Crime in Hatfield
Recorded crime in Hatfield is 1.4 times the Welwyn Hatfield average and 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 13%. 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 Hatfield: about 22,404 residents in 19 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.8/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +13%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Welwyn Hatfield average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Hatfield.
Crime over 5 years
Up 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Hatfield, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Welwyn Hatfield average (1.3× the England and Wales average). 108 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 60% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 8% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 60% 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: 35 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Welwyn Hatfield (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Welwyn Hatfield council area, not only Hatfield. 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 | 207 | 1.7 | Down 23% |
| Cars broken into | 300 | 2.4 | Up 18% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 470 | 3.8 | Down 8% |
| Burglary of homes | 225 | 1.8 | Down 2% |
| 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 AL10
In AL10, the postcode district at the centre of Hatfield, 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) | 1,955 | 6% | 4% | 67% | 19% | 4% |
| Other theft | 377 | 1% | 1% | 22% | 73% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 328 | 9% | 3% | 31% | 54% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 326 | 21% | 2% | 12% | 63% | 1% |
| Public order | 285 | 14% | 5% | 44% | 32% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 266 | 3% | 1% | 12% | 83% | 1% |
| Drugs | 155 | 39% | 26% | 26% | 1% | 7% |
| Burglary | 147 | 3% | 0% | 19% | 76% | 2% |
| Bicycle theft | 101 | 3% | 1% | 11% | 83% | 2% |
| Other crime | 75 | 16% | 3% | 61% | 11% | 9% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 66 | 0% | 0% | 11% | 80% | 9% |
| Robbery | 65 | 3% | 2% | 43% | 49% | 3% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 53 | 40% | 9% | 28% | 6% | 17% |
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) | 40.0 |
| Drugs | 4.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.8 |
| Other crime | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 10.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 7.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.3 |
| Public order | 8.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 3.6 |
| Shoplifting | 10.5 |
Postcode districts in Hatfield
Nearby towns
Council: Welwyn Hatfield
Questions about crime in Hatfield
- Is Hatfield a safe place to live?
- Hatfield scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Welwyn Hatfield average.
- Is crime going up or down in Hatfield?
- Up 13% over 5 years, from 2,319 recorded crimes a year to 2,609.
- What is the most common crime in Hatfield?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Hatfield compare with Welwyn Hatfield?
- Crime severity in Hatfield is 1.4 times the Welwyn Hatfield average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Hatfield?
- In AL10, the postcode district at the centre of Hatfield, 9% 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 Hatfield?
- Of 147 burglaries reported in AL10, the postcode district at the centre of Hatfield between September 2024 and August 2025, 3% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 76% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Hatfield?
- In Welwyn Hatfield, the council area Hatfield is in, the police recorded 207 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.7 per 1,000 residents, down 23% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Hatfield?
- 470 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Welwyn Hatfield, the council area Hatfield is in, 3.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Hatfield last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Welwyn Hatfield, the council area Hatfield is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.