Is Watford Central Safe?

Watford Central has a CrimeRadar safety score of 5/100, rated High Crime. A total of 4,294 crimes were recorded in the last 12 months, an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous year. Crime levels in Watford Central are above the UK average. Check the crime category breakdown below for more detail.

4,294 crimes were recorded in Watford Central in the last 12 months, spanning all reported crime categories from violent crime to vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. This represents an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous 12-month period (3,773 crimes). The most common category was Violent Crime, with 1,253 incidents.

The most common crime in Watford Central is Violent Crime, with 1,253 incidents recorded in the last 12 months — accounting for 29.2% of all reported crimes in the area. You can view a full breakdown of all crime categories, including anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime, and burglary, in the Crime by Category section on this page.

Crime in Watford Central is increasing. The year-on-year trend shows a rise of 13.8% — from 3,773 crimes in the previous 12 months to 4,294 in the most recent period. This upward trend is something residents and prospective buyers should factor into their decisions.

Watford Central has a safety score of 5 out of 100 (High Crime). CrimeRadar safety scores are calculated from crime volume, year-on-year trend, and crime resolution rate. A score of 85+ is Very Safe, 65–84 is Safe, 45–64 is Average, 25–44 is Below Average, and below 25 is High Crime.

Watford Central has a safety score of 5/100, while the Hertfordshire Constabulary force area average is 8/100. Watford Central is below the force average for safety. Use the Compare tool to see a detailed side-by-side breakdown.

30.9% of crimes recorded in Watford Central resulted in a formal outcome in the last 12 months. Formal outcomes include charges brought, cautions issued, fixed penalty notices, or other official resolutions recorded by Hertfordshire Constabulary. The national average outcome rate in England and Wales is typically 5–15% across most crime types. A higher rate suggests more effective local enforcement.

1,253 violent crimes were recorded in Watford Central in the last 12 months — representing 29.2% of all reported crimes. Anti-social behaviour accounted for a further 885 incidents. Violent crime encompasses assault, robbery, and related offences as classified by the UK Home Office. Data is sourced from official police reports submitted to data.police.uk.

The crime data for Watford Central was last updated in March 2026. CrimeRadar sources all crime data directly from the official UK Police Data API, operated by the Home Office and published at data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is refreshed monthly and covers the most recent 36-month period. New monthly data is typically published with a 2-month lag.

You can compare Watford Central with any other UK neighbourhood or city using the CrimeRadar Compare tool. It shows side-by-side safety scores, crime volumes by category, year-on-year trends, and crime resolution rates. The Compare tool covers all 44 police force areas across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with more than 4,000 built neighbourhoods available.