Crime in Chesham: statistics, rates and trends
1,622 crimes were recorded in Chesham in the 12 months to August 2026, 72.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (643), anti-social behaviour (208) and other theft (132) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 738th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Chesham | Buckinghamshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,622 | 35,812 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 72.2 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 22,474 | 578,772 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Chesham peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,770 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,493). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 2%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,622 | 72.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,585 | 70.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,493 | 66.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,621 | 72.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,650 | 73.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,770 | 78.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,725 | 76.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,615 | 71.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,584 | 70.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 127 |
| July 2026 | 166 |
| June 2026 | 152 |
| May 2026 | 153 |
| April 2026 | 124 |
| March 2026 | 146 |
| February 2026 | 133 |
| January 2026 | 110 |
| December 2025 | 124 |
| November 2025 | 132 |
| October 2025 | 151 |
| September 2025 | 104 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and other crime (43% below) and shoplifting (43% below) were well below it. On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 548 to 643, while other crime fell from 38 to 27 and anti-social behaviour fell from 249 to 208.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 643 | 28.6 | 34.2 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 208 | 9.3 | 15.4 | -16% |
| Other theft | 132 | 5.9 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 126 | 5.6 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Public order | 118 | 5.3 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Vehicle crime | 115 | 5.1 | 5.0 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 108 | 4.8 | 8.5 | +6% |
| Burglary | 62 | 2.8 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Drugs | 42 | 1.9 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Other crime | 27 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -29% |
| Robbery | 20 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chesham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amersham | 761 | 44.2 | -39% |
| Bovingdon | 341 | 56.3 | -22% |
| Little Chalfont | 381 | 52.0 | -28% |
| Berkhamsted | 1,280 | 58.0 | -20% |
| Prestwood and Great Missenden | 342 | 48.3 | -33% |
| Hazlemere | 656 | 34.0 | -53% |
| Chorleywood | 505 | 35.3 | -51% |
| Tring | 730 | 55.9 | -23% |
Of the 2 areas within Chesham, Chesham South had the highest crime rate (69.2 per 1,000) and Chesham North the lowest (63.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesham South | Neighbourhood | 14,742 | 1,020 | 69.2 |
| Chesham North | Neighbourhood | 13,872 | 884 | 63.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Chesham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (101).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 101 |
| On or near William Moulder Court | 55 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 52 |
| On or near Parking Area | 47 |
| On or near Springfield Road | 35 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 32 |
| On or near Upper Gladstone Road | 32 |
| On or near Harries Close | 29 |
| On or near Essex Road | 28 |
| On or near Chalk Hill | 27 |
Of the 1,414 crimes in Chesham with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 208 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 524 | 37.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 490 | 34.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 168 | 11.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 75 | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 48 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 42 | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 33 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Chesham has an estimated population of 22,474 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (15%, against 20%), fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chesham average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Chesham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 38.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Chesham a safe place to live?
Chesham recorded 72.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 738th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Chesham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 643 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (208).
Is crime in Chesham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chesham was up 2% on the year before: 1,622 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,585 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chesham?
About 22,474 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chesham?
Chesham is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.