What is the crime rate in Colchester?

As of February 2026, Colchester has a crime rate of 7.39 per 1,000 residents, based on 1,425 recorded offences.

How does Colchester rank nationally for crime?

Colchester ranks #94 out of 331 local authorities by total crime volume.

What is the most common crime in Colchester?

The most common crime type in Colchester is Violence and sexual offences with 611 incidents in February 2026, accounting for 42.9% of all crime.

What is the crime rate in Colchester?

As of February 2026, Colchester has a crime rate of 7.39 per 1,000 residents, based on 1,425 recorded offences.

How does Colchester rank nationally for crime?

Colchester ranks #94 out of 331 local authorities by total crime volume.

What is the most common crime in Colchester?

The most common crime type in Colchester is Violence and sexual offences with 611 incidents in February 2026, accounting for 42.9% of all crime.

February 2026 Source: Essex Police Police

Colchester Crime Intelligence Report

Colchester recorded 1,425 crimes in February 2026, equating to a crime rate of 7.39 per 1,000 residents. This places Colchester at #94 of 331 local authorities nationally by total crime volume. Crime has increased by 0.5% compared to the previous month. Year-on-year, crime levels are 9.3% higher.

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Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry Period: February 2026 • Updated monthly

Total Crimes

1,425

trending_up +0.5% vs last month

Crime Rate

7.39per 1k

Moderate

National Rank

#94of 331

By total crime volume

Essex

#1rank

Ranked within county

12-Month Crime Trend

Monthly Totals

Interactive Crime Map

District View

Live Points

Crime Incident

Area Boundary

Incident Distribution

Top Locations

Location Reference	Crime Breakdown	Primary Count
On or near Supermarket Map	Shoplifting: 71	71
On or near Police Station Map	Violence and sexual offences: 16 Drugs: 3 Other crime: 3	16
On or near Supermarket Map	Public order: 20	20
On or near Supermarket Map	Violence and sexual offences: 16	16
On or near Petrol Station Map	Shoplifting: 12	12
On or near Trinity Street Map	Shoplifting: 11	11
On or near Parking Area Map	Anti-social behaviour: 11	11
On or near Petrol Station Map	Other theft: 7 Public order: 3	7
On or near Parking Area Map	Violence and sexual offences: 10	10
On or near Avon Way Map	Violence and sexual offences: 8	8

Crime Breakdown

February 2026

1,425 Total

Violence & Sexual Offences

611

42.9%

Shoplifting

139

9.8%

Vehicle Crime

118

8.3%

Public Order

107

7.5%

Anti-social Behaviour

104

7.3%

Other Theft

6.2%

Criminal Damage & Arson

5.3%

Drug Offences

4.0%

Burglary

3.5%

Other Crime

2.3%

Bicycle Theft

1.0%

Robbery

0.9%

Weapons Possession

0.7%

Theft from Person

0.4%

Expert Safety Insights

Ward Safety Rankings

17 wards

Highest Crime

#	Ward	Crimes	Rate
1	Castle	233	0.3
2	Greenstead	191	4.4
3	New Town and Christ Church	168	3.1
4	Mile End	129	0.5
5	Shrub End	114	5.9

Safest Wards

	Ward	Crimes	Rate
shield	Lexden and Braiswick	26	11.4
shield	Mersea and Pyefleet	28	2.9
shield	Rural North	28	19.8
shield	Tiptree	37	5.0
shield	Wivenhoe	41	5.0

Growth Analysis

Month-on-Monthtrending_up +0.5%

Year-on-Yeartrending_up +9.3%

Data Transparency

Crime rates are calculated per 1,000 residents using ONS Census 2021 population data. Rankings cover all 331 local authorities in England & Wales.

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