Crime in Harwich
Recorded crime in Harwich is 1.6 times the Tendring average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. 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 Harwich: about 5,325 residents in 6 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 6.8/10Good
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Tendring average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Harwich.
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Harwich, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Tendring average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 139 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Robbery: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 72% 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: 37 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Tendring (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Tendring council area, not only Harwich. 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 | 301 | 1.9 | Up 4% |
| Cars broken into | 257 | 1.6 | Up 12% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 719 | 4.6 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of homes | 239 | 1.5 | Up 14% |
| 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 CO12
In CO12, the postcode district at the centre of Harwich, 6% 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) | 1,010 | 5% | 9% | 71% | 10% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 241 | 4% | 5% | 43% | 44% | 4% |
| Public order | 182 | 8% | 6% | 59% | 22% | 4% |
| Other theft | 146 | 1% | 3% | 47% | 49% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 113 | 15% | 5% | 25% | 53% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 80 | 4% | 4% | 20% | 69% | 4% |
| Other crime | 60 | 7% | 8% | 65% | 15% | 5% |
| Burglary | 53 | 13% | 0% | 26% | 58% | 2% |
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 | 1.1 |
| Burglary | 6.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 68.0 |
| Drugs | 4.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.9 |
| Other crime | 3.0 |
| Other theft | 7.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 17.7 |
| Public order | 13.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.4 |
| Shoplifting | 7.6 |
Postcode districts in Harwich
Nearby towns
Council: Tendring
Questions about crime in Harwich
- Is Harwich a safe place to live?
- Harwich scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Tendring average.
- Is crime going up or down in Harwich?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 842 recorded crimes a year to 728.
- What is the most common crime in Harwich?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 68 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Harwich compare with Tendring?
- Crime severity in Harwich is 1.6 times the Tendring average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Harwich?
- In CO12, the postcode district at the centre of Harwich, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 26% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Harwich?
- Of 53 burglaries reported in CO12, the postcode district at the centre of Harwich between September 2024 and August 2025, 13% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 58% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Harwich?
- In Tendring, the council area Harwich is in, the police recorded 301 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.9 per 1,000 residents, up 4% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Harwich?
- 719 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Tendring, the council area Harwich is in, 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Harwich last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Tendring, the council area Harwich is in, against 2 the year before.