Crime in East Hertfordshire
Recorded crime in East Hertfordshire is 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 10%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
156,875 residents in 90 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Safety in the world
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.6/10Good
- 5-year change
- +10%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes in East Hertfordshire, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.6× the England and Wales average. 51 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 17 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 18.7 |
| Drugs | 1.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 5.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.4 |
| Public order | 3.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 4.3 |
What crimes are recorded in East Hertfordshire
51.7 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in East Hertfordshire in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 8,122. Home Office recorded crime: 8,105 (0% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 202 | 1.3 | Down 25% |
| Cars broken into | 231 | 1.5 | Down 25% |
| Vehicle tampering | 106 | 0.68 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism to homes | 122 | 0.78 | Up 14% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 52 | 0.33 | Down 29% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 216 | 1.4 | Down 6% |
| Arson | 23 | 0.15 | Down 4% |
| Burglary of homes | 209 | 1.3 | Up 15% |
| Burglary of businesses | 120 | 0.76 | Down 12% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 20 | 0.13 | Down 13% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 55 | 0.35 | Up 53% |
| Robbery of people | 35 | 0.22 | Down 29% |
| Robbery of businesses | 33 | 0.21 | Up 18% |
| Violence with injury | 908 | 5.8 | Up 12% |
| Violence without injury | 1,363 | 8.7 | Up 8% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,141 | 7.3 | Up 7% |
| Sexual offences | 315 | 2.0 | Up 15% |
| Shoplifting | 679 | 4.3 | Down 4% |
| Bicycle theft | 85 | 0.54 | Up 21% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 66 | 0.42 | Down 15% |
| Drug dealing | 124 | 0.79 | Up 377% |
| Drug possession | 250 | 1.6 | Up 30% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Hertfordshire Police area: 598 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (762 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only East Hertfordshire.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In East Hertfordshire, 6% 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) | 3,631 | 4% | 5% | 72% | 14% | 4% |
| Other theft | 700 | 1% | 1% | 18% | 75% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 691 | 3% | 4% | 30% | 61% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 668 | 4% | 0% | 9% | 84% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 640 | 14% | 5% | 13% | 67% | 2% |
| Public order | 553 | 12% | 5% | 50% | 27% | 6% |
| Burglary | 425 | 5% | 1% | 9% | 82% | 3% |
| Drugs | 249 | 19% | 51% | 20% | 3% | 7% |
| Other crime | 228 | 9% | 10% | 51% | 19% | 11% |
| Bicycle theft | 98 | 7% | 0% | 13% | 56% | 23% |
| Robbery | 83 | 16% | 0% | 31% | 48% | 5% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 77 | 1% | 0% | 9% | 78% | 12% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 67 | 25% | 18% | 46% | 4% | 6% |
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.
Towns and cities in East Hertfordshire
Postcode districts in East Hertfordshire
Questions about crime in East Hertfordshire
- Is East Hertfordshire a safe place to live?
- East Hertfordshire scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in East Hertfordshire?
- Up 10% over 5 years, from 7,537 recorded crimes a year to 8,268.
- What is the most common crime in East Hertfordshire?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 19 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in East Hertfordshire?
- In East Hertfordshire, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 39% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in East Hertfordshire?
- Of 425 burglaries reported in East Hertfordshire between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 82% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in East Hertfordshire?
- In East Hertfordshire, the police recorded 202 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.3 per 1,000 residents, down 25% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in East Hertfordshire?
- 390 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in East Hertfordshire in 2025/26, 2.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in East Hertfordshire last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in East Hertfordshire in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.