Ashford is the second safest major town in Kent, and is the 43rd most dangerous overall out of Kent's 333 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ashford in 2021 was 91 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 4.0% higher than the Kent rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ashford is the 47th most dangerous major town, and the 744th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2021, Ashford had the worst crime rate in Kent for bicycle theft, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.17 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2021 was also a bad month for Ashford residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 39 crimes at a rate of 0.52 per 1,000 residents. Ashford recorded 91 reports of shoplifting during November 2021, making its crime rate of 1.2 the worst for shoplifting in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Ashford are violence and sexual offences, with 3,206 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 43. This is 9% higher than 2020's figure of 2,916 offences and a difference of 3.86 from 2020's crime rate of 39. Ashford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 38 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 2.6% from 2020's figure of 39 crimes.
Second Safest
Major Towns, Kent
21% higher, regional crime rate
South East
20% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Ashford is 21% higher than the South East and 20% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Ashford | |
| South East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Ashford 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
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91 | 6,850 |
| 2020 | 84 | 6,310 |
| 2019 | 101 | 7,603 |
| 2018 | 103 | 7,787 |
| 2017 | 90 | 6,801 |
| 2016 | 59 | 4,463 |
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| Ashford | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,798 | 23.89 | 37,004 | 19.89 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 106 | 1.41 | 964 | 0.52 | 63% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 218 | 2.90 | 5,970 | 3.21 | 11% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 805 | 10.70 | 19,281 | 10.36 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 180 | 2.39 | 4,015 | 2.16 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 171 | 2.27 | 5,390 | 2.90 | 28% safer |
| Other Theft | 543 | 7.21 | 11,037 | 5.93 | 18% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 59 | 0.78 | 1,220 | 0.66 | 15% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 604 | 8.03 | 13,744 | 7.39 | 8% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 53 | 0.70 | 1,064 | 0.57 | 19% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 631 | 8.38 | 8,849 | 4.76 | 43% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 38 | 0.50 | 794 | 0.43 | 14% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 236 | 3.14 | 7,923 | 4.26 | 36% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,206 | 42.60 | 82,368 | 44.27 | 3.9% safer |
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 3,713 | 61.01 | 49% safer |
| Ashford | 6,850 | 91.02 | - |
| Maidstone | 10,947 | 91.30 | 0.31% more dangerous |
| Rochester | 6,747 | 101.45 | 10% more dangerous |
| Gillingham | 11,987 | 110.39 | 18% more dangerous |
| Chatham | 9,392 | 116.21 | 22% more dangerous |
| Margate | 8,388 | 127.68 | 29% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Windmill Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Kenbrook | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Dover Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Arcon Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other crime | On or near Surtees Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Steddy Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Goat Lees Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Loudon Way | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Beaver Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Barnett Field | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Gorse Mead | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Bushy Royds | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Cuckoo Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Hackfield | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Simon'S Avenue | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St Stephen'S Walk | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St Barnabas Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near New Town Green | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Austin Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14 | 15 | 26 | 24 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.48 | 0.70 | 0.90 | 0.78 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.93 | 1.6 | 0.77 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.52 | 0.92 | 0.52 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 7 | 3.8 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 40 | 41 | 39 | 43 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Ashford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Ashford Baptist Church | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 41 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 128% safer |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 84% safer |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 36% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 10% safer |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 1.1% safer |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 0.55% safer |
| Ashford | 91.02 | - |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 18% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 40% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford Central | 2,631 | 222 | First |
| Highfield & Willesborough | 957 | 106 | Second |
| Kennington & Little Burton Farm | 301 | 45 | Third |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Ashford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Ashford saw a 500% increase in possession of weapons. Ashford saw a large fall in bicycle theft during December, when it fell by 88% compared to December in 2019. Ashford saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including bicycle theft, burglary, robbery, shoplifting, and theft from the person.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +46% | +201% | +144% | +101% | +112% | +45% | +22% | +1% | +47% | +39% |
| Bicycle Theft | -72% | -77% | -30% | -60% | -61% | -58% | -47% | +14% | -36% | -88% |
| Burglary | -61% | +61% | -50% | -34% | -32% | -45% | -76% | -5% | -31% | -19% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -47% | -34% | -48% | -30% | +16% | +37% | -2% | +30% | +8% | -58% |
| Drugs | +130% | +58% | +73% | +157% | +20% | +40% | -27% | +125% | +233% | +43% |
| Other Crime | -33% | -60% | -47% | -53% | -42% | +11% | -29% | +73% | +92% | -33% |
| Other Theft | -42% | -47% | -45% | -48% | -48% | -31% | -47% | -7% | -46% | -36% |
| Possession of Weapons | -17% | +300% | +500% | +133% | -33% | +67% | +33% | - | -25% | -70% |
| Public Order | -42% | -22% | -41% | -19% | -48% | +5% | -5% | - | -16% | -17% |
| Robbery | -42% | -50% | -65% | +25% | -20% | -67% | -33% | -73% | -86% | -58% |
| Shoplifting | -24% | -71% | -55% | -33% | -2% | +13% | -34% | -34% | -57% | -72% |
| Theft From the Person | -78% | -86% | -50% | -67% | - | -50% | -33% | -60% | -75% | -57% |
| Vehicle Crime | -72% | -70% | -46% | -53% | -63% | -46% | -69% | +12% | -51% | +23% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +4% | -33% | -22% | -23% | +2% | +27% | +23% | -19% | +18% | -11% |
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