Bedford Crime Overview
Bedford is the most dangerous major town in Bedfordshire, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Bedfordshire's 127 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bedford in 2020 was 102 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 29% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bedford is the 29th most dangerous major town, and the 469th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Bedford had the worst crime rate in Bedfordshire for bicycle theft, with 26 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.28 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Bedford residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 22 crimes at a rate of 0.24 per 1,000 residents. Bedford recorded 31 reports of robbery during January 2020, making its crime rate of 0.33 the worst for robbery in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Bedford are violence and sexual offences, with 3,453 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 2.6% higher than 2019's figure of 3,362 offences and a difference of 0.98 from 2019's crime rate of 36. Bedford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 71 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 4.2% from 2019's figure of 68 crimes.
Compare Bedford to other towns and cities
See how Bedford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bedford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bedford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Bedford This Year
| Bedford | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,484 | 26.60 | 14,995 | 22.22 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 385 | 4.12 | 988 | 1.46 | 65% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 690 | 7.39 | 3,497 | 5.18 | 30% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 917 | 9.82 | 4,944 | 7.32 | 25% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 309 | 3.31 | 1,657 | 2.45 | 26% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 228 | 2.44 | 1,039 | 1.54 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 703 | 7.53 | 3,881 | 5.75 | 24% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 71 | 0.76 | 329 | 0.49 | 36% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 941 | 10.08 | 5,103 | 7.56 | 25% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 153 | 1.64 | 597 | 0.88 | 46% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 511 | 5.47 | 2,504 | 3.71 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 111 | 1.19 | 464 | 0.69 | 42% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,022 | 10.94 | 5,613 | 8.32 | 24% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,453 | 36.98 | 18,031 | 26.71 | 28% more dangerous |
Crime in Bedford Compared To Bedfordshire
Bedford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 47 | 41 | 26 | 27 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.0 | 7 | 4.6 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.81 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.74 | 0.95 | 0.73 | 0.76 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.4 | 7 | 10 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 11 | 9 | 5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 33 | 36 | 37 | Getting worse |
Changes In Bedford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Bedford to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 50% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 31% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 22% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 18% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 18% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 4.3% safer |
| Bedford | 101.67 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 24% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 26% more dangerous |
Crime in Bedford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cauldwell | 1,463 | 133 | First |
| De Parys | 554 | 96 | Fourth |
| Goldington | 679 | 75 | Fifth |
| Kingsbrook | 1,234 | 121 | Second |
| Newnham | 611 | 114 | Third |
| Putnoe | 316 | 41 | Sixth |
Bedford Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Bedford for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Putnoe (78) | Kingsbrook (312) |
| Bicycle Theft | Putnoe (7) | Newnham (42) |
| Burglary | Putnoe (21) | De Parys (66) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Putnoe (41) | Newnham (69) |
| Drugs | Newnham (7) | Cauldwell (49) |
| Other Crime | Kingsbrook (11) | Cauldwell (27) |
| Other Theft | Putnoe (10) | Newnham (91) |
| Possession of Weapons | Goldington (2) | Cauldwell (13) |
| Public Order | Putnoe (25) | Cauldwell (152) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Putnoe (4) | Cauldwell (20) |
| Shoplifting | Putnoe (2) | Kingsbrook (134) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Putnoe (2) | Newnham (15) |
| Vehicle Crime | Putnoe (59) | Newnham (104) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Putnoe (118) | Cauldwell (603) |
Crime in Bedford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bedford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Bedford saw a 700% increase in possession of weapons. Bedford saw a large fall in robbery during March, when it fell by 71% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +3% | +42% | -13% | -27% | +26% | -21% | -19% | +30% | +32% | -4% |
| Bicycle Theft | -15% | -4% | +68% | +42% | - | -46% | -26% | -33% | -18% | -19% |
| Burglary | -8% | -12% | -41% | -6% | -3% | -22% | +15% | -27% | -23% | +15% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +29% | +9% | - | +16% | -6% | -8% | -4% | +24% | -17% | -20% |
| Drugs | -25% | +82% | +26% | +33% | - | -15% | +9% | - | +35% | -29% |
| Other Crime | +171% | - | +41% | +211% | +16% | +31% | +43% | - | -21% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -35% | -57% | -42% | -35% | -41% | -12% | -14% | -28% | -51% | -36% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -18% | - | +14% | -50% | +150% | +700% | +50% | +40% | +75% |
| Public Order | +10% | -3% | -4% | +21% | -1% | -4% | -6% | -13% | +9% | +35% |
| Robbery | -71% | -71% | -25% | -35% | -42% | +15% | +80% | -7% | -46% | -63% |
| Shoplifting | -69% | -68% | -69% | -37% | -45% | +7% | +2% | -46% | -56% | -47% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -55% | -57% | -43% | -71% | -36% | -20% | -50% | -21% | -36% |
| Vehicle Crime | +81% | +91% | +82% | +56% | -54% | +68% | -14% | -5% | -5% | -33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -20% | -12% | +0% | -5% | +7% | +19% | +1% | +6% | -12% | +22% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bedford
What police force serves Bedford?
Bedford's local territorial police force is the Bedfordshire Police.How dangerous is Bedford?
Bedford is the most dangerous major town in Bedfordshire.What is Bedford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bedford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bedford?
Bedford's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021