Bedford is the most dangerous major town in Bedfordshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Bedfordshire's 127 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bedford in 2021 was 102 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 31% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bedford is the 37th most dangerous major town, and the 598th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Bedford had the worst crime rate in Bedfordshire for bicycle theft, with 16 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.17 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2021 was also a bad month for Bedford residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous area for shoplifting, recording 94 crimes at a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 residents. Bedford recorded 19 reports of theft from the person during August 2021, making its crime rate of 0.20 the worst for theft from the person in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Bedford are violence and sexual offences, with 3,812 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 5% higher than 2020's figure of 3,620 offences and a difference of 2.05 from 2020's crime rate of 39. Bedford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 89 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 20% from 2020's figure of 71 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Major Towns, Bedfordshire
31% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
25% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Bedford is 31% higher than the East of England and 25% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Bedford | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Bedford represent the time frame between July 2019 and June 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 04 Aug, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 04 Aug, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 102 | 9,517 |
| 2020 | 107 | 9,961 |
| 2019 | 112 | 10,458 |
| 2018 | 113 | 10,536 |
| 2017 | 87 | 8,080 |
| 2016 | 84 | 7,843 |
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| Bedford | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,660 | 28.49 | 13,679 | 20.27 | 29% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 277 | 2.97 | 722 | 1.07 | 64% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 504 | 5.40 | 2,489 | 3.69 | 32% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 905 | 9.69 | 4,609 | 6.83 | 30% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 318 | 3.41 | 1,639 | 2.43 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 242 | 2.59 | 1,033 | 1.53 | 41% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 757 | 8.11 | 3,675 | 5.44 | 33% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 89 | 0.95 | 497 | 0.74 | 22% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,066 | 11.42 | 5,283 | 7.83 | 31% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 111 | 1.19 | 482 | 0.71 | 40% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 638 | 6.83 | 2,693 | 3.99 | 42% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 93 | 1.00 | 374 | 0.55 | 45% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 705 | 7.55 | 4,524 | 6.70 | 11% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,812 | 40.82 | 19,194 | 28.44 | 30% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pedestrian Subway | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Public order | On or near Napier Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Voyce Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Fernlea Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Cowper Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Other theft | On or near Dame Alice Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Wheathouse Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Burglary | On or near Beckett Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Burglary | On or near London Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Ballinghall Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Clapham Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Theft from the person | On or near Dame Alice Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Possession of weapons | On or near River Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Columbine Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Rothsay Gardens | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pedestrian Subway | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Ettrick Drive | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Napier Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Public order | On or near Holt Row | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 42 | 27 | 28 | 28 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 0.73 | 0.76 | 0.95 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 10 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 35 | 38 | 39 | 41 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Bedford that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Park | 8 | - | 3 | - | 4 | 8 | 0.92 |
| Jubilee Park | 2 | - | 1 | - | 6 | 4 | 0.70 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 52% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 24% safer |
| Sheffield | 91.10 | 12% safer |
| Bristol | 93.77 | 9% safer |
| Bedford | 101.92 | - |
| Coventry | 102.37 | 0.44% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.75 | 9% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 127.90 | 20% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 137.17 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 145.60 | 30% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 153.06 | 33% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cauldwell | 1,387 | 126 | Second |
| De Parys | 507 | 88 | Fifth |
| Goldington | 815 | 90 | Fourth |
| Kingsbrook | 1,368 | 134 | First |
| Newnham | 528 | 98 | Third |
| Putnoe | 271 | 35 | Sixth |
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Putnoe (85) | Kingsbrook (346) |
| Bicycle Theft | Putnoe (1) | Newnham (24) |
| Burglary | Goldington (24) | Kingsbrook (84) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Putnoe (28) | Cauldwell (138) |
| Drugs | Putnoe (11) | Cauldwell (60) |
| Other Crime | Putnoe (4) | Cauldwell (32) |
| Other Theft | Putnoe (20) | Newnham (100) |
| Possession of Weapons | Putnoe (2) | De Parys (8) |
| Public Order | Putnoe (26) | Kingsbrook (138) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Putnoe (2) | De Parys (11) |
| Shoplifting | Cauldwell (20) | Kingsbrook (281) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Putnoe (1) | Newnham (5) |
| Vehicle Crime | Putnoe (25) | Kingsbrook (126) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Putnoe (128) | Cauldwell (621) |
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 theft from the person during July, when it fell by 74% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +2% | +47% | -12% | -25% | +26% | -21% | -20% | +26% | +29% | -1% |
| Bicycle Theft | -17% | -11% | +74% | +45% | - | -47% | -26% | -31% | -21% | -12% |
| Burglary | -10% | -9% | -41% | -6% | -2% | -20% | +12% | -27% | -26% | +10% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +26% | +7% | -4% | +18% | - | -6% | +4% | +21% | -20% | -18% |
| Drugs | -25% | +82% | +21% | +48% | - | -4% | +9% | -4% | +38% | -24% |
| Other Crime | +186% | - | +41% | +222% | +16% | +31% | +31% | -11% | -21% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -36% | -54% | -40% | -33% | -36% | -12% | -17% | -29% | -51% | -34% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -18% | - | +14% | -50% | +150% | +700% | +50% | +40% | +75% |
| Public Order | +9% | +1% | - | +21% | -1% | -3% | -7% | -17% | +9% | +34% |
| Robbery | -72% | -72% | -25% | -35% | -45% | +15% | +80% | - | -46% | -65% |
| Shoplifting | -69% | -68% | -69% | -33% | -45% | +7% | - | -41% | -52% | -46% |
| Theft From the Person | -53% | -55% | -60% | -47% | -74% | -29% | -20% | -53% | -25% | -36% |
| Vehicle Crime | +81% | +116% | +75% | +62% | -48% | +57% | +6% | -1% | -5% | -27% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -18% | -11% | +2% | -4% | +10% | +15% | +1% | +8% | -13% | +25% |
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