Crime in Welwyn Garden City: statistics, rates and trends
5,088 crimes were recorded in Welwyn Garden City in the 12 months to August 2026, 100.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Welwyn Garden City at a glance
- Crime trends in Welwyn Garden City
- Types of crime in Welwyn Garden City
- Welwyn Garden City compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Welwyn Garden City
- Streets with the most crime in Welwyn Garden City
- What happened after crimes were reported in Welwyn Garden City
- Demographics of Welwyn Garden City
- Questions about crime in Welwyn Garden City
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,644), anti-social behaviour (1,267) and shoplifting (628) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 347th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Welwyn Garden City | Welwyn Hatfield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,088 | 12,131 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 100.0 | 98.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 50,862 | 122,819 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Welwyn Garden City peaked in the year to August 2023 (5,659 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (4,757). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,088 | 100.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,130 | 100.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,757 | 93.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,659 | 111.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,085 | 100.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,831 | 95.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,553 | 109.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,439 | 106.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,467 | 107.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 452 |
| July 2026 | 516 |
| June 2026 | 466 |
| May 2026 | 492 |
| April 2026 | 432 |
| March 2026 | 450 |
| February 2026 | 352 |
| January 2026 | 346 |
| December 2025 | 395 |
| November 2025 | 386 |
| October 2025 | 421 |
| September 2025 | 380 |
Compared with England and Wales, Welwyn Garden City recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (62% above the national rate), shoplifting (46% above the national rate) and bicycle theft (41% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (74% below) and robbery (49% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 936 to 1,267 and drugs rose from 93 to 117, while robbery fell from 61 to 35 and burglary fell from 232 to 155.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,644 | 32.3 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,267 | 24.9 | 15.4 | +35% |
| Shoplifting | 628 | 12.3 | 8.5 | -32% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 307 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Public order | 267 | 5.2 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 235 | 4.6 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Other theft | 216 | 4.2 | 6.4 | -22% |
| Burglary | 155 | 3.0 | 3.6 | -33% |
| Drugs | 117 | 2.3 | 3.3 | +26% |
| Other crime | 100 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -6% |
| Bicycle theft | 59 | 1.2 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Possession of weapons | 36 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +3% |
| Robbery | 35 | 0.7 | 1.4 | -43% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -29% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Welwyn Garden City; the highest is London Colney (151.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Harpenden (37.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Welwyn Garden City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatfield | 5,492 | 127.3 | +27% |
| Hertford | 2,537 | 81.9 | -18% |
| St Albans | 6,245 | 85.2 | -15% |
| London Colney | 1,274 | 151.6 | +52% |
| Harpenden | 1,086 | 37.6 | -62% |
| Ware | 1,363 | 67.8 | -32% |
| Potters Bar | 2,320 | 94.8 | -5% |
| Stevenage | 10,934 | 115.1 | +15% |
Of the 8 areas within Welwyn Garden City, Handside had the highest crime rate (225.3 per 1,000) and Welwyn East the lowest (53.4), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handside | Neighbourhood | 6,987 | 1,574 | 225.3 |
| Peartree | Neighbourhood | 8,036 | 970 | 120.7 |
| Haldens | Neighbourhood | 6,227 | 540 | 86.7 |
| Hollybush | Neighbourhood | 7,879 | 620 | 78.7 |
| Howlands | Neighbourhood | 7,902 | 601 | 76.1 |
| Sherrards | Neighbourhood | 6,078 | 337 | 55.4 |
| Panshanger | Neighbourhood | 6,089 | 332 | 54.5 |
| Welwyn East | Neighbourhood | 6,389 | 341 | 53.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 31% of the crime recorded in Welwyn Garden City over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (493).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 493 |
| On or near Supermarket | 410 |
| On or near Howardsgate | 105 |
| On or near Otto Road | 101 |
| On or near Parking Area | 96 |
| On or near Stonehills | 96 |
| On or near Fretherne Road | 90 |
| On or near Black Fan Road | 69 |
| On or near Stanborough Road | 63 |
| On or near The Wade | 62 |
Of the 3,821 crimes in Welwyn Garden City with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,267 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,401 | 36.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,286 | 33.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 465 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 240 | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 158 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 108 | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 73 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 49 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 14 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Welwyn Garden City has an estimated population of 50,862 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (31%, against 17%), less private renting (12%, against 20%) and fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Welwyn Garden City average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Welwyn Garden City | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 38.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 30.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Welwyn Garden City a safe place to live?
Welwyn Garden City recorded 100.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 347th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Welwyn Garden City?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,644 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,267).
Is crime in Welwyn Garden City going up or down?
Recorded crime in Welwyn Garden City was almost unchanged on the year before: 5,088 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,130 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Welwyn Garden City?
About 50,862 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Welwyn Garden City?
Welwyn Garden City 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.