Crime in Waltham Forest: statistics, rates and trends
29,459 crimes were recorded in Waltham Forest in the 12 months to August 2026, 105.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Waltham Forest at a glance
- Crime trends in Waltham Forest
- Types of crime in Waltham Forest
- Waltham Forest compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Waltham Forest
- Streets with the most crime in Waltham Forest
- What happened after crimes were reported in Waltham Forest
- Demographics of Waltham Forest
- Questions about crime in Waltham Forest
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (7,426), anti-social behaviour (6,913) and vehicle crime (2,515) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 295th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Waltham Forest | Waltham Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 29,459 | 29,459 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 105.3 | 105.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 279,737 | 279,737 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Waltham Forest peaked in the year to August 2020 (35,031 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (29,203). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 29,459 | 105.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 30,822 | 110.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 31,981 | 114.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 29,305 | 104.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 29,203 | 104.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 32,429 | 115.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 35,031 | 125.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 30,212 | 108.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 29,239 | 104.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,386 |
| July 2026 | 2,620 |
| June 2026 | 2,513 |
| May 2026 | 2,554 |
| April 2026 | 2,391 |
| March 2026 | 2,445 |
| February 2026 | 2,238 |
| January 2026 | 2,375 |
| December 2025 | 2,369 |
| November 2025 | 2,548 |
| October 2025 | 2,549 |
| September 2025 | 2,471 |
Compared with England and Wales, Waltham Forest recorded notably more theft from the person (2.6 times the national rate), robbery (84% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (81% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (48% below) and criminal damage and arson (45% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 139 to 191, while criminal damage and arson fell from 1,624 to 1,029 and theft from the person fell from 1,725 to 1,225.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,426 | 26.5 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 6,913 | 24.7 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,515 | 9.0 | 5.0 | -21% |
| Other theft | 2,314 | 8.3 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Shoplifting | 2,179 | 7.8 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Drugs | 1,596 | 5.7 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Public order | 1,436 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Burglary | 1,289 | 4.6 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Theft from the person | 1,225 | 4.4 | 1.7 | -29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,029 | 3.7 | 6.7 | -37% |
| Robbery | 700 | 2.5 | 1.4 | -25% |
| Bicycle theft | 339 | 1.2 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Other crime | 307 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Possession of weapons | 191 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +37% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Waltham Forest; the highest is Islington (185.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Buckhurst Hill (57.3).
Of the 22 areas within Waltham Forest, High Street had the highest crime rate (234.2 per 1,000) and Endlebury the lowest (56.3), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Street | Neighbourhood | 10,809 | 2,531 | 234.2 |
| Leytonstone | Neighbourhood | 12,089 | 2,573 | 212.8 |
| Lea Bridge | Neighbourhood | 17,462 | 2,435 | 139.4 |
| Valley | Neighbourhood | 15,995 | 1,981 | 123.9 |
| Leyton | Neighbourhood | 12,933 | 1,597 | 123.5 |
| Hoe Street | Neighbourhood | 14,221 | 1,674 | 117.7 |
| Cathall | Neighbourhood | 10,971 | 1,218 | 111.0 |
| Wood Street | Neighbourhood | 10,960 | 1,168 | 106.6 |
| Forest | Neighbourhood | 17,131 | 1,637 | 95.6 |
| Cann Hall | Neighbourhood | 15,373 | 1,438 | 93.5 |
| Chingford Green | Neighbourhood | 10,712 | 976 | 91.1 |
| Chapel End | Neighbourhood | 12,556 | 1,136 | 90.5 |
| St James | Neighbourhood | 15,540 | 1,357 | 87.3 |
| William Morris | Neighbourhood | 13,995 | 1,202 | 85.9 |
| Grove Green | Neighbourhood | 14,551 | 1,227 | 84.3 |
| Higham Hill | Neighbourhood | 15,449 | 1,271 | 82.3 |
| Markhouse | Neighbourhood | 7,931 | 613 | 77.3 |
| Hale End & Highams Park South | Neighbourhood | 10,689 | 806 | 75.4 |
| Larkswood | Neighbourhood | 12,937 | 920 | 71.1 |
| Upper Walthamstow | Neighbourhood | 7,797 | 502 | 64.4 |
| Hatch Lane & Highams Park North | Neighbourhood | 11,414 | 734 | 64.3 |
| Endlebury | Neighbourhood | 8,222 | 463 | 56.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Waltham Forest over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,479).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,479 |
| On or near Parking Area | 942 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 892 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 585 |
| On or near Lea Bridge Road | 286 |
| On or near Hoe Street | 222 |
| On or near Gillards Way | 212 |
| On or near Lynn Road | 202 |
| On or near Forest Road | 174 |
| On or near St James'S Street | 172 |
Of the 22,546 crimes in Waltham Forest with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 6,913 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 10,358 | 45.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,243 | 23.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 2,726 | 12.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,920 | 8.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 888 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 664 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 359 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 144 | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 137 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 46 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 41 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Waltham Forest has an estimated population of 279,737 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (42%, against 23%), fewer retired residents (12%, against 22%) and a younger population (11%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Waltham Forest average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Waltham Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 43.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 42.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Waltham Forest a safe place to live?
Waltham Forest recorded 105.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 295th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were theft from the person and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Waltham Forest?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 7,426 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (6,913).
Is crime in Waltham Forest going up or down?
Recorded crime in Waltham Forest was down 4% on the year before: 29,459 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 30,822 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Waltham Forest?
About 279,737 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Waltham Forest?
Waltham Forest is policed by Metropolitan Police.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.