The overall crime rate in Chelmsford city is 106.1 crimes per 1,000 which is 106% of the national crime average. Most crimes, 4.3k crimes were violent crimes which is 42.8% of all crimes committed in the area. Violent crime rate is at 128% of national crime rate. Shoplifting crime was the fastest growing crime and it increased by 26.0% over the last twelve months.The category of "shoplifting crime" is the highest ranking crime category when category crime rate is compared to the national average. Shoplifting crime rate is at 163% of national crime rate which puts Chelmsford on 25. position out of 99 England's and Wales' cities in this crime category. Shoplifting crime makes up 12.8% of all crimes committed in the area. As of April 2026 shoplifting crime totalled 1.3k representing an increase 26.0% year-over-year.

| Crime statistic | Share of all crimes | Ranking (99 cities) | % of national crime rate | Crime volume | % annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 42.8% | 53. highest | 128% | 4.3k | 1.5% |
| Shoplifting crime | 12.8% | 25. highest | 163% | 1.3k | 26.0% |
| Antisocial behaviour crime | 7.6% | 13. lowest | 50% | 759 | 0.9% |
| Public order crime | 7.4% | 40. lowest | 114% | 744 | -4.7% |
| Other theft crime | 6.5% | 46. lowest | 105% | 655 | -13.1% |
| Criminal damage and arson crime | 5.8% | 12. lowest | 86% | 586 | -9.7% |
| Drugs crime | 5.3% | 26. highest | 157% | 526 | 21.2% |
| Vehicle crime | 3.1% | 19. lowest | 65% | 313 | -43.0% |
| Burglary crime | 2.7% | 25. lowest | 77% | 269 | -15.4% |
| Other crime | 2.0% | 40. lowest | 99% | 203 | -25.6% |
| Theft from the person crime | 1.1% | 20. highest | 60% | 106 | -20.3% |
| Bicycle theft crime | 1.0% | 50. highest | 127% | 103 | -46.4% |
| Robbery crime | 1.0% | 23. lowest | 73% | 96 | 0.0% |
| Possession of weapons crime | 0.9% | 25. lowest | 95% | 89 | -23.3% |
| Crime statistic | Share of all crimes | Crime rate ranking | % of national crime rate | Crime volume | % annual change |
| For details, click on the crime name with '→' | |||||
This graph compares crime rate in Chelmsford city to the national crime rate for each crime statistic.

| Crime statistic | Chelmsford city crime rate | England and Wales - national crime rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 8.0 | 16.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Burglary | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.2 | 7.2 |
| Drugs | 5.6 | 3.6 |
| Other crime | 2.1 | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| Public order | 7.9 | 6.9 |
| Robbery | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Shoplifting | 13.6 | 8.3 |
| Theft from the person | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Vehicle crime | 3.3 | 5.1 |
| Violent crime | 45.4 | 35.4 |
Overall crime rate per 1000 workday people compared to the national crime rate by year.