Crime Rates Map

Rate Crime Rates Map

How useful is the site?

Sent by email to the person who runs the site. Please leave out personal details.

WatfordTown

Crime in Watford

Recorded crime in Watford is 1.4 times the Watford council average and 1.4 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 3%. 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 Watford: about 41,974 residents in 34 neighbourhoods.

Safety in the UK
2/10High crime
Living
9.1/10Excellent
5-year change
−3%fewer crimes
vs the council
1.4×the Watford council average
Open on the map

Neighbourhoods by Safety

Watford 009D: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 009B: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 009H: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 009I: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 009G: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 009F: Safety 3 out of 10, above average crimeWatford 010C: Safety 2 out of 10, high crimeWatford 010A: Safety 3 out of 10, above average crimeWatford 010D: Safety 3 out of 10, above average crimeWatford 009E: Safety 1 out of 10, high crimeWatford 008C: Safety 2 out of 10, high crimeHertsmere 008C: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 010B: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeWatford 007C: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 006A: Safety 4 out of 10, above average crimeWatford 005A: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 010E: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeHertsmere 008B: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 012B: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 007F: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeWatford 011C: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeWatford 011A: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeWatford 012C: Safety 4 out of 10, above average crimeWatford 008D: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeWatford 008A: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 011G: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeWatford 012D: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeHertsmere 012B: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeWatford 011B: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeHertsmere 008A: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeWatford 012A: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeThree Rivers 008C: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeHertsmere 012E: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeWatford 011F: Safety 6 out of 10, average crime
1 = least safe, 10 = safest. Grey: no score. Select a neighbourhood to open it on the map.

Within 1.5 km of the centre of Watford.

Crime over 5 years

Down 3% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Watford, anti-social behaviour left out.

Sep 2021 – Aug 2022: 5,292 crimesSep 2021 – Aug 20225,292Sep 2022 – Aug 2023: 5,260 crimesSep 2022 – Aug 20235,260Sep 2023 – Aug 2024: 4,788 crimesSep 2023 – Aug 20244,788Sep 2024 – Aug 2025: 4,890 crimesSep 2024 – Aug 20254,890Sep 2025 – Aug 2026: 5,119 crimesSep 2025 – Aug 20265,119

What is recorded

Crime severity: 1.4× the Watford council average (1.4× the England and Wales average). 120 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.

  • Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 58% of the harm here
  • Robbery: 11% of the harm here
  • Burglary: 10% of the harm here

Anti-social behaviour: 36 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.

Crimes recorded in Watford (the whole council area)

April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Watford council area, not only the town of Watford. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.

Selected crime types, whole council area, 2025/26
TypeCrimes in 2025/26Per 1,000 residentsChange on 2024/25
Cars stolen1961.8Down 23%
Cars broken into2882.7Down 19%
Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles)4864.5About the same
Burglary of homes1171.1Down 25%
Homicide (murder and manslaughter)0--

Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.

All recorded crime types in Watford

How often crimes lead to a charge in WD17

In WD17, the postcode district at the centre of Watford, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).

Violence and sexual offences: 6% chargedCharged or summonsed: 6%Caution or other action: 4%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 57%No suspect identified: 26%Still open: 6%Shoplifting: 17% chargedCharged or summonsed: 17%Caution or other action: 5%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 11%No suspect identified: 66%Still open: 1%Other theft: 1% chargedCharged or summonsed: 1%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 11%No suspect identified: 80%Still open: 8%Public order: 10% chargedCharged or summonsed: 10%Caution or other action: 7%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 36%No suspect identified: 40%Still open: 7%Criminal damage and arson: 8% chargedCharged or summonsed: 8%Caution or other action: 2%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 24%No suspect identified: 60%Still open: 6%Vehicle crime: 5% chargedCharged or summonsed: 5%Caution or other action: 1%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 11%No suspect identified: 79%Still open: 4%Theft from the person: 1% chargedCharged or summonsed: 1%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 4%No suspect identified: 89%Still open: 6%Burglary: 9% chargedCharged or summonsed: 9%Caution or other action: 1%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 11%No suspect identified: 79%Drugs: 21% chargedCharged or summonsed: 21%Caution or other action: 47%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 20%No suspect identified: 1%Still open: 11%Bicycle theft: 2% chargedCharged or summonsed: 2%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 2%No suspect identified: 82%Still open: 15%Robbery: 16% chargedCharged or summonsed: 16%Suspect found, not prosecuted: 22%No suspect identified: 55%Still open: 8%
Show as a table
TypeCrimesCharged or summonsedCaution or other actionSuspect found, not prosecutedNo suspect identifiedStill open
Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences)9166%4%57%26%6%
Shoplifting34617%5%11%66%1%
Other theft2511%0%11%80%8%
Public order20610%7%36%40%7%
Criminal damage and arson (vandalism)1578%2%24%60%6%
Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into)1555%1%11%79%4%
Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching)1111%0%4%89%6%
Burglary1089%1%11%79%0%
Drugs9421%47%20%1%11%
Bicycle theft612%0%2%82%15%
Robbery5116%0%22%55%8%

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 in WD17

Road collisions

Watford, 2023 to 2025: 146 road collisions a year with someone hurt, 27 of them with someone killed or seriously injured. 1 collision was fatal in those 3 years.

1.4 a year per 1,000 residents (Great Britain 1.5). 19% of them killed or seriously injured someone (Great Britain 26%).

Collisions on public roads that the police recorded where someone was hurt, counted where they happened, so busy through roads and town centres with few residents come out high. Serious and slight use the Department for Transport's adjusted severity, comparable between police forces. Source: Department for Transport road casualty statistics (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.

Crime by type

Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.

TypePer 1,000 a year
Robbery2.3
Burglary4.4
Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences)40.6
Drugs5.0
Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons)1.9
Other crime1.9
Other theft11.6
Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching)4.9
Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into)8.8
Criminal damage and arson (vandalism)9.0
Public order8.8
Bicycle theft4.5
Shoplifting15.8

Postcode districts in Watford

Nearby towns

Council: Watford

Recorded crime in Watford is 1.4 times the Watford council average and 1.4 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 3%.
These figures as an image, for sharing.

Questions about crime in Watford

Is Watford a safe place to live?
Watford 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 Watford council average.
Is crime going up or down in Watford?
Down 3% over 5 years, from 5,292 recorded crimes a year to 5,119.
What is the most common crime in Watford?
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 Watford compare with Watford council?
Crime severity in Watford is 1.4 times the Watford council average.
How often does crime lead to a charge in Watford?
In WD17, the postcode district at the centre of Watford, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 49% were closed without a suspect being identified.
How many burglaries are solved in Watford?
Of 108 burglaries reported in WD17, the postcode district at the centre of Watford between September 2024 and August 2025, 9% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
How many cars are stolen in Watford?
In the Watford council area, the police recorded 196 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.8 per 1,000 residents, down 23% on the year before.
Is vandalism common in Watford?
486 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Watford council area, 4.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
How many murders were there in Watford last year?
No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Watford council area, against 0 the year before.