Vehicle Crime in Central Ward - April 2026

Good afternoon Resident

I hope you are enjoying the bank holiday weekend and keeping safe. I just wanted to send residents an update following a review on Vehicle Crime investigations which occurred within Watford Town Centre in April 2026. I hope this message serves as a reassurance but also as a reminder to remain vigilant in light of recent vehicle crime incidents. 

In Watford Central, Police received reports of 1 theft of motor vehicle - a motorcycle - which was taken by unknown means and later found abandoned and damaged nearby. If you are a motorcycle owner, we recommend that you employ a couple of security measures such as parking in well-lit areas covered by CCTV surveillance, investing in security locks such as heavy-duty chains or disc locks, installing alarm / siren systems, and concealing a GPS tracker on or inside the motorcycle in the event of it being driven away. 

In April 2026, Police also received reports of 7 incidents where items were stolen from within a motor vehicle. Four out of these seven reports related to incidents happening in our Retail Parks. Victims have reported distraction thefts (where they have been approached by a stranger whilst their car was unlocked who has engaged in a strange conversation and distracted them from their vehicle so that they could carry out the theft) and theft of number plates. Please remain vigilant when parking in car parks, particularly when it is busy. Do not leave your car unattended or unlocked at any point. Offenders may take this opportunity to remove valuables from your vehicle. Offenders operate in busy areas so that they blend in and so if they are able to acquire bank cards, they can very quickly use the bank cards fraudulently. Please keep your valuables - particularly purses, wallets, & car keys - on your person when out shopping to prevent thieves targeting you or your vehicle. 

Our general vehicle crime prevention advice remains as we enter the warmer months. We recommend parking your vehicle under CCTV surveillance, removing all valuables from your vehicle, and consider investing in security alarms and devices such as steering wheel locks, alarms, and GPS trackers. In the unfortunate event of a vehicle crime, please report via 999 or 101. If you believe a suspect has been inside your vehicle to remove items, Police may be able to explore forensic lines of enquiry by examining the vehicle and running any prints through the National Fingerprint Database so please do report as soon as you discover a theft or break-in. 

If you have any concerns about the contents of this message, please do click the ‘Reply’ button at the bottom of this message to be linked with your Neighbourhood Policing Team. Likewise, you can let us know how useful this message was by clicking the ‘Rate’ button at the bottom of this message. 

Kind regards, 

Fiona.