Total Crime Rate
3401.6 per 1,000
All offences Β· Oct 2024 - Sep 2025Howardsgate area has the highest crime rate of 24 local areas in Handside , and the highest crime rate of 363 local areas in Welwyn Hatfield .
This postcode sits in a local crime hotspot. Overall crime levels here are significantly higher than in the surrounding streets and the wider area.
The overall crime rate in the area around Howardsgate (AL8 6BB) in the last 12 months was 3401.6 per 1,000 residents and was 1751.8% higher than the Handside average (183.7 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this areaβs most reported crimes were Shoplifting with 114 offences recorded. The least common crime was Other crime with 1 case , down -66.7% compared to 2024. The fastest-growing crime category was Possession of weapons ( 200.0% YoY). The sharpest decline was Other crime ( -66.7% YoY).
Violent crimes totalled 125 (β 1024.6 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were rising ( 19.0% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has falling ( -39.2% comparing early vs recent averages) .
In the area around Howardsgate (AL8 6BB), the highest concentration of overall crime is near Shopping Area, where police recorded 398 incidents. Violent and public-order offences occur most often near Supermarket (45 offences). Both locations lie within roughly 0.3 miles of this postcode area.
View Crime In Handside| Month | Crime | Location* | Last Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Howardsgate | β |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Shopping Area | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Shopping Area | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Shoplifting | Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Parking Area | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Stonehills | β |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Church Road | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Parking Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Public order | Parking Area | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Public order | Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Public order | Shopping Area | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Criminal damage and arson | Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Bicycle theft | Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Bus/Coach Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Shopping Area | β |
| Sep 2025 | Bicycle theft | Welwyn Garden City | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Criminal damage and arson | Church Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Stonehills | β |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Supermarket | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Supermarket | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Shoplifting | Supermarket | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Shoplifting | Supermarket | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Shoplifting | Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Other theft | Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Sep 2025 | Anti-social behaviour | Supermarket | β |
StreetScan crime figures are based on official UK open data:
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.