Crime in Chatham: statistics, rates and trends
10,149 crimes were recorded in Chatham in the 12 months to August 2026, 126.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,575), anti-social behaviour (2,299) and shoplifting (854) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 138th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Chatham | Medway | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,149 | 29,963 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 126.7 | 102.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 80,114 | 292,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Chatham peaked in the year to August 2018 (10,604 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (8,981). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 4%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,149 | 126.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,326 | 128.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,439 | 130.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,811 | 122.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 9,576 | 119.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,388 | 129.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 9,543 | 119.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 8,981 | 112.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 10,604 | 132.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 986 |
| July 2026 | 978 |
| June 2026 | 853 |
| May 2026 | 929 |
| April 2026 | 861 |
| March 2026 | 971 |
| February 2026 | 734 |
| January 2026 | 785 |
| December 2025 | 817 |
| November 2025 | 692 |
| October 2025 | 795 |
| September 2025 | 748 |
Compared with England and Wales, Chatham recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (87% above the national rate), possession of weapons (67% above the national rate) and other crime (58% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (59% below) and public order (23% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 84 to 126 and bicycle theft rose from 46 to 58, while theft from the person fell from 73 to 55.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,575 | 44.6 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,299 | 28.7 | 15.4 | +16% |
| Shoplifting | 854 | 10.7 | 8.5 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 774 | 9.7 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 705 | 8.8 | 6.4 | +14% |
| Public order | 413 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 372 | 4.6 | 5.0 | -11% |
| Drugs | 298 | 3.7 | 3.3 | -13% |
| Other crime | 268 | 3.3 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Burglary | 222 | 2.8 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 130 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +2% |
| Robbery | 126 | 1.6 | 1.4 | +50% |
| Bicycle theft | 58 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +26% |
| Theft from the person | 55 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chatham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gillingham (Medway) | 11,367 | 98.7 | -22% |
| Rochester | 6,763 | 96.4 | -24% |
| Snodland | 1,211 | 98.9 | -22% |
| Hoo St Werburgh | 646 | 63.3 | -50% |
| Larkfield | 2,052 | 70.4 | -44% |
| Maidstone | 11,735 | 105.2 | -17% |
| Bearsted | 289 | 34.5 | -73% |
| Kings Hill | 494 | 49.1 | -61% |
Of the 9 areas within Chatham, Fort Pitt had the highest crime rate (283.4 per 1,000) and Walderslade the lowest (35.6), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Pitt | Neighbourhood | 11,985 | 3,397 | 283.4 |
| Chatham Central & Brompton | Neighbourhood | 20,050 | 3,304 | 164.8 |
| Luton | Neighbourhood | 10,351 | 1,454 | 140.5 |
| Wayfield & Weeds Wood | Neighbourhood | 10,242 | 1,083 | 105.7 |
| Fort Horsted | Neighbourhood | 5,529 | 400 | 72.3 |
| Princes Park | Neighbourhood | 10,192 | 650 | 63.8 |
| Boxley Downs | Neighbourhood | 7,391 | 450 | 60.9 |
| Lordswood & Walderslade | Neighbourhood | 14,027 | 789 | 56.2 |
| Walderslade | Neighbourhood | 2,749 | 98 | 35.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Chatham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (698).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 698 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 460 |
| On or near High Street | 234 |
| On or near Barnfield | 226 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 194 |
| On or near Waterfront Way | 164 |
| On or near Medway Street | 135 |
| On or near Ordnance Terrace | 133 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 125 |
| On or near Institute Road | 124 |
Of the 7,850 crimes in Chatham with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,299 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,030 | 38.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,777 | 35.4% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 606 | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 547 | 7.0% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 237 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 200 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 171 | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 169 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 71 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 24 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Chatham has an estimated population of 80,114 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and a younger population (15%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chatham average decile 4.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Chatham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Chatham a safe place to live?
Chatham recorded 126.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 138th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Chatham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,575 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,299).
Is crime in Chatham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chatham was down 2% on the year before: 10,149 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,326 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chatham?
About 80,114 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chatham?
Chatham is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.