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 95 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 26% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bedford is the 38th most dangerous major town, and the 662nd 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 93 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 3,489 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 4.3% higher than 2020's figure of 3,339 offences and a difference of 1.60 from 2020's crime rate of 36. Bedford's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 82 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 15% from 2020's figure of 70 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Major Towns, Bedfordshire
25% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
23% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Bedford is 25% higher than the East of England and 23% 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 April 2019 and March 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 11 May, 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: 11 May, 2022
Set up monthly updates on crime & public safety issues. We never spam.
Thanks! Please check your email and confirm your signup there.
| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95 | 8,826 |
| 2020 | 98 | 9,144 |
| 2019 | 105 | 9,788 |
| 2018 | 105 | 9,844 |
| 2017 | 81 | 7,528 |
| 2016 | 79 | 7,397 |
We're available to answer questions about crime data and can supply custom data to support your work.
Email us directly
| Bedford | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,475 | 26.51 | 13,679 | 20.27 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 273 | 2.92 | 722 | 1.07 | 63% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 468 | 5.01 | 2,489 | 3.69 | 26% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 842 | 9.02 | 4,609 | 6.83 | 24% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 298 | 3.19 | 1,639 | 2.43 | 24% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 232 | 2.48 | 1,033 | 1.53 | 38% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 717 | 7.68 | 3,675 | 5.44 | 29% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 82 | 0.88 | 497 | 0.74 | 16% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 999 | 10.70 | 5,283 | 7.83 | 27% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 102 | 1.09 | 482 | 0.71 | 35% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 617 | 6.61 | 2,693 | 3.99 | 40% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 93 | 1.00 | 374 | 0.55 | 45% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 614 | 6.58 | 4,524 | 6.70 | 1.8% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,489 | 37.36 | 19,194 | 28.44 | 24% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Houghton Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Rutland Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Eastcotts Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Kempston Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Dahl Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ampthill Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Howard Place | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Rope Walk | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Harpur Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Gostwick Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Petrol Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Meadowsweet Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Queen Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Clipstone Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Cromwell Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Sandhurst Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Wychwood Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 40 | 25 | 26 | 27 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.95 | 0.73 | 0.75 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 10 | 10 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 9 | 5 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 137% safer |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 91% safer |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 41% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 15% safer |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 5.0% safer |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 4.4% safer |
| Bedford | 94.52 | - |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 15% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 23% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 29% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 37% 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 robbery during April, when it fell by 71% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +4% | +40% | -15% | -27% | +29% | -20% | -19% | +29% | +35% | -4% |
| Bicycle Theft | -15% | -4% | +68% | +42% | -3% | -48% | -26% | -35% | -18% | -25% |
| Burglary | -11% | -10% | -37% | -8% | -7% | -21% | +15% | -28% | -24% | +17% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +34% | +12% | -3% | +13% | -2% | -12% | -7% | +25% | -16% | -20% |
| Drugs | -25% | +94% | +19% | +33% | -11% | -15% | +10% | - | +37% | -29% |
| Other Crime | +171% | +5% | +50% | +211% | +16% | +33% | +43% | -6% | -21% | +38% |
| Other Theft | -38% | -58% | -43% | -41% | -40% | -15% | -9% | -28% | -51% | -36% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -18% | - | +14% | -50% | +100% | +700% | +50% | +40% | +75% |
| Public Order | +10% | -1% | -8% | +14% | -2% | -7% | -4% | -14% | +4% | +38% |
| Robbery | -70% | -71% | -25% | -35% | -50% | +25% | +60% | -13% | -50% | -61% |
| Shoplifting | -69% | -68% | -69% | -37% | -45% | +7% | +2% | -46% | -56% | -47% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -50% | -57% | -43% | -71% | -36% | -20% | -50% | -17% | -36% |
| Vehicle Crime | +85% | +94% | +71% | +54% | -62% | +75% | -28% | -13% | -14% | -28% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -22% | -12% | -1% | -5% | +10% | +16% | -2% | +6% | -12% | +23% |
Search by area
