Crime in Colchester: statistics, rates and trends
15,833 crimes were recorded in Colchester in the 12 months to August 2026, 114.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Colchester at a glance
- Crime trends in Colchester
- Types of crime in Colchester
- Colchester compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Colchester
- Streets with the most crime in Colchester
- What happened after crimes were reported in Colchester
- Demographics of Colchester
- Questions about crime in Colchester
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,724), anti-social behaviour (1,767) and shoplifting (1,541) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 214th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Colchester | Colchester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 15,833 | 18,986 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 114.9 | 94.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +8% | +8% | -1% |
| Population | 137,828 | 200,222 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Colchester peaked in the year to August 2019 (19,197 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (14,582). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 15,833 | 114.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 14,639 | 106.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 14,582 | 105.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 15,495 | 112.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 18,012 | 130.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 18,428 | 133.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,466 | 134.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 19,197 | 139.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 17,389 | 126.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,405 |
| July 2026 | 1,593 |
| June 2026 | 1,449 |
| May 2026 | 1,355 |
| April 2026 | 1,307 |
| March 2026 | 1,398 |
| February 2026 | 1,207 |
| January 2026 | 1,175 |
| December 2025 | 1,141 |
| November 2025 | 1,224 |
| October 2025 | 1,348 |
| September 2025 | 1,231 |
Compared with England and Wales, Colchester recorded notably more bicycle theft (85% above the national rate), violence and sexual offences (43% above the national rate) and shoplifting (32% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (54% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 124 to 194 and anti-social behaviour rose from 1,292 to 1,767, while bicycle theft fell from 307 to 210.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,724 | 48.8 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,767 | 12.8 | 15.4 | +37% |
| Shoplifting | 1,541 | 11.2 | 8.5 | +10% |
| Public order | 1,132 | 8.2 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,006 | 7.3 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 1,005 | 7.3 | 6.4 | +18% |
| Vehicle crime | 866 | 6.3 | 5.0 | +24% |
| Drugs | 426 | 3.1 | 3.3 | -2% |
| Burglary | 424 | 3.1 | 3.6 | +4% |
| Other crime | 284 | 2.1 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Bicycle theft | 210 | 1.5 | 0.8 | -32% |
| Robbery | 194 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +56% |
| Possession of weapons | 148 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +18% |
| Theft from the person | 106 | 0.8 | 1.7 | -12% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Colchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berechurch | 727 | 88.0 | -23% |
| Wivenhoe | 353 | 52.9 | -54% |
| Lawford | 202 | 39.4 | -66% |
| Brightlingsea | 418 | 46.8 | -59% |
| West Mersea | 322 | 45.0 | -61% |
| Tiptree | 386 | 46.3 | -60% |
| Kelvedon and Feering | 261 | 45.6 | -60% |
| Hadleigh | 460 | 49.9 | -57% |
Of the 12 areas within Colchester, Castle had the highest crime rate (290.4 per 1,000) and Lexden and Braiswick the lowest (47.7), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 12,122 | 3,520 | 290.4 |
| Greenstead | Neighbourhood | 16,434 | 2,458 | 149.6 |
| Mile End | Neighbourhood | 14,510 | 1,766 | 121.7 |
| New Town and Christ Church | Neighbourhood | 16,016 | 1,915 | 119.6 |
| Shrub End | Neighbourhood | 13,107 | 1,138 | 86.8 |
| Stanway | Neighbourhood | 10,131 | 872 | 86.1 |
| Old Heath and The Hythe | Neighbourhood | 11,863 | 1,007 | 84.9 |
| Highwoods | Neighbourhood | 10,907 | 829 | 76.0 |
| St Anne's and St John's | Neighbourhood | 10,896 | 757 | 69.5 |
| Marks Tey and Layer | Neighbourhood | 10,702 | 732 | 68.4 |
| Prettygate | Neighbourhood | 11,638 | 648 | 55.7 |
| Lexden and Braiswick | Neighbourhood | 9,085 | 433 | 47.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Colchester over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,134).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,134 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 428 |
| On or near Charter Way | 391 |
| On or near Parking Area | 368 |
| On or near Police Station | 350 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 311 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 223 |
| On or near Avon Way | 175 |
| On or near Nightclub | 166 |
| On or near Conference/Exhibition Centre | 157 |
Of the 14,066 crimes in Colchester with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,767 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,367 | 38.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,599 | 32.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,252 | 8.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 956 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 521 | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 395 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 288 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 280 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 272 | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 91 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 35 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 8 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Colchester has an estimated population of 137,828 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (11.9%, against 7.9%), more private renting (26%, against 20%) and a younger population (14%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Colchester average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Colchester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 11.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Colchester a safe place to live?
Colchester recorded 114.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 214th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Colchester?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,724 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,767).
Is crime in Colchester going up or down?
Recorded crime in Colchester was up 8% on the year before: 15,833 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 14,639 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Colchester?
About 137,828 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Colchester?
Colchester 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.