Maidstone Crime Overview
Maidstone is the second safest major town in Kent, and is the 48th most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Maidstone in 2020 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 2.2% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Maidstone is the 51st most dangerous major town, and the 774th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Maidstone had the worst crime rate in Kent for bicycle theft, with 11 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.09 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Maidstone residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 114 crimes at a rate of 0.95 per 1,000 residents. Maidstone recorded 41 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.34 the worst for drugs in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Maidstone are violence and sexual offences, with 5,198 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 43. This is 2.3% lower than 2019's figure of 5,318 offences and a difference of 1.00 from 2019's crime rate of 44. Maidstone's least common crime is robbery, with 67 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 28% from 2019's figure of 86 crimes.
Compare Maidstone to other towns and cities
See how Maidstone shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Maidstone and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Maidstone Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Maidstone This Year
| Maidstone | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,403 | 28.38 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 8% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 96 | 0.80 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 21% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 354 | 2.95 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 29% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,182 | 9.86 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 1.5% safer |
| Drugs | 384 | 3.20 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 374 | 3.12 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 619 | 5.16 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 14% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 90 | 0.75 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 959 | 8.00 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 12% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 67 | 0.56 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 25% safer |
| Shoplifting | 575 | 4.80 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 3.3% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 70 | 0.58 | 834 | 0.45 | 22% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 481 | 4.01 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 22% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,198 | 43.35 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 5% more dangerous |
Crime in Maidstone Compared To Kent
Maidstone Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 4,108 | 67.50 | 29% safer |
| Maidstone | 10,449 | 87.14 | - |
| Ashford | 6,750 | 89.69 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Gillingham | 11,203 | 103.17 | 16% more dangerous |
| Rochester | 6,935 | 104.28 | 16% more dangerous |
| Chatham | 8,964 | 110.91 | 21% more dangerous |
| Margate | 8,491 | 129.24 | 33% more dangerous |
Maidstone Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 18 | 21 | 28 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.80 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.64 | 0.71 | 1.1 | 0.75 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 12 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.71 | 0.95 | 0.72 | 0.56 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.98 | 0.84 | 0.98 | 0.58 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 36 | 42 | 44 | 43 | Getting worse |
Changes In Maidstone's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Maidstone to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 29% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 13% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.7% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 1.5% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 1.1% safer |
| Maidstone | 87.14 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 11% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 15% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 36% more dangerous |
Crime in Maidstone's Neighbourhoods
Ringlestone & Central Maidstone is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Maidstone, followed by Parkwood & Senacre in second place, and Maidstone West as the third most dangerous area. Maidstone's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Allington, Bearsted & Downswood, and Loose Valley & Boughton Monchelsea.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allington | 322 | 35 | Eighth |
| Barming | 1,143 | 106 | Fourth |
| Bearsted & Downswood | 241 | 29 | Ninth |
| Grove Green | 384 | 50 | Sixth |
| Loose Valley & Boughton Monchelsea | 383 | 43 | Seventh |
| Maidstone West | 1,424 | 114 | Third |
| Parkwood & Senacre | 1,573 | 126 | Second |
| Penenden Heath | 499 | 55 | Fifth |
| Ringlestone & Central Maidstone | 3,195 | 267 | First |
Maidstone Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Maidstone for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Allington (90) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (976) |
| Bicycle Theft | Allington (2) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (42) |
| Burglary | Allington (7) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (83) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Allington (35) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (279) |
| Drugs | Grove Green (3) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (134) |
| Other Crime | Bearsted & Downswood (6) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (150) |
| Other Theft | Grove Green (18) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (178) |
| Possession of Weapons | Allington (1) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (37) |
| Public Order | Bearsted & Downswood (21) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (327) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Grove Green (1) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (26) |
| Shoplifting | Loose Valley & Boughton Monchelsea (1) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (359) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Allington (1) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (45) |
| Vehicle Crime | Allington (12) | Parkwood & Senacre (101) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bearsted & Downswood (101) | Ringlestone & Central Maidstone (1,457) |
Crime in Maidstone During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Maidstone change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Maidstone saw a 142% increase in anti-social behaviour. Maidstone saw a large fall in theft from the person during November, when it fell by 88% compared to November in 2019. Maidstone saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including criminal damage and arson, possession of weapons, and shoplifting.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +8% | +133% | +142% | +40% | -3% | +2% | +12% | +32% | +13% | +39% |
| Bicycle Theft | -50% | -82% | -25% | -50% | +20% | +110% | -33% | -33% | -75% | +120% |
| Burglary | +23% | - | +3% | -50% | -54% | +25% | -36% | -24% | -12% | -37% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -44% | -29% | -34% | -16% | -20% | -3% | -6% | +10% | -1% | -36% |
| Drugs | -27% | -68% | +36% | +85% | +36% | -14% | +56% | +78% | +44% | +86% |
| Other Crime | - | -13% | -43% | -41% | +21% | -13% | -26% | +23% | - | -13% |
| Other Theft | -42% | -50% | -38% | -51% | -33% | +11% | -31% | +7% | -41% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | -43% | -74% | +33% | -36% | -40% | -57% | -44% | -31% | -50% | -44% |
| Public Order | -1% | -23% | -18% | -11% | -17% | +11% | -5% | +7% | -13% | -24% |
| Robbery | +33% | -50% | +20% | - | -40% | - | -56% | -11% | +43% | -43% |
| Shoplifting | -22% | -71% | -57% | -41% | -20% | -40% | -49% | -16% | -38% | +5% |
| Theft From the Person | -63% | -67% | -71% | -80% | +22% | +13% | +10% | -58% | -88% | -17% |
| Vehicle Crime | +20% | -38% | -64% | -63% | +28% | +26% | -44% | +43% | -29% | -43% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -4% | -10% | -16% | -14% | +9% | +24% | -13% | +12% | -8% | -5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Maidstone
What police force serves Maidstone?
Maidstone's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Maidstone?
Maidstone is the second safest major town in Kent.What is Maidstone's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Maidstone are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Maidstone?
Maidstone's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021