Crime in Hemel Hempstead
Recorded crime in Hemel Hempstead is 1.4 times the Dacorum average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 7%. 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 Hemel Hempstead: about 33,751 residents in 31 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.8/10Good
- 5-year change
- +7%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Dacorum average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Hemel Hempstead.
Crime over 5 years
Up 7% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Hemel Hempstead, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Dacorum average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 94 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: 7% 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: 34 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Dacorum (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Dacorum council area, not only Hemel Hempstead. 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 | 217 | 1.3 | Down 37% |
| Cars broken into | 409 | 2.5 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 565 | 3.5 | Down 14% |
| Burglary of homes | 254 | 1.6 | Down 5% |
| 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 HP1
In HP1, the postcode district at the centre of Hemel Hempstead, 7% 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) | 1,105 | 3% | 3% | 70% | 20% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 343 | 20% | 3% | 10% | 65% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 204 | 3% | 3% | 26% | 67% | 1% |
| Other theft | 172 | 1% | 0% | 28% | 69% | 2% |
| Public order | 163 | 6% | 7% | 50% | 35% | 2% |
| Burglary | 141 | 6% | 0% | 12% | 80% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 141 | 5% | 0% | 10% | 84% | 1% |
| Drugs | 70 | 34% | 34% | 23% | 4% | 4% |
| Other crime | 68 | 10% | 6% | 60% | 10% | 13% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 3% 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 | 1.1 |
| Burglary | 4.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 33.4 |
| Drugs | 3.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.5 |
| Other crime | 1.8 |
| Other theft | 8.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 7.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 9.5 |
| Public order | 6.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.1 |
| Shoplifting | 13.6 |
Postcode districts in Hemel Hempstead
Nearby towns
Council: Dacorum
Questions about crime in Hemel Hempstead
- Is Hemel Hempstead a safe place to live?
- Hemel Hempstead scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Dacorum average.
- Is crime going up or down in Hemel Hempstead?
- Up 7% over 5 years, from 3,056 recorded crimes a year to 3,281.
- What is the most common crime in Hemel Hempstead?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 33 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Hemel Hempstead compare with Dacorum?
- Crime severity in Hemel Hempstead is 1.4 times the Dacorum average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Hemel Hempstead?
- In HP1, the postcode district at the centre of Hemel Hempstead, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 42% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Hemel Hempstead?
- Of 141 burglaries reported in HP1, the postcode district at the centre of Hemel Hempstead between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 80% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Hemel Hempstead?
- In Dacorum, the council area Hemel Hempstead is in, the police recorded 217 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.3 per 1,000 residents, down 37% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Hemel Hempstead?
- 565 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Dacorum, the council area Hemel Hempstead is in, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Hemel Hempstead last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Dacorum, the council area Hemel Hempstead is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.