Crime in Epping Forest
Recorded crime in Epping Forest is 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
137,451 residents in 78 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.3/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Epping Forest, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.9× the England and Wales average. 75 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 18% 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.
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 | 0.9 |
| Burglary | 5.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 27.2 |
| Drugs | 2.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 6.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 11.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.8 |
| Public order | 6.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 4.6 |
What crimes are recorded in Epping Forest
63.3 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Epping Forest in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 9,335. Home Office recorded crime: 8,703 (7% 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 | 478 | 3.5 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 382 | 2.8 | Down 27% |
| Vehicle tampering | 127 | 0.92 | Down 24% |
| Vandalism to homes | 171 | 1.2 | Up 8% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 59 | 0.43 | About the same |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 249 | 1.8 | Up 9% |
| Arson | 73 | 0.53 | Up 43% |
| Burglary of homes | 300 | 2.2 | About the same |
| Burglary of businesses | 131 | 0.95 | Down 38% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 23 | 0.17 | Down 56% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 41 | 0.30 | Up 5% |
| Robbery of people | 84 | 0.61 | Up 4% |
| Robbery of businesses | 23 | 0.17 | Up 28% |
| Violence with injury | 753 | 5.5 | About the same |
| Violence without injury | 1,521 | 11.1 | Up 13% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,092 | 7.9 | Up 20% |
| Sexual offences | 244 | 1.8 | Up 2% |
| Shoplifting | 649 | 4.7 | Down 40% |
| Bicycle theft | 26 | 0.19 | Up 8% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 65 | 0.47 | Down 26% |
| Drug dealing | 251 | 1.8 | Up 6% |
| Drug possession | 245 | 1.8 | Up 10% |
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.
Essex Police area: 1,373 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,500 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Epping Forest.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Epping Forest, 8% 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) | 3,589 | 6% | 7% | 64% | 17% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1,214 | 3% | 0% | 8% | 81% | 8% |
| Shoplifting | 920 | 15% | 4% | 5% | 75% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 773 | 6% | 5% | 25% | 59% | 5% |
| Public order | 693 | 14% | 6% | 40% | 35% | 5% |
| Other theft | 639 | 2% | 2% | 21% | 69% | 6% |
| Burglary | 543 | 9% | 1% | 12% | 75% | 3% |
| Drugs | 499 | 11% | 39% | 4% | 42% | 4% |
| Other crime | 225 | 23% | 6% | 43% | 17% | 11% |
| Robbery | 120 | 6% | 1% | 25% | 58% | 10% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 85 | 4% | 0% | 25% | 52% | 20% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 80 | 45% | 10% | 23% | 13% | 10% |
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 Epping Forest
Postcode districts in Epping Forest
Questions about crime in Epping Forest
- Is Epping Forest a safe place to live?
- Epping Forest scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Epping Forest?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 10,751 recorded crimes a year to 9,344.
- What is the most common crime in Epping Forest?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 27 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Epping Forest?
- In Epping Forest, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 45% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Epping Forest?
- Of 543 burglaries reported in Epping Forest between September 2024 and August 2025, 9% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 75% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Epping Forest?
- In Epping Forest, 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 Epping Forest?
- 479 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Epping Forest in 2025/26, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Epping Forest last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Epping Forest in 2025/26, against 2 the year before.