Total Crime Rate

29.5 per 1,000 3/10 · Low

All offences · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025
Latest update: 13.12.2025 Crime figures are sourced from data.police.uk and are typically published with a 3-month delay.
Crime rate per 1000 residents
  • All crimes 29.5 3/10
  • Criminal damage and arson 7.4 6/10
  • Public order 5.5 5/10
  • Violence and sexual offences 5.5 1/10
  • Anti-social behaviour 3.7 2/10
  • Vehicle crime 3.7 3/10
  • Burglary 1.8 1/10
  • Drugs 1.8 1/10
  • Bicycle theft 0.0 1/10
  • Other crime 0.0 1/10
  • Other theft 0.0 1/10
  • Possession of weapons 0.0 1/10
  • Robbery 0.0 1/10
  • Shoplifting 0.0 1/10
  • Theft from the person 0.0 1/10
Values shown per 1,000 residents · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025 · Rating compares this oa to UK peers of the same type.
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Crime overview

Defoe Crescent area has the 14th lowest crime rate of 59 local areas in Highwoods , and the 162nd lowest crime rate of 615 local areas in Colchester .

At least one of the neighbouring streets has high or very high crime levels. However, overall crime around this postcode is more mixed, with some nearby areas experiencing lower crime.

The overall crime rate in the area around Defoe Crescent (CO4 5LQ) in the last 12 months was 29.5 per 1,000 residents and was 66.7% lower than the Highwoods average (88.6 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this area’s most reported crimes were Criminal damage and arson with 4 offences recorded. The least common crime was Burglary with 1 case , unchanged from 2024. The fastest-growing crime category was Criminal damage and arson ( 300.0% YoY). The sharpest decline was Drugs ( -66.7% YoY).

Violent crimes totalled 6 (≈ 11.1 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were rising ( 20.0% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has rising ( 47.6% comparing early vs recent averages) .

In the area around Defoe Crescent (CO4 5LQ), the main crime hotspot is near Leech'S Lane. Police recorded 65 crimes here, including 49 violent or public-order offences. All these locations are within roughly 0.3 miles.

View Crime In Highwoods

Crime Over Time in Defoe Crescent area

Showing crimes within 0.3 miles (8/8)
Month:
MonthCrimeLocation*Last Outcome
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Supermarket Unable to prosecute suspect
Sep 2025Anti-social behaviour Church Farm Way —
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Leech'S Lane Unable to prosecute suspect
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Leech'S Lane Unable to prosecute suspect
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Leech'S Lane Under investigation
Sep 2025Public order Defoe Crescent Under investigation
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Willow Crescent Under investigation
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Church Farm Way Under investigation
* on or near this location Page 1 • Showing 8 of 8

Data Sources

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.

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