Crime in Great Dunmow: statistics, rates and trends
660 crimes were recorded in Great Dunmow in the 12 months to August 2026, 65.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Great Dunmow at a glance
- Crime trends in Great Dunmow
- Types of crime in Great Dunmow
- Great Dunmow compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Great Dunmow
- Streets with the most crime in Great Dunmow
- What happened after crimes were reported in Great Dunmow
- Demographics of Great Dunmow
- Questions about crime in Great Dunmow
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (274), anti-social behaviour (81) and criminal damage and arson (74) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 854th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Great Dunmow | Uttlesford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 660 | 5,882 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 65.6 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 10,054 | 95,106 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Great Dunmow peaked in the year to August 2021 (777 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (617). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 660 | 65.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 617 | 61.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 625 | 62.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 694 | 69.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 624 | 62.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 777 | 77.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 722 | 71.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 737 | 73.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 696 | 69.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 65 |
| July 2026 | 59 |
| June 2026 | 35 |
| May 2026 | 54 |
| April 2026 | 61 |
| March 2026 | 54 |
| February 2026 | 41 |
| January 2026 | 59 |
| December 2025 | 67 |
| November 2025 | 56 |
| October 2025 | 58 |
| September 2025 | 51 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (73% below) and anti-social behaviour (48% below) were well below it. On the year before, burglary rose from 24 to 35 and other theft rose from 32 to 46, while vehicle crime fell from 71 to 33 and drugs fell from 26 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 274 | 27.3 | 34.2 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 81 | 8.1 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 74 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +28% |
| Other theft | 46 | 4.6 | 6.4 | +44% |
| Public order | 46 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Burglary | 35 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +46% |
| Vehicle crime | 33 | 3.3 | 5.0 | -54% |
| Shoplifting | 23 | 2.3 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Drugs | 21 | 2.1 | 3.3 | -19% |
| Other crime | 14 | 1.4 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Great Dunmow; the highest is Takeley and Little Canfield (281.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Great Notley (43.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Great Dunmow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takeley and Little Canfield | 1,695 | 281.7 | +329% |
| Great Notley | 336 | 43.1 | -34% |
| Stansted Mountfitchet | 693 | 65.7 | 0% |
| Braintree | 3,353 | 79.7 | +21% |
| Bishop's Stortford | 3,555 | 80.1 | +22% |
| Sawbridgeworth | 628 | 53.6 | -18% |
| Writtle | 332 | 62.0 | -6% |
| Chelmsford | 11,314 | 99.1 | +51% |
Of the 2 areas within Great Dunmow, Great Dunmow South & Barnston had the highest crime rate (61.8 per 1,000) and Great Dunmow North the lowest (57.6).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Dunmow South & Barnston | Neighbourhood | 7,417 | 458 | 61.8 |
| Great Dunmow North | Neighbourhood | 5,800 | 334 | 57.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 50% of the crime recorded in Great Dunmow over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (77).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 77 |
| On or near Cedar Close | 49 |
| On or near The Avenue | 36 |
| On or near Market Place | 30 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 29 |
| On or near White Hart Way | 29 |
| On or near Buttleys Lane | 27 |
| On or near Parking Area | 23 |
| On or near Willow Road | 14 |
| On or near Braintree Road | 13 |
Of the 579 crimes in Great Dunmow with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 81 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 215 | 37.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 203 | 35.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 41 | 7.1% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 40 | 6.9% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 27 | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 22 | 3.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 15 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 10 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Great Dunmow has an estimated population of 10,054 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%), fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (13%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Great Dunmow average decile 8.3 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Great Dunmow | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Great Dunmow a safe place to live?
Great Dunmow recorded 65.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 854th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Great Dunmow?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 274 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (81).
Is crime in Great Dunmow going up or down?
Recorded crime in Great Dunmow was up 7% on the year before: 660 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 617 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Great Dunmow?
About 10,054 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Great Dunmow?
Great Dunmow 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.