Crime in Chatham
Recorded crime in Chatham is 2.0 times the Medway average and 2.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 25%. 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 Chatham: about 36,257 residents in 32 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.8/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −25%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.0×the Medway average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chatham.
Crime over 5 years
Down 25% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Chatham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.0× the Medway average (2.6× the England and Wales average). 194 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 68% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Robbery: 8% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 68% 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: 41 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
How often crimes lead to a charge in ME4
In ME4, the postcode district at the centre of Chatham, 11% 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) | 2,639 | 9% | 7% | 65% | 15% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 595 | 26% | 3% | 12% | 57% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 574 | 7% | 4% | 39% | 48% | 2% |
| Other theft | 459 | 2% | 2% | 30% | 63% | 3% |
| Public order | 343 | 20% | 7% | 35% | 30% | 7% |
| Drugs | 281 | 25% | 17% | 27% | 25% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 276 | 2% | 0% | 13% | 82% | 3% |
| Burglary | 197 | 7% | 2% | 24% | 65% | 2% |
| Other crime | 160 | 13% | 4% | 60% | 21% | 3% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 86 | 34% | 12% | 42% | 7% | 6% |
| Bicycle theft | 76 | 3% | 0% | 12% | 84% | 1% |
| Robbery | 70 | 9% | 3% | 41% | 44% | 3% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 65 | 3% | 0% | 25% | 66% | 6% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 3.3 |
| Burglary | 7.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 91.3 |
| Drugs | 6.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.3 |
| Other crime | 5.4 |
| Other theft | 15.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 19.3 |
| Public order | 16.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.7 |
| Shoplifting | 13.1 |
Postcode districts in Chatham
Nearby towns
Council: Medway
Questions about crime in Chatham
- Is Chatham a safe place to live?
- Chatham scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.0 times the Medway average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chatham?
- Down 25% over 5 years, from 7,930 recorded crimes a year to 5,968.
- What is the most common crime in Chatham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 91 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chatham compare with Medway?
- Crime severity in Chatham is 2.0 times the Medway average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chatham?
- In ME4, the postcode district at the centre of Chatham, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 34% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chatham?
- Of 197 burglaries reported in ME4, the postcode district at the centre of Chatham between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 65% were closed with no suspect identified.