Hitchin - crime?

[ledyba]

Hi all! I am new here and I have yet another 'Where to move out to from London' post!

We have been seriously considering Hitchin and have visited, and it is a lovely place! We don't have kids yet but hopefully in the future, and it seems like a family friendly place too. Surprisingly, also affordable for our budget.

We currently live in a erm...lively part of North West London. I had a look at the crime numbers on police.uk, and am surprised to see that the numbers between Hitchin and where I live now are roughly the same.

Nothing really fazes me, but I'd like to think that by making the move to leave London we'd have a more peaceful life! A quick scan of The Comet (local paper) showed stabbings, anti-social behaviours and a gunfight (!) in the past couple of months?? This is more than what we normally hear of in my current area.

It would be great if we could get more insight into this, if it's something that should make us reconsider. Thanks

[JoJoSM2]

I don’t know where live now but if it’s Harrow for example, the crime rates are v low for London and below the national average. I’m in a v safe borough in S London and when I’ve compared it with commuter belt, it’s similar or safer. You do get some isolated incidents in outer London as well as the commuter belt but you wouldn’t call it dodgy.

[ledyba]

@JoJoSM2

I don’t know where live now but if it’s Harrow for example, the crime rates are v low for London and below the national average. I’m in a v safe borough in S London and when I’ve compared it with commuter belt, it’s similar or safer. You do get some isolated incidents in outer London as well as the commuter belt but you wouldn’t call it dodgy.

I am south of Edgware, just realised we are not as NW as I thought .

[AmandaHugenkiss]

If you are Colindale or Burnt Oak area, then I’d agree with lively but it’s not like Tottenham or Finsbury late night sort of lively. And I’d wonder how much of the Hitchin stuff happens on/near the drinking areas on a Saturday night.

I’d suggest going for a few drinks on a Friday or Saturday night in Hitchin in a nice pub or having a drive around the areas you are looking at on a late evening if possible. I considered buying there and one of my exes worked there and I’ve always found it quieter than London. I did live in a very lively London borough though!

Do you check your local papers regularly where you currently live? You might just be hyper aware as you are checking potential areas for moving more closely than your current location!

[ledyba]

@AmandaHugenkiss Ah you know where BO is! I always say south of Edgware because no one ever knows where it is .

We have actually been around at different times of the day because of the different viewings and it looks fine but we are the type to worry, so end up googling a lot - you are definitely right about being hyper aware!

As I said, I have high tolerance for things, was chased through a park by a guy threatening to stab everyone. Luckily it was around 4pm with tons of people around. This does highlight the drink and drug problem in the my area though and I would be naive to think this does not exist elsewhere!

[KindKylie]

It's a few years since I lived in Hitchin but it was incredibly quiet when we were there.

I worked in a localish hospital and saw v little trauma related to crime.

Hitchin is a small town surrounded by more rural areas and small villages - I'd be surprised if it's like for like crime tbh. Dig a bit deeper and make honest comparisons.

[cheeseismyweakness82]

Hi Op,

I grew up in Hitchin, and moved back there for several years following a decade living in various (some less than salubrious) parts of London and still live nearby. I can't recommend Hitchin enough. It has some petty crime, like anywhere, and last week there was a stabbing in the town centre but violent crime is unusual and nothing, absolutely nothing, like what you'll encounter in London. The greatest annoyance is occasional bored teens and underage drinking that can be found in most places (and the odd boy racers bombing about on a Friday night). It has an increasing number of lovely independent bars and restaurants- hope this doesn't diminish too much with COVID), so while it is small, it offers a good choice for its size. There is an ever growing number of ex-Londoners loving there and on that's a lot of commuters. It really is also excellent for families and there's a reason it comes up often in polls as one of the best places in the UK. I'm a smidge envious as we moved out for more space and while very happy with our choice if we could've afforded more in Hitchin I would've stayed. I don't think you need to have any concerns about safety of the area so I would focus on what the other criteria are that matter for your move to make sure it's right for you. I am happy for you to PM me if you have questions about anything.