Crime in Witham: statistics, rates and trends
2,007 crimes were recorded in Witham in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (901), anti-social behaviour (250) and public order (155) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 631st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Witham | Braintree | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,007 | 10,156 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.0 | 61.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 25,389 | 164,304 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Witham of any year here (2,007 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 26%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,007 | 79.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,031 | 80.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,164 | 85.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,154 | 84.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,601 | 102.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,766 | 108.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,695 | 106.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,532 | 99.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,721 | 107.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 177 |
| July 2026 | 199 |
| June 2026 | 190 |
| May 2026 | 174 |
| April 2026 | 173 |
| March 2026 | 168 |
| February 2026 | 133 |
| January 2026 | 134 |
| December 2025 | 154 |
| November 2025 | 147 |
| October 2025 | 185 |
| September 2025 | 173 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (55% below) and vehicle crime (37% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 203 to 250 and public order rose from 126 to 155, while shoplifting fell from 171 to 97 and criminal damage and arson fell from 179 to 135.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 901 | 35.5 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 250 | 9.8 | 15.4 | +23% |
| Public order | 155 | 6.1 | 6.7 | +23% |
| Other theft | 140 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 135 | 5.3 | 6.7 | -25% |
| Shoplifting | 97 | 3.8 | 8.5 | -43% |
| Vehicle crime | 80 | 3.2 | 5.0 | -18% |
| Drugs | 69 | 2.7 | 3.3 | +6% |
| Burglary | 62 | 2.4 | 3.6 | +5% |
| Other crime | 61 | 2.4 | 2.1 | +7% |
| Possession of weapons | 28 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 15 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Witham; the highest is Chelmsford (99.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Great Notley (43.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Witham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvedon and Feering | 261 | 45.6 | -42% |
| Tiptree | 386 | 46.3 | -41% |
| Maldon | 1,604 | 67.3 | -15% |
| Danbury | 292 | 43.5 | -45% |
| Great Notley | 336 | 43.1 | -45% |
| Braintree | 3,353 | 79.7 | +1% |
| Chelmsford | 11,314 | 99.1 | +25% |
| Halstead (Braintree) | 919 | 57.8 | -27% |
Of the 4 areas within Witham, Witham Central had the highest crime rate (126.9 per 1,000) and Witham South the lowest (48.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witham Central | Neighbourhood | 6,554 | 832 | 126.9 |
| Witham West | Neighbourhood | 6,835 | 504 | 73.7 |
| Witham North | Neighbourhood | 6,528 | 447 | 68.5 |
| Witham South | Neighbourhood | 8,142 | 397 | 48.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Witham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (113).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 113 |
| On or near Parking Area | 107 |
| On or near Coach House Way | 58 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 56 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 45 |
| On or near Calamint Road | 40 |
| On or near Campbell Road | 35 |
| On or near B1389 | 34 |
| On or near Bronte Road | 28 |
| On or near Hemingway Road | 27 |
Of the 1,757 crimes in Witham with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 250 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 674 | 38.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 588 | 33.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 149 | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 109 | 6.2% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 80 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 53 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 47 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 23 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 18 | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Witham has an estimated population of 25,389 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and more social housing (21%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Witham average decile 5.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Witham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Witham a safe place to live?
Witham recorded 79.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 631st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Witham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 901 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (250).
Is crime in Witham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Witham was down 1% on the year before: 2,007 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,031 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Witham?
About 25,389 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Witham?
Witham 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.