Crime in Waltham Abbey
Recorded crime in Waltham Abbey is 1.1 times the Epping Forest average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 8%. 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 Waltham Abbey: about 17,588 residents in 13 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.3/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −8%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Epping Forest average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Waltham Abbey.
Crime over 5 years
Down 8% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Waltham Abbey, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Epping Forest 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): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into): 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: 19 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Epping Forest (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Epping Forest council area, not only Waltham Abbey. 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 | 478 | 3.5 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 382 | 2.8 | Down 27% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 479 | 3.5 | Up 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 300 | 2.2 | 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 EN9
In EN9, the postcode district at the centre of Waltham Abbey, 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) | 830 | 6% | 6% | 67% | 14% | 7% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 249 | 3% | 1% | 8% | 82% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 196 | 5% | 7% | 29% | 58% | 2% |
| Public order | 169 | 11% | 6% | 44% | 35% | 4% |
| Other theft | 160 | 1% | 3% | 22% | 68% | 8% |
| Drugs | 153 | 12% | 29% | 2% | 52% | 5% |
| Burglary | 100 | 3% | 0% | 15% | 81% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 90 | 20% | 1% | 10% | 68% | 1% |
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 | 0.9 |
| Burglary | 4.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 34.0 |
| Drugs | 2.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 7.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 12.7 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.3 |
| Public order | 7.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 |
Postcode districts in Waltham Abbey
Nearby towns
Council: Epping Forest
Questions about crime in Waltham Abbey
- Is Waltham Abbey a safe place to live?
- Waltham Abbey scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Epping Forest average.
- Is crime going up or down in Waltham Abbey?
- Down 8% over 5 years, from 1,618 recorded crimes a year to 1,489.
- What is the most common crime in Waltham Abbey?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 34 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Waltham Abbey compare with Epping Forest?
- Crime severity in Waltham Abbey is 1.1 times the Epping Forest average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Waltham Abbey?
- In EN9, the postcode district at the centre of Waltham Abbey, 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 Waltham Abbey?
- Of 100 burglaries reported in EN9, the postcode district at the centre of Waltham Abbey between September 2024 and August 2025, 3% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 81% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Waltham Abbey?
- In Epping Forest, the council area Waltham Abbey is in, the police recorded 478 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 3.5 per 1,000 residents, down 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Waltham Abbey?
- 479 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Epping Forest, the council area Waltham Abbey is in, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Waltham Abbey last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Epping Forest, the council area Waltham Abbey is in, against 2 the year before.