Crime in Harlow
Recorded crime in Harlow is 1.2 times the Harlow council average and 1.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 8%. 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 Harlow: about 29,038 residents in 27 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- −8%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Harlow council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Harlow.
Crime over 5 years
Down 8% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Harlow, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Harlow council average (1.5× the England and Wales average). 118 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Robbery: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% 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: 26 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Harlow (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Harlow council area, not only the town of Harlow. 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 | 285 | 2.9 | Down 20% |
| Cars broken into | 190 | 1.9 | Down 31% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 508 | 5.2 | Down 20% |
| Burglary of homes | 141 | 1.4 | Down 19% |
| 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 CM20
In CM20, the postcode district at the centre of Harlow, 13% 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) | 1,626 | 11% | 8% | 61% | 15% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 476 | 20% | 8% | 9% | 63% | 0% |
| Public order | 391 | 19% | 9% | 45% | 25% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 313 | 12% | 8% | 20% | 59% | 2% |
| Other theft | 247 | 2% | 2% | 18% | 72% | 6% |
| Drugs | 242 | 21% | 43% | 5% | 30% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 203 | 5% | 0% | 13% | 75% | 6% |
| Other crime | 118 | 19% | 16% | 46% | 9% | 9% |
| Burglary | 104 | 9% | 5% | 13% | 66% | 7% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 63 | 5% | 3% | 24% | 60% | 8% |
| Bicycle theft | 61 | 3% | 0% | 13% | 72% | 11% |
| Robbery | 60 | 13% | 2% | 30% | 50% | 5% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 54 | 57% | 7% | 28% | 7% | 0% |
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 | 1.5 |
| Burglary | 4.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.5 |
| Drugs | 5.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.4 |
| Other crime | 2.3 |
| Other theft | 8.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.6 |
| Public order | 11.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.6 |
| Shoplifting | 8.1 |
Postcode districts in Harlow
Nearby towns
Council: Harlow
Questions about crime in Harlow
- Is Harlow a safe place to live?
- Harlow scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Harlow council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Harlow?
- Down 8% over 5 years, from 3,913 recorded crimes a year to 3,585.
- What is the most common crime in Harlow?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 51 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Harlow compare with Harlow council?
- Crime severity in Harlow is 1.2 times the Harlow council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Harlow?
- In CM20, the postcode district at the centre of Harlow, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 36% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Harlow?
- Of 104 burglaries reported in CM20, the postcode district at the centre of Harlow between September 2024 and August 2025, 9% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 66% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Harlow?
- In the Harlow council area, the police recorded 285 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.9 per 1,000 residents, down 20% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Harlow?
- 508 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Harlow council area, 5.2 per 1,000 residents, 1.1 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Harlow last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Harlow council area, against 1 the year before.