Crime in Hereford
Recorded crime in Hereford is 1.4 times the County of Herefordshire average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 18%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Hereford: about 60,893 residents in 44 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.6/10Good
- 5-year change
- −18%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the County of Herefordshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Hereford.
Crime over 5 years
Down 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Hereford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the County of Herefordshire average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 83 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 73% of the harm here
- Burglary: 8% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 73% 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 County of Herefordshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole County of Herefordshire council area, not only Hereford. 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 | 93 | 0.49 | Down 15% |
| Cars broken into | 125 | 0.65 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 632 | 3.3 | Up 11% |
| Burglary of homes | 176 | 0.92 | Down 19% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in HR4
In HR4, the postcode district at the centre of Hereford, 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) | 879 | 9% | 4% | 69% | 8% | 10% |
| Shoplifting | 268 | 32% | 5% | 26% | 34% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 175 | 10% | 5% | 30% | 50% | 5% |
| Public order | 166 | 12% | 4% | 55% | 18% | 11% |
| Other theft | 123 | 2% | 2% | 42% | 50% | 5% |
| Drugs | 62 | 23% | 29% | 19% | 5% | 24% |
| Burglary | 59 | 3% | 2% | 24% | 63% | 8% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 9% 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 | 0.6 |
| Burglary | 2.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 40.6 |
| Drugs | 3.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.9 |
| Other crime | 1.7 |
| Other theft | 6.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.1 |
| Public order | 7.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.8 |
| Shoplifting | 7.0 |
Postcode districts in Hereford
Nearby towns
Council: County of Herefordshire
Questions about crime in Hereford
- Is Hereford a safe place to live?
- Hereford 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 County of Herefordshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Hereford?
- Down 18% over 5 years, from 5,886 recorded crimes a year to 4,813.
- What is the most common crime in Hereford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 41 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Hereford compare with County of Herefordshire?
- Crime severity in Hereford is 1.4 times the County of Herefordshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Hereford?
- In HR4, the postcode district at the centre of Hereford, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 23% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Hereford?
- Of 59 burglaries reported in HR4, the postcode district at the centre of Hereford between September 2024 and August 2025, 3% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 63% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Hereford?
- In County of Herefordshire, the council area Hereford is in, the police recorded 93 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.5 per 1,000 residents, down 15% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Hereford?
- 632 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in County of Herefordshire, the council area Hereford is in, 3.3 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Hereford last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in County of Herefordshire, the council area Hereford is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.