Luton is the most dangerous cities 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 Luton in 2021 was 82 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 15% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Luton is the 21st safest city, and the 1,012nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Luton had the worst crime rate in Bedfordshire for burglary, with 92 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.42 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Luton residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 130 crimes at a rate of 0.59 per 1,000 residents. Luton recorded 73 reports of drugs during December 2021, making its crime rate of 0.33 the worst for drugs in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Luton are violence and sexual offences, with 7,543 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 4.8% higher than 2020's figure of 7,179 offences and a difference of 1.64 from 2020's crime rate of 32. Luton's least common crime is theft from the person, with 204 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 26% from 2020's figure of 257 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Cities, Bedfordshire
14% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
7% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Luton is 14% higher than the East of England and 7% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Luton | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Luton represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 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: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 82 | 18,227 |
| 2020 | 84 | 18,533 |
| 2019 | 96 | 21,223 |
| 2018 | 95 | 21,038 |
| 2017 | 78 | 17,367 |
| 2016 | 76 | 16,799 |
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| Luton | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,716 | 21.29 | 13,679 | 20.27 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 218 | 0.98 | 722 | 1.07 | 9% safer |
| Burglary | 866 | 3.91 | 2,489 | 3.69 | 6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,628 | 7.35 | 4,609 | 6.83 | 7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 853 | 3.85 | 1,639 | 2.43 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 395 | 1.78 | 1,033 | 1.53 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,280 | 5.78 | 3,675 | 5.44 | 6% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 273 | 1.23 | 497 | 0.74 | 40% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,047 | 9.24 | 5,283 | 7.83 | 15% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 232 | 1.05 | 482 | 0.71 | 32% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 953 | 4.30 | 2,693 | 3.99 | 7% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 204 | 0.92 | 374 | 0.55 | 40% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,735 | 7.83 | 4,524 | 6.70 | 14% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7,543 | 34.05 | 19,194 | 28.44 | 16% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Dunstable Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Ludlow Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Drugs | On or near Liverpool Road | Local resolution |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near New Bedford Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Winch Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Seymour Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Flowers Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Alma Link | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Dallow Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pedestrian Subway | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Sutherland Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Dunstable Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Bilton Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Lewsey Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Theft from the person | On or near Francis Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Moreton Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Hoo Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 20 | 23 | 21 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.6 | 0.97 | 1.2 | 0.98 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 8 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.84 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 5 | 3.7 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.92 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 13 | 12 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 29 | 33 | 32 | 34 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Luton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashcroft Road Recreation Ground | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Blundell Road Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.25 |
| Brantwood Park | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1.7 |
| Kingsway Park | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Leagrave Common | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0.33 |
| Leagrave Park | 30 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 2.1 |
| Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 2.4 |
| Manor Road Park | 6 | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | 4.3 |
| Wardown Park | 14 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 3.0 |
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 23% safer |
| Luton | 82.29 | - |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 0.23% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 9% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 9% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 20% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 26% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 33% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 38% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 45% more dangerous |
Central Luton & Park Town is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Luton, followed by New Town in second place, and Bury Park as the third most dangerous area. Luton's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Barnfield, Bramingham, and Montrose Avenue.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnfield | 356 | 38 | 22nd |
| Bramingham | 358 | 43 | 21st |
| Bury Park | 1,250 | 111 | Third |
| Central Luton & Park Town | 3,476 | 220 | First |
| Challney | 661 | 56 | 19th |
| Dallow Road | 869 | 96 | Fourth |
| Dunstable East | 617 | 87 | Fifth |
| Farley Hill & Stockwood Park | 810 | 73 | Tenth |
| Kingsway | 866 | 84 | Seventh |
| Leagrave | 703 | 69 | 12th |
| Lewsey North | 655 | 71 | 11th |
| Lewsey South | 562 | 69 | 13th |
| Limbury | 743 | 62 | 16th |
| Marsh Farm | 709 | 85 | Sixth |
| Montrose Avenue | 640 | 47 | 20th |
| New Town | 2,301 | 164 | Second |
| St Anns Hill | 650 | 60 | 17th |
| Stopsley North | 441 | 57 | 18th |
| Stopsley South & Round Green | 768 | 75 | Ninth |
| Sundon Park | 397 | 64 | 15th |
| Warden Hill | 408 | 68 | 14th |
| Wigmore & Airport | 797 | 83 | Eighth |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Luton for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Bramingham (51) | Central Luton & Park Town (1,003) |
| Bicycle Theft | Barnfield (1) | Central Luton & Park Town (89) |
| Burglary | Bramingham (14) | Central Luton & Park Town (171) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bramingham (22) | New Town (228) |
| Drugs | Sundon Park (6) | New Town (147) |
| Other Crime | Bramingham (7) | Bury Park (40) |
| Other Theft | Barnfield (13) | Central Luton & Park Town (289) |
| Possession of Weapons | Montrose Avenue (3) | Wigmore & Airport (44) |
| Public Order | Barnfield (32) | Central Luton & Park Town (439) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Dunstable East (1) | Central Luton & Park Town (55) |
| Shoplifting | Barnfield (2) | Dunstable East (161) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Challney (1) | Central Luton & Park Town (103) |
| Vehicle Crime | Warden Hill (19) | New Town (293) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bramingham (123) | Central Luton & Park Town (1,330) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Luton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Luton saw a 134% increase in drugs. Luton saw a large fall in possession of weapons during March, when it fell by 77% compared to March in 2019. Robbery saw a fall in every month of Luton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -8% | +9% | +30% | +6% | +28% | +47% | +25% | -2% | +29% | +15% |
| Bicycle Theft | +44% | +50% | +5% | +47% | -31% | +62% | +6% | -13% | +130% | - |
| Burglary | -42% | -41% | -22% | -35% | -38% | -50% | -20% | -14% | -31% | -59% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +5% | -4% | +9% | +4% | -25% | -25% | -2% | -14% | -15% | -9% |
| Drugs | -24% | +36% | +59% | +93% | +134% | +81% | +53% | +36% | +40% | +12% |
| Other Crime | -30% | -34% | +10% | +10% | +48% | -14% | -8% | +16% | +9% | +62% |
| Other Theft | -36% | -58% | -48% | -28% | -43% | -34% | -27% | -30% | -42% | -35% |
| Possession of Weapons | -77% | -52% | -59% | -48% | +15% | -30% | -41% | - | -20% | -11% |
| Public Order | -23% | -31% | -17% | -2% | -14% | -2% | +27% | +2% | -6% | +20% |
| Robbery | -49% | -46% | -55% | -27% | -21% | -28% | - | -48% | -60% | -38% |
| Shoplifting | -7% | -74% | -61% | -54% | -36% | -32% | +8% | +7% | -53% | -26% |
| Theft From the Person | -46% | +11% | -50% | -62% | -12% | -11% | - | -41% | -34% | -23% |
| Vehicle Crime | -13% | -10% | -36% | -38% | -55% | -45% | -43% | -31% | -38% | -13% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +1% | -13% | -7% | 0% | -12% | +9% | +11% | +2% | -8% | -1% |
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