Luton Crime Overview
Luton is the most dangerous city 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 2020 was 85 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 16% higher than the Bedfordshire rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Luton is the 26th safest city, and the 823rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Luton had the worst crime rate in Bedfordshire for burglary, with 87 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.39 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Luton residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 134 crimes at a rate of 0.60 per 1,000 residents. Luton recorded 64 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.29 the worst for drugs in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Luton are violence and sexual offences, with 7,284 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 33. This is 0.88% lower than 2019's figure of 7,348 offences and a difference of 0.29 from 2019's crime rate of 33. Luton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 186 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 63% from 2019's figure of 303 crimes.
Compare Luton to other towns and cities
See how Luton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Luton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Luton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Luton This Year
| Luton | Bedfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5,195 | 23.45 | 14,995 | 22.22 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 273 | 1.23 | 988 | 1.46 | 19% safer |
| Burglary | 1,262 | 5.70 | 3,497 | 5.18 | 9% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,836 | 8.29 | 4,944 | 7.32 | 12% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 860 | 3.88 | 1,657 | 2.45 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 380 | 1.72 | 1,039 | 1.54 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,433 | 6.47 | 3,881 | 5.75 | 11% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 186 | 0.84 | 329 | 0.49 | 42% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,022 | 9.13 | 5,103 | 7.56 | 17% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 262 | 1.18 | 597 | 0.88 | 25% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 880 | 3.97 | 2,504 | 3.71 | 7% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 258 | 1.16 | 464 | 0.69 | 41% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,973 | 8.91 | 5,613 | 8.32 | 7% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7,284 | 32.88 | 18,031 | 26.71 | 19% more dangerous |
Crime in Luton Compared To Bedfordshire
Luton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 30 | 21 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.84 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.80 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.84 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 13 | 12 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 29 | 33 | 33 | Getting worse |
Changes In Luton's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Luton to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 26% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 10% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 2.6% safer |
| Luton | 85.37 | - |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 0.51% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 0.97% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 12% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 17% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 36% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 38% more dangerous |
Crime in Luton's Neighbourhoods
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 Stopsley North.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnfield | 409 | 44 | 20th |
| Bramingham | 350 | 42 | 22nd |
| Bury Park | 1,264 | 112 | Third |
| Central Luton & Park Town | 3,547 | 224 | First |
| Challney | 659 | 56 | 18th |
| Dallow Road | 919 | 101 | Fourth |
| Dunstable East | 640 | 90 | Seventh |
| Farley Hill & Stockwood Park | 857 | 78 | 11th |
| Kingsway | 731 | 71 | 12th |
| Leagrave | 661 | 65 | 15th |
| Lewsey North | 719 | 78 | Ninth |
| Lewsey South | 636 | 78 | Tenth |
| Limbury | 738 | 61 | 17th |
| Marsh Farm | 795 | 96 | Fifth |
| Montrose Avenue | 629 | 46 | 19th |
| New Town | 2,252 | 161 | Second |
| St Anns Hill | 717 | 66 | 14th |
| Stopsley North | 332 | 43 | 21st |
| Stopsley South & Round Green | 840 | 82 | Eighth |
| Sundon Park | 414 | 67 | 13th |
| Warden Hill | 387 | 65 | 16th |
| Wigmore & Airport | 883 | 92 | Sixth |
Luton Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 (98) | Central Luton & Park Town (1,075) |
| Bicycle Theft | Challney (2) | Central Luton & Park Town (98) |
| Burglary | Kingsway (22) | Central Luton & Park Town (212) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bramingham (31) | Central Luton & Park Town (284) |
| Drugs | Stopsley North (5) | Central Luton & Park Town (164) |
| Other Crime | Bramingham (4) | Central Luton & Park Town (52) |
| Other Theft | St Anns Hill (23) | Central Luton & Park Town (300) |
| Possession of Weapons | Stopsley South & Round Green (1) | Wigmore & Airport (41) |
| Public Order | Barnfield (31) | Central Luton & Park Town (401) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Montrose Avenue (2) | Central Luton & Park Town (64) |
| Shoplifting | Lewsey South (3) | Dunstable East (149) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Barnfield (1) | Central Luton & Park Town (121) |
| Vehicle Crime | Montrose Avenue (50) | New Town (308) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bramingham (109) | Central Luton & Park Town (1,288) |
Crime in Luton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 128% increase in drugs. Luton saw a large fall in possession of weapons during March, when it fell by 77% compared to March in 2019. Rates of robbery and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Luton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -7% | +10% | +30% | +6% | +31% | +46% | +23% | -2% | +27% | +16% |
| Bicycle Theft | +30% | +24% | +5% | +47% | -32% | +62% | +11% | -18% | +109% | - |
| Burglary | -44% | -43% | -23% | -36% | -38% | -49% | -18% | -13% | -30% | -57% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +4% | -6% | +7% | +1% | -24% | -24% | -1% | -14% | -15% | -11% |
| Drugs | -27% | +42% | +62% | +98% | +128% | +81% | +62% | +36% | +40% | +12% |
| Other Crime | -30% | -34% | +10% | +13% | +43% | -14% | -11% | +12% | +9% | +62% |
| Other Theft | -36% | -59% | -46% | -30% | -42% | -35% | -29% | -30% | -44% | -38% |
| Possession of Weapons | -77% | -52% | -59% | -48% | +11% | -30% | -41% | +7% | -20% | -11% |
| Public Order | -22% | -31% | -18% | -3% | -13% | -3% | +27% | +3% | -8% | +21% |
| Robbery | -49% | -46% | -55% | -27% | -19% | -28% | - | -48% | -59% | -38% |
| Shoplifting | -5% | -74% | -60% | -55% | -34% | -22% | +20% | -4% | -56% | -26% |
| Theft From the Person | -43% | +11% | -50% | -62% | -12% | -11% | - | -41% | -34% | -23% |
| Vehicle Crime | -13% | -7% | -36% | -38% | -54% | -45% | -42% | -31% | -38% | -14% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -14% | -9% | +0% | -11% | +9% | +10% | +2% | -9% | -1% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Luton
What police force serves Luton?
Luton's local territorial police force is the Bedfordshire Police.How dangerous is Luton?
Luton is the most dangerous city in Bedfordshire.What is Luton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Luton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Luton?
Luton's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021