Crime in Hertsmere
Recorded crime in Hertsmere is 0.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 3%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
110,212 residents in 63 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 5/10Average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- +3%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 3% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Hertsmere, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the England and Wales average. 72 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 55% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 8% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 22 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 0.7 |
| Burglary | 4.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 24.0 |
| Drugs | 2.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.0 |
| Other crime | 1.4 |
| Other theft | 10.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.5 |
| Public order | 5.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.7 |
| Shoplifting | 6.3 |
What crimes are recorded in Hertsmere
71.8 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Hertsmere in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 8,098. Home Office recorded crime: 7,911 (2% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 286 | 2.6 | Down 13% |
| Cars broken into | 219 | 2.0 | Down 36% |
| Vehicle tampering | 84 | 0.76 | Down 31% |
| Vandalism to homes | 128 | 1.2 | Down 20% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 45 | 0.41 | Down 8% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 225 | 2.0 | Down 6% |
| Arson | 16 | 0.15 | Down 33% |
| Burglary of homes | 251 | 2.3 | Up 17% |
| Burglary of businesses | 90 | 0.82 | Down 26% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 40 | 0.36 | Up 43% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 53 | 0.48 | Down 4% |
| Robbery of people | 63 | 0.57 | Up 34% |
| Robbery of businesses | 47 | 0.43 | Down 11% |
| Violence with injury | 707 | 6.4 | Down 5% |
| Violence without injury | 1,160 | 10.5 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,032 | 9.4 | Up 13% |
| Sexual offences | 231 | 2.1 | About the same |
| Shoplifting | 646 | 5.9 | Down 40% |
| Bicycle theft | 31 | 0.28 | Down 34% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 76 | 0.69 | About the same |
| Drug dealing | 152 | 1.4 | Up 347% |
| Drug possession | 312 | 2.8 | Up 14% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Hertfordshire Police area: 598 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (762 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Hertsmere.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Hertsmere, 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) | 3,316 | 5% | 5% | 70% | 15% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,016 | 19% | 5% | 9% | 65% | 2% |
| Other theft | 1,014 | 1% | 1% | 15% | 79% | 4% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 771 | 1% | 0% | 10% | 86% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 674 | 2% | 4% | 26% | 64% | 4% |
| Public order | 564 | 5% | 4% | 51% | 34% | 5% |
| Burglary | 426 | 5% | 1% | 14% | 77% | 3% |
| Drugs | 379 | 20% | 55% | 17% | 2% | 6% |
| Other crime | 194 | 11% | 8% | 54% | 15% | 11% |
| Robbery | 134 | 13% | 1% | 28% | 57% | 1% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 104 | 0% | 0% | 20% | 67% | 13% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 92 | 38% | 8% | 41% | 3% | 10% |
| Bicycle theft | 54 | 0% | 2% | 2% | 81% | 15% |
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.
Towns and cities in Hertsmere
Postcode districts in Hertsmere
Questions about crime in Hertsmere
- Is Hertsmere a safe place to live?
- Hertsmere scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Hertsmere?
- Up 3% over 5 years, from 7,615 recorded crimes a year to 7,841.
- What is the most common crime in Hertsmere?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Hertsmere?
- In Hertsmere, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 44% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Hertsmere?
- Of 426 burglaries reported in Hertsmere between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 77% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Hertsmere?
- In Hertsmere, the police recorded 286 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.6 per 1,000 residents, down 13% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Hertsmere?
- 398 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Hertsmere in 2025/26, 3.6 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Hertsmere last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in Hertsmere in 2025/26, against 3 the year before.