Crime in Watford
Recorded crime in Watford is about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 4%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
107,171 residents in 58 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 8.5/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- +4%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 4% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Watford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the England and Wales average. 84 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 58% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 27 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 | 1.4 |
| Burglary | 3.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 29.6 |
| Drugs | 3.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.4 |
| Other crime | 1.4 |
| Other theft | 8.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 7.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 7.2 |
| Public order | 6.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.6 |
| Shoplifting | 8.6 |
What crimes are recorded in Watford
86.7 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Watford in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 9,190. Home Office recorded crime: 9,295 (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 | 196 | 1.8 | Down 23% |
| Cars broken into | 288 | 2.7 | Down 19% |
| Vehicle tampering | 128 | 1.2 | Down 21% |
| Vandalism to homes | 128 | 1.2 | Down 19% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 87 | 0.81 | Up 12% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 271 | 2.5 | Up 8% |
| Arson | 29 | 0.27 | Up 21% |
| Burglary of homes | 117 | 1.1 | Down 25% |
| Burglary of businesses | 79 | 0.74 | Down 29% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 45 | 0.42 | Up 10% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 61 | 0.57 | Up 15% |
| Robbery of people | 81 | 0.76 | Down 49% |
| Robbery of businesses | 56 | 0.52 | Down 15% |
| Violence with injury | 933 | 8.7 | Up 10% |
| Violence without injury | 1,657 | 15.5 | Up 18% |
| Stalking and harassment | 991 | 9.2 | Up 27% |
| Sexual offences | 326 | 3.0 | Up 3% |
| Shoplifting | 940 | 8.8 | Down 10% |
| Bicycle theft | 174 | 1.6 | Up 5% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 193 | 1.8 | Down 23% |
| Drug dealing | 132 | 1.2 | Up 187% |
| Drug possession | 279 | 2.6 | Up 27% |
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 Watford.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Watford, 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) | 3,702 | 5% | 4% | 65% | 22% | 4% |
| Other theft | 926 | 1% | 1% | 15% | 78% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 890 | 14% | 5% | 11% | 69% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 747 | 5% | 2% | 24% | 65% | 4% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 730 | 4% | 0% | 9% | 85% | 2% |
| Public order | 657 | 11% | 4% | 43% | 37% | 5% |
| Burglary | 343 | 7% | 1% | 12% | 79% | 1% |
| Drugs | 284 | 29% | 41% | 18% | 2% | 10% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 207 | 0% | 0% | 6% | 86% | 7% |
| Other crime | 181 | 14% | 1% | 49% | 22% | 14% |
| Bicycle theft | 164 | 2% | 0% | 2% | 88% | 8% |
| Robbery | 158 | 9% | 0% | 26% | 57% | 8% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 117 | 39% | 3% | 38% | 8% | 13% |
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 Watford
Postcode districts in Watford
Questions about crime in Watford
- Is Watford a safe place to live?
- Watford scores 4 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 Watford?
- Up 4% over 5 years, from 9,050 recorded crimes a year to 9,434.
- What is the most common crime in Watford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 30 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Watford?
- In Watford, 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 Watford?
- Of 343 burglaries reported in Watford 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 Watford?
- In Watford, the police recorded 196 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.8 per 1,000 residents, down 23% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Watford?
- 486 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Watford in 2025/26, 4.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Watford last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Watford in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.