Kempston Crime Overview
Kempston is the most dangerous small 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 Kempston in 2020 was 88 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Kempston is the 89th most dangerous small town, and the 743rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Kempston was the worst small town in Bedfordshire for bicycle theft, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.28 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Kempston residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 22 crimes at a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 residents. Kempston recorded 4 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.19 the worst small town for drugs in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Kempston are violence and sexual offences, with 654 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 31. This is 7% higher than 2019's figure of 605 offences and a difference of 2.32 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Kempston's least common crime is theft from the person, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 40% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Kempston to other towns and cities
See how Kempston shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Kempston and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Kempston Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Kempston This Year
| Kempston | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 519 | 24.62 | 14,995 | 22.22 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 39 | 1.85 | 988 | 1.46 | 21% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 121 | 5.74 | 3,497 | 5.18 | 10% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 189 | 8.96 | 4,944 | 7.32 | 18% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 73 | 3.46 | 1,657 | 2.45 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 44 | 2.09 | 1,039 | 1.54 | 26% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 95 | 4.51 | 3,881 | 5.75 | 27% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.28 | 329 | 0.49 | 75% safer |
| Public Order | 192 | 9.11 | 5,103 | 7.56 | 17% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.38 | 597 | 0.88 | 132% safer |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 6.36 | 2,504 | 3.71 | 42% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.24 | 464 | 0.69 | 188% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 302 | 14.33 | 5,613 | 8.32 | 42% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 654 | 31.02 | 18,031 | 26.71 | 14% more dangerous |
Crime in Kempston Compared To Bedfordshire
Kempston Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ampthill | 268 | 31.47 | 181% safer |
| Flitwick | 603 | 44.43 | 99% safer |
| Biggleswade | 1,170 | 53.98 | 64% safer |
| Sandy | 827 | 65.52 | 35% safer |
| Houghton Regis | 1,334 | 68.07 | 30% safer |
| Kempston | 1,862 | 88.32 | - |
Kempston Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 32 | 26 | 21 | 25 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.52 | 0.81 | 1.9 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 4.6 | 6 | 5 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.57 | 0.85 | 0.76 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.1 | 7 | 9 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.52 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 0.38 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.43 | 0.62 | 0.33 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 12 | 9 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 26 | 29 | 31 | Getting worse |
Changes In Kempston's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Kempston to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 30% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 14% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 6% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 2.9% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 2.4% safer |
| Kempston | 88.32 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 9% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 14% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 36% more dangerous |
Crime in Kempston's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston Central & East | 546 | 92 | Second |
| Kempston North | 416 | 76 | Third |
| Kempston West & South | 962 | 99 | First |
Crime in Kempston During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Kempston change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Kempston saw a 550% increase in other crime. Kempston saw a large fall in other crime during August, when it fell by 83% compared to August in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -23% | +31% | +125% | -15% | +4% | +72% | +11% | -17% | +3% | +148% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | +50% | -25% | +150% | +100% | +300% | +20% | +500% |
| Burglary | -53% | +20% | +57% | -50% | -38% | +150% | -23% | -25% | +73% | +45% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -13% | -47% | -30% | -46% | -13% | +5% | -40% | -55% | -21% | +22% |
| Drugs | +38% | -50% | -70% | +125% | -55% | +400% | +33% | -60% | +160% | -33% |
| Other Crime | -50% | - | - | - | +33% | -83% | - | -33% | -67% | +550% |
| Other Theft | +100% | +14% | -44% | +100% | -50% | +50% | -27% | -8% | -63% | -40% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | +100% | - |
| Public Order | +36% | -18% | +25% | +7% | +11% | - | -33% | +111% | -7% | +100% |
| Robbery | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -44% | -26% | -19% | -28% | -75% | +17% | +78% | +23% | -73% | -22% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +9% | +146% | +70% | -45% | -13% | +280% | -26% | +223% | +220% | +167% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -7% | -30% | -14% | -13% | +9% | -9% | +56% | +59% | +19% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Kempston
What police force serves Kempston?
Kempston's local territorial police force is the Bedfordshire Police.How dangerous is Kempston?
Kempston is the most dangerous small town in Bedfordshire.What is Kempston's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Kempston are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Kempston?
Kempston's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021