Crime in Waltham Forest
Recorded crime in Waltham Forest is 1.1 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. The biggest share of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
279,737 residents in 146 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 9.0/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +1%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes in Waltham Forest, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the England and Wales average. 82 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 44% of the harm here
- Robbery: 17% of the harm here
- Burglary: 16% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 28 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 | 2.8 |
| Burglary | 5.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 24.6 |
| Drugs | 4.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 9.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 3.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 12.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.7 |
| Public order | 5.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.7 |
| Shoplifting | 4.5 |
What crimes are recorded in Waltham Forest
80.3 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Waltham Forest in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 23,210. Home Office recorded crime: 22,454 (3% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
Metropolitan Police did not assign 5.4% of the crimes it recorded in 2025/26 to a council area, so these figures are lower than the true count.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 1,020 | 3.6 | Down 26% |
| Cars broken into | 1,132 | 4.0 | Down 32% |
| Vehicle tampering | 225 | 0.80 | Down 56% |
| Vandalism to homes | 316 | 1.1 | Down 18% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 90 | 0.32 | Down 34% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 414 | 1.5 | Down 23% |
| Arson | 51 | 0.18 | Up 11% |
| Burglary of homes | 585 | 2.1 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of businesses | 463 | 1.7 | Down 23% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 72 | 0.26 | Up 44% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 98 | 0.35 | Down 22% |
| Robbery of people | 559 | 2.0 | Down 24% |
| Robbery of businesses | 237 | 0.85 | Up 12% |
| Violence with injury | 1,538 | 5.5 | Down 3% |
| Violence without injury | 3,003 | 10.7 | Up 4% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,821 | 6.5 | Up 15% |
| Sexual offences | 684 | 2.4 | Up 14% |
| Shoplifting | 2,047 | 7.3 | Up 2% |
| Bicycle theft | 348 | 1.2 | Down 22% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1,410 | 5.0 | Down 26% |
| Drug dealing | 690 | 2.5 | Down 3% |
| Drug possession | 1,039 | 3.7 | Up 28% |
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.
Metropolitan Police area: 13,775 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (16,285 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Waltham Forest.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Waltham Forest, 5% 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) | 6,736 | 7% | 6% | 55% | 20% | 11% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3,191 | 1% | 0% | 5% | 90% | 4% |
| Other theft | 2,310 | 1% | 0% | 14% | 80% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 2,147 | 7% | 4% | 11% | 75% | 3% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1,764 | 1% | 0% | 7% | 86% | 6% |
| Drugs | 1,709 | 10% | 36% | 43% | 4% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 1,631 | 4% | 3% | 23% | 66% | 4% |
| Public order | 1,457 | 7% | 1% | 44% | 36% | 12% |
| Burglary | 1,249 | 7% | 0% | 9% | 79% | 5% |
| Robbery | 940 | 6% | 0% | 20% | 65% | 8% |
| Bicycle theft | 431 | 1% | 0% | 4% | 91% | 4% |
| Other crime | 320 | 16% | 4% | 39% | 23% | 18% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 140 | 49% | 3% | 26% | 6% | 15% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Postcode districts in Waltham Forest
Questions about crime in Waltham Forest
- Is Waltham Forest a safe place to live?
- Waltham Forest scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Waltham Forest?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 22,282 recorded crimes a year then, 22,578 now.
- What is the most common crime in Waltham Forest?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 25 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Waltham Forest?
- In Waltham Forest, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 54% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Waltham Forest?
- Of 1,249 burglaries reported in Waltham Forest between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Waltham Forest?
- In Waltham Forest, the police recorded 1,020 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 3.6 per 1,000 residents, down 26% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Waltham Forest?
- 820 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Waltham Forest in 2025/26, 2.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Waltham Forest last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Waltham Forest in 2025/26, against 5 the year before.