Crime and Safety in Sandy
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Sandy is the third most dangerous small town in Bedfordshire, and is the 30th most dangerous overall out of Bedfordshire's 127 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sandy in 2026 is 53 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Bedfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 12% lower than the Bedfordshire rate of 60 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sandy is the 375th most dangerous small town, and the 2,408th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2022, Sandy had the worst crime rate in Bedfordshire for theft from the person, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.16 per 1,000 daytime population. February 2021 was also a bad month for Sandy residents, when it was Bedfordshire's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.08 per 1,000 daytime population. Sandy recorded 1 report of theft from the person during February 2021, making its crime rate of 0.08 the worst for theft from the person in Bedfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Sandy are violence and sexual offences, with 316 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 24. This is 3.9% higher than 2025's figure of 304 offences and a difference of 0.92 from 2025's crime rate of 23. Sandy's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 33% from 2025's figure of 3 crimes.
Sandy 2026 Crime Scorecard
Third Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Bedfordshire
14% lower, regional crime rate
East of England
26% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Sandy is 14% lower than the East of England and 26% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Sandy Crime Rate Over Time
| Sandy | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Sandy Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Sandy represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
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 visualise the data you need.
See How Sandy Compares
You can compare Sandy's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Sandy's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Sandy up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Sandy's 290 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Sandy? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Sandy • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Sandy has a crime risk score of 416. This is based on analysis of 290 nearby areas within Sandy, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Sandy's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Sandy, crime risk scores are typically around 416, while in Bedfordshire they are average 406.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 408 (405 for Bedfordshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 398 (Bedfordshire 403).
Trends in Crime Risk
Sandy
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates an increase of 116% in Sandy's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Sandy's crime risk score is up by 18%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Sandy's crime risk score has shown an upward trend of approximately 19%, indicating that the risk profile is going up. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Sandy
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Sandy • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Drugs offences have a crime rate of 5.67 reports per 1,000 people in Sandy, which is 1.83 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 74 crime reports logged by Bedfordshire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Bedfordshire Police recorded 10 reports of Possession of Weapons in Sandy, resulting in a crime rate of 0.77 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.57.
The crime rate for Public Order is 0.87 times the national average at 5.04 reports per 1,000. This is from 66 crime reports reported to Bedfordshire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Sandy
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Drugs offences are trending upwards, though the CrimeRate Index three years ago is too low to measure, and the trend should be reviewed with caution.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Sandy
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Shoplifting offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.12 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 1.38 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 91% over this timeframe.
Robbery offences are trending downwards, though the CrimeRate Index three years ago is too low to measure, and the trend should be reviewed with caution.
Burglary offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.33 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 0.27 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 22% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Sandy • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Sandy | Bedfordshire | East of England | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 162 | 12.38 | 0.88 | 9,711 | 11.80 | 0.84 | 74,182 | 10.23 | 0.72 |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.23 | 1.92 | 510 | 0.63 | 0.86 | 5,325 | 0.72 | 0.99 |
| Burglary | 19 | 1.46 | 0.56 | 1,914 | 2.33 | 0.74 | 17,593 | 2.42 | 0.77 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 64 | 4.90 | 0.78 | 4,118 | 5.01 | 0.80 | 40,107 | 5.51 | 0.88 |
| Drugs | 74 | 5.67 | 1.83 | 2,542 | 3.10 | 1.00 | 18,935 | 2.59 | 0.84 |
| Other Crime | 28 | 2.13 | 1.39 | 1,398 | 1.70 | 0.92 | 12,241 | 1.70 | 0.92 |
| Other Theft | 41 | 3.13 | 0.55 | 3,737 | 4.55 | 0.80 | 34,703 | 4.78 | 0.84 |
| Possession of Weapons | 10 | 0.77 | 1.57 | 675 | 0.82 | 0.96 | 5,931 | 0.83 | 0.98 |
| Public Order | 66 | 5.04 | 0.87 | 3,933 | 4.79 | 0.83 | 32,088 | 4.42 | 0.76 |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.16 | 0.84 | 778 | 0.95 | 0.81 | 4,492 | 0.61 | 0.52 |
| Shoplifting | 26 | 2.01 | 0.31 | 4,465 | 5.41 | 0.76 | 43,068 | 5.94 | 0.83 |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.32 | 0.65 | 401 | 0.49 | 0.32 | 3,654 | 0.52 | 0.34 |
| Vehicle Crime | 40 | 3.04 | 0.71 | 4,302 | 5.22 | 1.21 | 27,821 | 3.84 | 0.89 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 316 | 24.14 | 0.79 | 20,856 | 25.34 | 0.83 | 200,684 | 27.65 | 0.91 |
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Total Crime by Year
Sandy | Bedfordshire | East of England | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 693 | 53.00 | 0.79 | 49,629 | 60.34 | 0.84 | 446,642 | 61.53 | 0.85 |
| 2025 | 664 | 50.89 | 0.74 | 50,593 | 62.50 | 0.84 | 441,082 | 61.31 | 0.83 |
| 2024 | 891 | 68.64 | 0.96 | 48,363 | 61.03 | 0.81 | 443,460 | 62.34 | 0.83 |
| 2023 | 743 | 57.62 | 0.77 | 48,105 | 61.98 | 0.78 | 474,715 | 67.51 | 0.85 |
| 2022 | 620 | 47.78 | 0.68 | 45,286 | 59.29 | 0.77 | 471,617 | 67.78 | 0.88 |
| 2021 | 798 | 60.84 | 0.94 | 45,355 | 60.31 | 0.88 | 437,869 | 63.51 | 0.93 |
| 2020 | 746 | 56.64 | 0.83 | 52,754 | 70.86 | 0.96 | 465,376 | 67.88 | 0.92 |
| 2019 | 685 | 51.77 | 0.75 | 57,063 | 77.48 | 1.02 | 482,539 | 70.87 | 0.93 |
| 2018 | 597 | 45.07 | 0.69 | 44,957 | 61.49 | 0.86 | 439,882 | 64.91 | 0.91 |
| 2017 | 507 | 38.30 | 0.66 | 42,454 | 58.37 | 0.91 | 396,747 | 58.76 | 0.92 |
| 2016 | 149 | 11.29 | 0.64 | 13,539 | 18.66 | 0.98 | 116,493 | 17.30 | 0.91 |
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Sandy Compared to Nearby Small Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston | 1,849 | 76.56 | 44% more dangerous |
| Houghton Regis | 1,660 | 58.18 | 10% more dangerous |
| Brickhill | 588 | 53.63 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Sandy | 693 | 53.00 | - |
| Biggleswade | 1,166 | 48.02 | 9% safer |
| Stotfold | 372 | 36.09 | 32% safer |
| Flitwick | 497 | 34.79 | 34% safer |
| Ampthill | 293 | 29.07 | 45% safer |
Comparing Sandy to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 53.00 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 50% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 56% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 59% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 85% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 97% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 98% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 101% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 102% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 103% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 136% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
To download charts and tables, you must subscribed to CrimeRate Pro
You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Sandy's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Sandy that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beeston Green | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 0 |
Recent Crimes in Sandy
The 20 most recent crime reports in Sandy.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Brickhill Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Allhallows | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Greens Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Greens Close | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Potton Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Potton Road | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Stonecroft | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Mcmurdo Court | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Church Path | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near The Cloches | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near East Road | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Greens Close | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near B1042 | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Mcmurdo Court | |
| April 2026 | Vehicle crime | On or near Stratford Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Engayne Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Carter Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Stonecroft | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Market Square | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Greens Close |
Methodology & Data Sources
Sandy Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Sandy during July 2026 will typically become available in September 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Sandy Data Points
For Sandy, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E04012812.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Sandy's daytime - or "workday" - population of 10,102 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Sandy