Crime in Harlow: statistics, rates and trends
10,574 crimes were recorded in Harlow in the 12 months to August 2026, 110.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,235), anti-social behaviour (1,154) and criminal damage and arson (825) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 257th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Harlow | Harlow | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,574 | 10,925 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 110.3 | 111.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +8% | -1% |
| Population | 95,879 | 98,235 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Harlow peaked in the year to August 2021 (13,242 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (9,841). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,574 | 110.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,841 | 102.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,439 | 108.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,461 | 119.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,868 | 134.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 13,242 | 138.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 13,161 | 137.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 12,807 | 133.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 11,713 | 122.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,045 |
| July 2026 | 1,098 |
| June 2026 | 1,039 |
| May 2026 | 956 |
| April 2026 | 852 |
| March 2026 | 854 |
| February 2026 | 822 |
| January 2026 | 808 |
| December 2025 | 728 |
| November 2025 | 837 |
| October 2025 | 741 |
| September 2025 | 794 |
Compared with England and Wales, Harlow recorded notably more bicycle theft (80% above the national rate), drugs (77% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (65% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (56% below) and anti-social behaviour (22% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 82 to 142 and burglary rose from 237 to 338, while other crime fell from 259 to 192 and theft from the person fell from 95 to 71.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,235 | 44.2 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,154 | 12.0 | 15.4 | +42% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 825 | 8.6 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Public order | 783 | 8.2 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Shoplifting | 731 | 7.6 | 8.5 | -12% |
| Other theft | 679 | 7.1 | 6.4 | +18% |
| Vehicle crime | 600 | 6.3 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Drugs | 555 | 5.8 | 3.3 | -1% |
| Burglary | 338 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +43% |
| Other crime | 192 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -26% |
| Possession of weapons | 153 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +23% |
| Bicycle theft | 142 | 1.5 | 0.8 | +73% |
| Robbery | 116 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +32% |
| Theft from the person | 71 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Harlow; the highest is Waltham Cross (119.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Sawbridgeworth (53.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Harlow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawbridgeworth | 628 | 53.6 | -51% |
| Epping | 923 | 90.3 | -18% |
| Hoddesdon | 3,513 | 87.5 | -21% |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,150 | 104.7 | -5% |
| Ware | 1,363 | 67.8 | -39% |
| Bishop's Stortford | 3,555 | 80.1 | -27% |
| Cheshunt | 4,322 | 97.2 | -12% |
| Waltham Cross | 1,587 | 119.2 | +8% |
Of the 11 areas within Harlow, Little Parndon & Town Centre had the highest crime rate (258.7 per 1,000) and Church Langley North & Newhall the lowest (48.0), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Parndon & Town Centre | Neighbourhood | 8,454 | 2,187 | 258.7 |
| Mark Hall | Neighbourhood | 8,191 | 1,490 | 181.9 |
| Passmores | Neighbourhood | 9,984 | 1,284 | 128.6 |
| Netteswell | Neighbourhood | 8,944 | 1,003 | 112.1 |
| Latton Bush & Stewards | Neighbourhood | 9,564 | 977 | 102.2 |
| Bush Fair | Neighbourhood | 9,887 | 1,002 | 101.3 |
| Sumners & Kingsmoor | Neighbourhood | 9,213 | 872 | 94.6 |
| Great Parndon | Neighbourhood | 6,843 | 477 | 69.7 |
| Old Harlow | Neighbourhood | 9,804 | 624 | 63.6 |
| Church Langley South & Potter Street | Neighbourhood | 12,063 | 755 | 62.6 |
| Church Langley North & Newhall | Neighbourhood | 5,288 | 254 | 48.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Harlow over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (679).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 679 |
| On or near Parking Area | 442 |
| On or near Hospital | 296 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 269 |
| On or near Police Station | 254 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 184 |
| On or near North Gate | 167 |
| On or near Milwards | 125 |
| On or near Glebelands | 121 |
| On or near East Gate | 101 |
Of the 9,420 crimes in Harlow with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,154 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,196 | 33.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,066 | 32.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 880 | 9.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 672 | 7.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 366 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 356 | 3.8% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 337 | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 237 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 168 | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 93 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 46 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Harlow has an estimated population of 95,879 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (29%, against 17%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Harlow average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Harlow | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 29.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 1.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Harlow a safe place to live?
Harlow recorded 110.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 257th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Harlow?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,235 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,154).
Is crime in Harlow going up or down?
Recorded crime in Harlow was up 7% on the year before: 10,574 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,841 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Harlow?
About 95,879 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Harlow?
Harlow 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.