Crime in Harwich: statistics, rates and trends
2,204 crimes were recorded in Harwich in the 12 months to August 2026, 101.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,012), anti-social behaviour (255) and shoplifting (218) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 334th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Harwich | Tendring | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,204 | 14,944 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 101.5 | 95.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +8% | -1% |
| Population | 21,722 | 156,759 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Harwich peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,947 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (2,000). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,204 | 101.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,013 | 92.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,000 | 92.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,359 | 108.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,759 | 127.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,911 | 134.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,947 | 135.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,749 | 126.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,470 | 113.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 255 |
| July 2026 | 249 |
| June 2026 | 219 |
| May 2026 | 210 |
| April 2026 | 176 |
| March 2026 | 162 |
| February 2026 | 132 |
| January 2026 | 156 |
| December 2025 | 164 |
| November 2025 | 152 |
| October 2025 | 158 |
| September 2025 | 171 |
Compared with England and Wales, Harwich recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (47% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (36% above the national rate), and notably less drugs (52% below) and vehicle crime (44% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 113 to 218 and anti-social behaviour rose from 204 to 255, while vehicle crime fell from 79 to 60 and public order fell from 156 to 132.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,012 | 46.6 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 255 | 11.7 | 15.4 | +25% |
| Shoplifting | 218 | 10.0 | 8.5 | +93% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 216 | 9.9 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Public order | 132 | 6.1 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Other theft | 120 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 60 | 2.8 | 5.0 | -24% |
| Other crime | 53 | 2.4 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Burglary | 48 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -8% |
| Drugs | 34 | 1.6 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Bicycle theft | 18 | 0.8 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 18 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 15 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Harwich; the highest is Clacton-on-Sea (128.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Kesgrave (24.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Harwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 1,394 | 55.6 | -45% |
| Walton-on-the-Naze | 681 | 97.3 | -4% |
| Frinton-on-Sea | 310 | 58.6 | -42% |
| Kesgrave | 386 | 24.2 | -76% |
| Lawford | 202 | 39.4 | -61% |
| Ipswich | 14,484 | 95.9 | -5% |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 7,123 | 128.2 | +26% |
| Woodbridge | 400 | 41.8 | -59% |
Of the 6 areas within Harwich, Harwich & Kingsway had the highest crime rate (169.5 per 1,000) and Dovercourt Tollgate the lowest (27.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich & Kingsway | Neighbourhood | 5,008 | 849 | 169.5 |
| Dovercourt All Saints | Neighbourhood | 10,343 | 1,081 | 104.5 |
| Dovercourt Bay | Neighbourhood | 1,692 | 99 | 58.5 |
| Dovercourt Vines & Parkeston | Neighbourhood | 1,634 | 86 | 52.6 |
| The Oakleys & Wix | Neighbourhood | 2,214 | 70 | 31.6 |
| Dovercourt Tollgate | Neighbourhood | 1,929 | 52 | 27.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Harwich over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (157).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 157 |
| On or near Mill Close | 101 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 90 |
| On or near Harcourt Avenue | 65 |
| On or near Parkeston Road | 50 |
| On or near All Saints Close | 46 |
| On or near Orwell Road | 44 |
| On or near Bruges Close | 39 |
| On or near Abdy Avenue | 37 |
| On or near Ferndale Road | 35 |
Of the 1,949 crimes in Harwich with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 255 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 834 | 42.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 575 | 29.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 205 | 10.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 86 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 74 | 3.8% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 53 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 44 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 27 | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Local resolution | 26 | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 10 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Harwich has an estimated population of 21,722 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (18%, against 34%), fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Harwich average decile 2.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Harwich | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 17.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 31.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Harwich a safe place to live?
Harwich recorded 101.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 334th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Harwich?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,012 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (255).
Is crime in Harwich going up or down?
Recorded crime in Harwich was up 9% on the year before: 2,204 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,013 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Harwich?
About 21,722 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Harwich?
Harwich 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.