Crime in Halstead
Recorded crime in Halstead is 1.1 times the Braintree average and 0.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 33%. 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 Halstead: about 13,422 residents in 8 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 5/10Average crime
- Living
- 5.8/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −33%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Braintree average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Halstead.
Crime over 5 years
Down 33% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Halstead, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Braintree average (0.8× the England and Wales average). 66 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 69% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 14 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Braintree (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Braintree council area, not only Halstead. 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 | 185 | 1.1 | Down 23% |
| Cars broken into | 197 | 1.2 | Down 24% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 430 | 2.6 | Down 16% |
| Burglary of homes | 177 | 1.1 | Up 32% |
| 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 CO9
In CO9, the postcode district at the centre of Halstead, 9% 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) | 675 | 9% | 13% | 57% | 15% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 145 | 16% | 6% | 18% | 59% | 2% |
| Other theft | 129 | 4% | 2% | 18% | 72% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 117 | 4% | 11% | 26% | 57% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 94 | 2% | 0% | 10% | 87% | 1% |
| Public order | 89 | 6% | 16% | 42% | 31% | 6% |
| Burglary | 70 | 3% | 0% | 13% | 84% | 0% |
| Drugs | 67 | 27% | 63% | 4% | 4% | 1% |
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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 29.4 |
| Drugs | 1.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.7 |
| Other theft | 6.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.7 |
| Public order | 5.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.2 |
| Shoplifting | 5.2 |
Postcode districts in Halstead
Nearby towns
Council: Braintree
Questions about crime in Halstead
- Is Halstead a safe place to live?
- Halstead scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Braintree average.
- Is crime going up or down in Halstead?
- Down 33% over 5 years, from 1,097 recorded crimes a year to 739.
- What is the most common crime in Halstead?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 29 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Halstead compare with Braintree?
- Crime severity in Halstead is 1.1 times the Braintree average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Halstead?
- In CO9, the postcode district at the centre of Halstead, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 37% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Halstead?
- Of 70 burglaries reported in CO9, the postcode district at the centre of Halstead between September 2024 and August 2025, 3% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 84% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Halstead?
- In Braintree, the council area Halstead is in, the police recorded 185 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.1 per 1,000 residents, down 23% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Halstead?
- 430 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Braintree, the council area Halstead is in, 2.6 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Halstead last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Braintree, the council area Halstead is in, against 1 the year before.