Crime in Harpenden
Recorded crime in Harpenden is 0.7 times the St Albans average and 0.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 2%. The biggest share 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 Harpenden: about 18,237 residents in 18 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 8.4/10Good
- 5-year change
- −2%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.7×the St Albans average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Harpenden.
Crime over 5 years
Down 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Harpenden, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the St Albans average (0.5× the England and Wales average). 53 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 43% of the harm here
- Burglary: 24% of the harm here
- Other theft: 9% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 11 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in St Albans (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole St Albans council area, not only Harpenden. 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 | 299 | 2.0 | Up 22% |
| Cars broken into | 424 | 2.8 | Up 36% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 583 | 3.9 | Up 15% |
| Burglary of homes | 257 | 1.7 | Up 34% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in AL5
In AL5, the postcode district at the centre of Harpenden, 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) | 359 | 4% | 3% | 73% | 16% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 224 | 38% | 5% | 8% | 48% | 1% |
| Other theft | 155 | 0% | 1% | 18% | 77% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 155 | 2% | 0% | 7% | 87% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 127 | 2% | 2% | 14% | 79% | 3% |
| Burglary | 116 | 4% | 0% | 9% | 83% | 4% |
| Public order | 62 | 2% | 10% | 42% | 39% | 8% |
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 | 3.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 10.8 |
| Drugs | 1.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 7.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.1 |
| Public order | 2.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.2 |
| Shoplifting | 11.9 |
Postcode districts in Harpenden
Nearby towns
Council: St Albans
Questions about crime in Harpenden
- Is Harpenden a safe place to live?
- Harpenden scores 8 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.7 times the St Albans average.
- Is crime going up or down in Harpenden?
- Down 2% over 5 years, from 855 recorded crimes a year to 838.
- What is the most common crime in Harpenden?
- The most common recorded crime is shoplifting, about 12 per 1,000 residents a year. The most harm, weighted by how serious each crime is, comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences).
- How does crime in Harpenden compare with St Albans?
- Crime severity in Harpenden is 0.7 times the St Albans average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Harpenden?
- In AL5, the postcode district at the centre of Harpenden, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 52% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Harpenden?
- Of 116 burglaries reported in AL5, the postcode district at the centre of Harpenden between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 83% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Harpenden?
- In St Albans, the council area Harpenden is in, the police recorded 299 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.0 per 1,000 residents, up 22% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Harpenden?
- 583 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in St Albans, the council area Harpenden is in, 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Harpenden last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in St Albans, the council area Harpenden is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.