Crime in St Albans
Recorded crime in St Albans is 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 13%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
151,012 residents in 88 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Safety in the world
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- +13%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes in St Albans, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the England and Wales average. 61 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 7% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 17 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 | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 3.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 19.9 |
| Drugs | 1.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.8 |
| Other crime | 1.3 |
| Other theft | 7.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.8 |
| Public order | 3.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.5 |
| Shoplifting | 7.1 |
What crimes are recorded in St Albans
64.3 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in St Albans in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 9,790. Home Office recorded crime: 9,706 (1% 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 | 299 | 2.0 | Up 22% |
| Cars broken into | 424 | 2.8 | Up 36% |
| Vehicle tampering | 216 | 1.4 | Up 29% |
| Vandalism to homes | 178 | 1.2 | Up 16% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 72 | 0.48 | Down 4% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 333 | 2.2 | Up 20% |
| Arson | 20 | 0.13 | Down 23% |
| Burglary of homes | 257 | 1.7 | Up 34% |
| Burglary of businesses | 109 | 0.72 | Up 6% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 27 | 0.18 | About the same |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 47 | 0.31 | Up 24% |
| Robbery of people | 47 | 0.31 | Down 33% |
| Robbery of businesses | 53 | 0.35 | Down 5% |
| Violence with injury | 822 | 5.4 | Down 6% |
| Violence without injury | 1,357 | 9.0 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,008 | 6.7 | Up 13% |
| Sexual offences | 292 | 1.9 | Up 7% |
| Shoplifting | 1,282 | 8.5 | Down 19% |
| Bicycle theft | 125 | 0.83 | Up 26% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 101 | 0.67 | Up 33% |
| Drug dealing | 81 | 0.54 | Up 224% |
| Drug possession | 226 | 1.5 | Up 50% |
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 St Albans.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In St Albans, 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) | 3,555 | 5% | 3% | 70% | 17% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,443 | 19% | 5% | 12% | 63% | 1% |
| Other theft | 1,148 | 1% | 1% | 18% | 77% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 860 | 3% | 3% | 28% | 63% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 821 | 2% | 0% | 8% | 87% | 3% |
| Public order | 596 | 8% | 4% | 48% | 33% | 6% |
| Burglary | 503 | 5% | 0% | 11% | 81% | 3% |
| Drugs | 217 | 29% | 37% | 21% | 4% | 9% |
| Other crime | 172 | 12% | 13% | 45% | 16% | 14% |
| Bicycle theft | 123 | 4% | 0% | 7% | 76% | 13% |
| Robbery | 114 | 17% | 0% | 31% | 47% | 5% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 89 | 2% | 2% | 15% | 73% | 8% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 80 | 30% | 13% | 41% | 5% | 11% |
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.
Towns and cities in St Albans
Postcode districts in St Albans
Questions about crime in St Albans
- Is St Albans a safe place to live?
- St Albans scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in St Albans?
- Up 13% over 5 years, from 8,467 recorded crimes a year to 9,609.
- What is the most common crime in St Albans?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 20 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in St Albans?
- In St Albans, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 46% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in St Albans?
- Of 503 burglaries reported in St Albans between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 81% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in St Albans?
- In St Albans, the police recorded 299 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.0 per 1,000 residents, up 22% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in St Albans?
- 583 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in St Albans in 2025/26, 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in St Albans last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in St Albans in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.