Chigwell Crime Rate

Chigwell is a highly secure urban settlement with an overall crime rate of 65.1 per 1,000 people, which is significantly lower than the UK average of 91.7. This is reflected in an impressive safety score of 83/100, surpassing the national benchmark of 79. The crime trend in Chigwell is currently stable, showing a minimal year-over-year decrease of 0.7%. While the area is generally safe, violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime, and burglary remain the top three reported crime types. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of these figures, including temporal insights and practical safety suggestions, to help residents maintain their high level of security and protect their homes and vehicles in this affluent neighbourhood.

Crime in Chigwell

Violence and sexual offences are the most common crime type in Chigwell, with 302 incidents (38.0% of total crime) at a rate of 24.7 per 1,000 residents. Vehicle crime follows at 15.0%, with burglary being the third most frequent at 8.8%. This breakdown highlights that while personal safety is a primary statistical factor, property-related offences are a significant concern for the local community.

Property crime in Chigwell—encompassing burglary, robbery, theft, vehicle crime, and criminal damage—occurs at a rate of 26.7 per 1,000 people. This is comfortably below the UK average of 32.3. However, the burglary rate of 5.7 per 1,000 is noteworthy, as Chigwell’s affluent residential profile can make it a specific target for domestic break-ins. Vehicle crime also remains a persistent issue at 9.7 per 1,000. For homeowners, this means that while Chigwell is generally safer than many urban areas, high-value assets like cars and residential properties require dedicated protection to mitigate the risk of targeted opportunistic crime.

Chigwell Crime Trends

The crime trend in Chigwell is currently stable, with a negligible year-over-year decrease of 0.7%. This indicates that the safety environment in the area is highly consistent. Analysis of the monthly data from Dec 2024 to Nov 2025 shows that crime rates remained relatively low throughout the year. The lowest rates were recorded in March 2025 (4.7) and January and April 2025 (both 4.8).

A moderate increase was observed towards the end of the period, with a peak in October 2025 at 6.4 per 1,000 people. This slight rise in the autumn months is a common pattern as the nights draw in, providing more cover for property-related offences. However, even at its peak, Chigwell's crime rate remains far below the UK national average. For residents, this stable trend is a positive indicator of the area's ongoing security, though the autumn peak serves as a reminder to ensure all home security measures are fully functional as winter approaches.

How To Keep Safe in Chigwell

The highest crime type in Chigwell is violence and sexual offences. While Chigwell is a safe and affluent area, maintaining personal awareness in public spaces is always recommended.

1. When walking in residential areas at night, stick to well-lit main roads and avoid shortcuts through unlit footpaths or wooded areas.
2. Given that vehicle crime is the second most common offence, always ensure your car is locked and consider using a steering wheel lock or a Faraday pouch for keyless entry fobs.
3. Be mindful of home security during the afternoon hours (12pm - 6pm), as this is the peak time for burglary. Ensure all windows and doors are locked, even if you are just in the garden.
4. Keep high-value items like luxury watches and jewellery out of sight when in public, and avoid leaving them in plain view through windows at home.
5. Join the local Neighbourhood Watch to stay informed about any suspicious activity and to receive updates from local policing teams.

Crime Timing in Chigwell

Crime in Chigwell follows distinct temporal patterns that provide valuable insights for residents. During the morning (6am - 12pm), theft (30%) and vehicle crime (34%) are the most common offences as commuters and residents begin their daily routines. The afternoon (12pm - 6pm) sees a significant shift, with burglary peaking at 29% and theft-related crimes at 36%. This period is when many homes are left unattended, making them targets for opportunistic thieves.

As the day progresses into the evening (6pm - 12am), 'other' crimes become more prevalent (33%), while vehicle crime remains a steady threat (32%). However, the most striking pattern occurs during the night (12am - 6am), where vehicle crime surges to 59% of all reported incidents. This indicates that vehicles parked overnight are at the highest risk. Understanding these cycles allows Chigwell residents to focus their security efforts, such as ensuring vehicles are particularly well-protected during the night-time hours.

When compared to its immediate neighbours, Chigwell (65.1 per 1,000) is slightly less safe than Chigwell Row (61.1) and Buckhurst Hill (56.0). However, it is notably safer than Loughton (86.2) and the nearby London borough of Redbridge (97.3). This data suggests that Chigwell offers a secure residential environment within the wider Epping Forest district, particularly for those seeking a balance between urban accessibility and suburban safety. The stable trend in Chigwell indicates that while it sits within a busy region, crime levels are well-controlled, making it a reliable and safe choice for homeowners compared to the higher-activity urban centres nearby.

With a property crime rate of 26.7 per 1,000 people and burglary accounting for nearly 9% of all offences, Chigwell homeowners should prioritise proactive security. Traditional systems like Ring or basic CCTV are reactive; they record footage of a crime as it happens, but often fail to prevent it. In an affluent area like Chigwell, deterrence is key to stopping professional or opportunistic thieves before they attempt a break-in.

scOS provides this proactive edge. It is an AI-powered security operating system that monitors your property boundaries in real-time. Using multi-camera intelligence, scOS can distinguish between regular family routines and genuine threats, triggering autonomous responses like light and speaker activation to deter intruders instantly. For Chigwell residents, scOS’s ability to verify vehicles and identify potential threats at the property line means the difference between having a video of a burglary and preventing it altogether. This professional-grade protection is designed to make your home a hard target, ensuring intruders move on.