Crime in Chigwell
Recorded crime in Chigwell is 0.9 times the Epping Forest average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 17%. 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 Chigwell: about 9,676 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 5/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.8/10Good
- 5-year change
- −17%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.9×the Epping Forest average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chigwell.
Crime over 5 years
Down 17% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Chigwell, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.9× the Epping Forest average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 64 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 50% of the harm here
- Burglary: 25% of the harm here
- Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into): 7% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 12 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Epping Forest (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Epping Forest council area, not only Chigwell. 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 | 478 | 3.5 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 382 | 2.8 | Down 27% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 479 | 3.5 | Up 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 300 | 2.2 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in IG7
In IG7, the postcode district at the centre of Chigwell, 7% 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) | 602 | 7% | 6% | 63% | 17% | 6% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 187 | 3% | 0% | 8% | 86% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 115 | 1% | 8% | 23% | 63% | 4% |
| Other theft | 110 | 3% | 1% | 25% | 70% | 2% |
| Burglary | 101 | 12% | 0% | 13% | 69% | 6% |
| Public order | 101 | 10% | 5% | 41% | 39% | 6% |
| Drugs | 72 | 7% | 46% | 25% | 18% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% 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 | 0.7 |
| Burglary | 6.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 22.2 |
| Drugs | 2.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.3 |
| Other theft | 6.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 13.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.4 |
| Public order | 4.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.1 |
| Shoplifting | 0.6 |
Postcode districts in Chigwell
Nearby towns
Council: Epping Forest
Questions about crime in Chigwell
- Is Chigwell a safe place to live?
- Chigwell scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.9 times the Epping Forest average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chigwell?
- Down 17% over 5 years, from 648 recorded crimes a year to 537.
- What is the most common crime in Chigwell?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 22 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chigwell compare with Epping Forest?
- Crime severity in Chigwell is 0.9 times the Epping Forest average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chigwell?
- In IG7, the postcode district at the centre of Chigwell, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 42% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chigwell?
- Of 101 burglaries reported in IG7, the postcode district at the centre of Chigwell between September 2024 and August 2025, 12% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 69% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Chigwell?
- In Epping Forest, the council area Chigwell is in, the police recorded 478 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 3.5 per 1,000 residents, down 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Chigwell?
- 479 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Epping Forest, the council area Chigwell is in, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Chigwell last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Epping Forest, the council area Chigwell is in, against 2 the year before.