45% |
Of the 6 areas within Braintree, Braintree Central & Beckers Green had the highest crime rate (135.8 per 1,000) and Braintree West the lowest (29.3), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree Central & Beckers Green | Neighbourhood | 11,262 | 1,529 | 135.8 |
| Bocking South | Neighbourhood | 6,577 | 578 | 87.9 |
| Bocking North | Neighbourhood | 5,258 | 339 | 64.5 |
| Braintree South | Neighbourhood | 6,602 | 408 | 61.8 |
| Bocking Blackwater | Neighbourhood | 11,240 | 594 | 52.8 |
| Braintree West | Neighbourhood | 5,116 | 150 | 29.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Braintree over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Charter Way” (130).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Charter Way | 130 |
| On or near Parking Area | 107 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 85 |
| On or near The Avenue | 82 |
| On or near Great Square | 76 |
| On or near Supermarket | 76 |
| On or near School Walk | 72 |
| On or near Broadoaks Crescent | 61 |
| On or near High Street | 56 |
| On or near Market Place | 56 |
Of the 2,974 crimes in Braintree with a recorded outcome, 34% 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 379 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,174 | 39.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,021 | 34.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 230 | 7.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 145 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 117 | 3.9% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 97 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 78 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 63 | 2.1% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 21 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 17 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Braintree has an estimated population of 42,081 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Braintree average decile 5.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Braintree | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Braintree a safe place to live?
Braintree recorded 79.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 617th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Braintree?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,470 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (379).
Is crime in Braintree going up or down?
Recorded crime in Braintree was down 2% on the year before: 3,353 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,419 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Braintree?
About 42,081 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Braintree?
Braintree 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.