Crime in Royston
Recorded crime in Royston is 0.7 times the North Hertfordshire average and 0.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 14%. 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 Royston: about 16,707 residents in 11 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.6/10Good
- 5-year change
- +14%more crimes
- vs the council
- 0.7×the North Hertfordshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Royston.
Crime over 5 years
Up 14% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Royston, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the North Hertfordshire average (0.5× the England and Wales average). 39 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 63% 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: 15 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in North Hertfordshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole North Hertfordshire council area, not only Royston. 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 | 107 | 0.78 | Down 24% |
| Cars broken into | 183 | 1.3 | Up 8% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 419 | 3.1 | Up 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 173 | 1.3 | About the same |
| 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 SG8
In SG8, the postcode district at the centre of Royston, 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) | 860 | 7% | 5% | 70% | 11% | 7% |
| Other theft | 175 | 4% | 2% | 20% | 68% | 6% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 173 | 5% | 4% | 34% | 54% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 155 | 5% | 1% | 6% | 85% | 3% |
| Burglary | 148 | 1% | 0% | 9% | 86% | 3% |
| Public order | 140 | 19% | 7% | 46% | 18% | 10% |
| Shoplifting | 54 | 4% | 11% | 20% | 61% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 6% 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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 2.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 15.5 |
| Drugs | 0.8 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 0.8 |
| Other theft | 4.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.5 |
| Public order | 2.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.6 |
| Shoplifting | 2.8 |
Postcode districts in Royston
Nearby towns
Council: North Hertfordshire
Questions about crime in Royston
- Is Royston a safe place to live?
- Royston 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 North Hertfordshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Royston?
- Up 14% over 5 years, from 630 recorded crimes a year to 717.
- What is the most common crime in Royston?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 16 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Royston compare with North Hertfordshire?
- Crime severity in Royston is 0.7 times the North Hertfordshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Royston?
- In SG8, the postcode district at the centre of Royston, 7% 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 Royston?
- Of 148 burglaries reported in SG8, the postcode district at the centre of Royston between September 2024 and August 2025, 1% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 86% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Royston?
- In North Hertfordshire, the council area Royston is in, the police recorded 107 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 24% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Royston?
- 419 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in North Hertfordshire, the council area Royston is in, 3.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Royston last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in North Hertfordshire, the council area Royston is in, against 1 the year before.