Crime in Watford (Watford): statistics, rates and trends
14,259 crimes were recorded in Watford (Watford) in the 12 months to August 2026, 103.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Watford (Watford) at a glance
- Crime trends in Watford (Watford)
- Types of crime in Watford (Watford)
- Watford (Watford) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Watford (Watford)
- Streets with the most crime in Watford (Watford)
- What happened after crimes were reported in Watford (Watford)
- Demographics of Watford (Watford)
- Questions about crime in Watford (Watford)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,732), anti-social behaviour (2,906) and shoplifting (1,267) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 313th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Watford (Watford) | Watford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 14,259 | 11,878 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 103.7 | 110.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 137,531 | 107,171 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Watford (Watford) peaked in the year to August 2019 (15,274 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (12,407). 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 | 14,259 | 103.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 13,754 | 100.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 13,426 | 97.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 13,714 | 99.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 13,707 | 99.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,407 | 90.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 13,442 | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 15,274 | 111.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,965 | 108.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,334 |
| July 2026 | 1,420 |
| June 2026 | 1,353 |
| May 2026 | 1,284 |
| April 2026 | 1,150 |
| March 2026 | 1,162 |
| February 2026 | 1,031 |
| January 2026 | 1,089 |
| December 2025 | 1,077 |
| November 2025 | 1,042 |
| October 2025 | 1,188 |
| September 2025 | 1,129 |
Compared with England and Wales, Watford (Watford) recorded notably more bicycle theft (71% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (38% above the national rate) and drugs (28% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (28% below) and burglary (25% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 316 to 577 and bicycle theft rose from 162 to 194, while burglary fell from 430 to 365.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,732 | 34.4 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,906 | 21.1 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 1,267 | 9.2 | 8.5 | +13% |
| Other theft | 1,072 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 867 | 6.3 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Public order | 845 | 6.1 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 733 | 5.3 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Drugs | 577 | 4.2 | 3.3 | +83% |
| Burglary | 365 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -15% |
| Other crime | 209 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -7% |
| Bicycle theft | 194 | 1.4 | 0.8 | +20% |
| Theft from the person | 193 | 1.4 | 1.7 | -10% |
| Robbery | 181 | 1.3 | 1.4 | +4% |
| Possession of weapons | 118 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -9% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Watford (Watford) has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Watford (Watford) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bushey | 1,818 | 64.1 | -38% |
| Moor Park | 194 | 33.6 | -68% |
| Rickmansworth | 1,810 | 77.8 | -25% |
| Abbots Langley and Kings Langley | 1,115 | 67.3 | -35% |
| Bricket Wood | 295 | 55.3 | -47% |
| Radlett | 490 | 60.0 | -42% |
| Chorleywood | 505 | 35.3 | -66% |
| Chiswell Green | 260 | 43.4 | -58% |
Of the 16 areas within Watford (Watford), Central had the highest crime rate (319.9 per 1,000) and Nascot the lowest (42.0), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 12,632 | 4,041 | 319.9 |
| Meriden | Neighbourhood | 8,575 | 1,013 | 118.1 |
| Vicarage | Neighbourhood | 9,918 | 1,121 | 113.0 |
| Holywell | Neighbourhood | 11,554 | 1,162 | 100.6 |
| Carpenders Park | Neighbourhood | 7,170 | 716 | 99.9 |
| Woodside | Neighbourhood | 7,849 | 738 | 94.0 |
| Callowland | Neighbourhood | 9,281 | 845 | 91.0 |
| Leavesden | Neighbourhood | 9,082 | 752 | 82.8 |
| South Oxhey | Neighbourhood | 8,916 | 714 | 80.1 |
| Tudor | Neighbourhood | 6,206 | 465 | 74.9 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 8,392 | 611 | 72.8 |
| Leggatts | Neighbourhood | 8,956 | 620 | 69.2 |
| Oxhey | Neighbourhood | 7,313 | 469 | 64.1 |
| Stanborough | Neighbourhood | 7,232 | 404 | 55.9 |
| Oxhey Hall & Hayling | Neighbourhood | 7,842 | 432 | 55.1 |
| Nascot | Neighbourhood | 9,263 | 389 | 42.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Watford (Watford) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (872).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 872 |
| On or near Supermarket | 794 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 783 |
| On or near Nightclub | 310 |
| On or near Hospital | 251 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 180 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 168 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 164 |
| On or near Wells Yard | 158 |
| On or near High Street | 124 |
Of the 11,353 crimes in Watford (Watford) with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,906 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,550 | 40.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,664 | 32.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,175 | 10.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 572 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 541 | 4.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 357 | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 214 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 130 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 61 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 54 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 20 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Watford (Watford) has an estimated population of 137,531 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer retired residents (15%, against 22%), a younger population (13%, against 19%) and more private renting (25%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Watford (Watford) average decile 6.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Watford (Watford) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Watford (Watford) a safe place to live?
Watford (Watford) recorded 103.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 313th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Watford (Watford)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,732 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,906).
Is crime in Watford (Watford) going up or down?
Recorded crime in Watford (Watford) was up 4% on the year before: 14,259 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 13,754 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Watford (Watford)?
About 137,531 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Watford (Watford)?
Watford (Watford) is policed by Hertfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.