Crime in Watford
Police.uk reported crime in Watford, Hertfordshire. Category breakdown, 24-month trend, and postcode-district hot and cold spots within the town.
Crime in Watford by category
Last 12 months, all 14 Police.uk categories. Bars are scaled to the largest category in Watford.
| Category | Incidents | % of mix | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,030 | 29.1% |
|
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,108 | 20.2% |
|
| Criminal damage and arson | 857 | 8.2% |
|
| Other theft | 847 | 8.1% |
|
| Vehicle crime | 818 | 7.9% |
|
| Public order | 719 | 6.9% |
|
| Burglary | 445 | 4.3% |
|
| Shoplifting | 384 | 3.7% |
|
| Drugs | 357 | 3.4% |
|
| Other crime | 213 | 2.0% |
|
| Theft from the person | 189 | 1.8% |
|
| Robbery | 177 | 1.7% |
|
| Bicycle theft | 155 | 1.5% |
|
| Possession of weapons | 127 | 1.2% |
|
Where Watford's crime mix differs from the UK
Top 5 categories where Watford's 12-month share differs most from the national average. Percentage-point delta. Positive means more concentrated in Watford than the UK as a whole.
| Category | Watford | UK | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 20.2% | 16.3% | +3.9 pp |
| Violence and sexual offences | 29.1% | 31.7% | -2.6 pp |
| Vehicle crime | 7.9% | 6.5% | +1.4 pp |
| Public order | 6.9% | 7.9% | -1.0 pp |
| Other crime | 2.0% | 2.8% | -0.8 pp |
Monthly incident volume
Nov 2023 to Oct 2025. Police.uk publishes ~2 months in arrears.
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| 2023-11 | 848 |
| 2023-12 | 788 |
| 2024-01 | 832 |
| 2024-02 | 760 |
| 2024-03 | 806 |
| 2024-04 | 848 |
| 2024-05 | 946 |
| 2024-06 | 993 |
| 2024-07 | 894 |
| 2024-08 | 864 |
| 2024-09 | 790 |
| 2024-10 | 926 |
| 2024-11 | 836 |
| 2024-12 | 839 |
| 2025-01 | 869 |
| 2025-02 | 737 |
| 2025-03 | 911 |
| 2025-04 | 821 |
| 2025-05 | 855 |
| 2025-06 | 904 |
| 2025-07 | 1033 |
| 2025-08 | 919 |
| 2025-09 | 837 |
| 2025-10 | 865 |
Hottest postcode districts in Watford
- WD1 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD17 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD18 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD19 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD24 10,426 incidents (12m)
Quietest postcode districts in Watford
- 1,589 incidents (12m)
- WD1 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD17 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD18 10,426 incidents (12m)
- WD19 10,426 incidents (12m)
Postcode-district counts use the bounding box of every address in the district, so they're approximate. Treat them as a relative ranking within Watford rather than an absolute count.
What Watford crime data isn't
- Reported, not actual. Many crimes go unreported. The data reflects what reached Police.uk, not the underlying incidence rate.
- Locations are obfuscated. Each incident is mapped to a snap point within roughly 250 metres of the true location to protect victim privacy.
- Force-by-force inconsistency. Different police forces classify and record borderline incidents differently. Comparing two areas covered by different forces needs care.
- Patrol-density bias. Areas with heavier patrol presence record more incidents, partly because more crime is observed and reported.
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