Crime in Berkhamsted
Recorded crime in Berkhamsted is 0.7 times the Dacorum average and 0.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 14%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Berkhamsted: about 17,122 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.0/10Good
- 5-year change
- +14%more crimes
- vs the council
- 0.7×the Dacorum average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Berkhamsted.
Crime over 5 years
Up 14% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Berkhamsted, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the Dacorum average (0.5× the England and Wales average). 43 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 53% of the harm here
- Burglary: 22% of the harm here
- Robbery: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 16 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Dacorum (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Dacorum council area, not only Berkhamsted. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 217 | 1.3 | Down 37% |
| Cars broken into | 409 | 2.5 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 565 | 3.5 | Down 14% |
| Burglary of homes | 254 | 1.6 | Down 5% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in HP4
In HP4, the postcode district at the centre of Berkhamsted, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 411 | 4% | 2% | 71% | 16% | 6% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 116 | 3% | 0% | 6% | 91% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 108 | 6% | 0% | 7% | 85% | 1% |
| Burglary | 94 | 2% | 0% | 7% | 89% | 1% |
| Other theft | 83 | 0% | 0% | 12% | 81% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 74 | 1% | 1% | 18% | 77% | 3% |
| Public order | 50 | 4% | 0% | 44% | 48% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 3.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 13.6 |
| Drugs | 1.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 0.8 |
| Other theft | 4.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.4 |
| Public order | 2.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 5.5 |
Postcode districts in Berkhamsted
Nearby towns
Council: Dacorum
Questions about crime in Berkhamsted
- Is Berkhamsted a safe place to live?
- Berkhamsted scores 8 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.7 times the Dacorum average.
- Is crime going up or down in Berkhamsted?
- Up 14% over 5 years, from 691 recorded crimes a year to 786.
- What is the most common crime in Berkhamsted?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 14 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Berkhamsted compare with Dacorum?
- Crime severity in Berkhamsted is 0.7 times the Dacorum average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Berkhamsted?
- In HP4, the postcode district at the centre of Berkhamsted, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 52% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Berkhamsted?
- Of 94 burglaries reported in HP4, the postcode district at the centre of Berkhamsted between September 2024 and August 2025, 2% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 89% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Berkhamsted?
- In Dacorum, the council area Berkhamsted is in, the police recorded 217 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.3 per 1,000 residents, down 37% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Berkhamsted?
- 565 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Dacorum, the council area Berkhamsted is in, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Berkhamsted last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Dacorum, the council area Berkhamsted is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.