Boston is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Lincolnshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Lincolnshire's 563 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Boston in 2021 was 100 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Lincolnshire's overall crime rate, coming in 25% higher than the Lincolnshire rate of 75 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Boston is the 46th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 567th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Boston had the worst crime rate in Lincolnshire for robbery, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2021 was also a bad month for Boston residents, when it was Lincolnshire's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.11 per 1,000 residents. Boston recorded 14 reports of possession of weapons during August 2020, making its crime rate of 0.38 the worst for possession of weapons in Lincolnshire that month.
The most common crimes in Boston are violence and sexual offences, with 1,611 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 44. This is 7% higher than 2020's figure of 1,502 offences and a difference of 2.98 from 2020's crime rate of 41. Boston's least common crime is theft from the person, with 19 offences recorded in 2021, the same as 2020's figure of 19 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Medium-Sized Towns, Lincolnshire
19% higher, regional crime rate
East Midlands
27% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Boston is 19% higher than the East Midlands and 27% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Boston | |
| East Midlands | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Boston 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
Set up monthly updates on crime & public safety issues. We never spam.
Thanks! Please check your email and confirm your signup there.
| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 100 | 3,661 |
| 2020 | 103 | 3,781 |
| 2019 | 126 | 4,639 |
| 2018 | 107 | 3,925 |
| 2017 | 84 | 3,098 |
| 2016 | 80 | 2,936 |
We're available to answer questions about crime data and can supply custom data to support your work.
Email us directly
| Boston | Lincolnshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,294 | 35.28 | 24,311 | 22.24 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 99 | 2.70 | 1,262 | 1.15 | 57% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 122 | 3.33 | 4,578 | 4.19 | 26% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 394 | 10.74 | 10,008 | 9.16 | 15% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 190 | 5.18 | 2,185 | 2.00 | 61% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 112 | 3.05 | 2,276 | 2.08 | 32% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 262 | 7.14 | 5,960 | 5.45 | 24% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 45 | 1.23 | 687 | 0.63 | 49% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 292 | 7.96 | 8,661 | 7.92 | 0.50% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 44 | 1.20 | 505 | 0.46 | 62% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 377 | 10.28 | 5,728 | 5.24 | 49% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 19 | 0.52 | 285 | 0.26 | 50% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 94 | 2.56 | 3,272 | 2.99 | 17% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,611 | 43.93 | 36,819 | 33.68 | 23% more dangerous |
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spalding | 2,592 | 72.69 | 37% safer |
| Cleethorpes | 3,119 | 81.46 | 23% safer |
| Grantham | 3,752 | 84.22 | 19% safer |
| Boston | 3,661 | 99.82 | - |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Bradford Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Elan Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Burgess Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Wheeler Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Station Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Trinity Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Church Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Irby Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Sleaford Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Revesby Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Orchard Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Kingsway | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Tower Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Petrol Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Drugs | On or near Bath Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Hessle Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Nelson Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near King Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 34 | 29 | 45 | 35 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 7 | 3.9 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 2.2 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.55 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 18 | 19 | 16 | 10 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 0.82 | 0.52 | 0.52 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 34 | 48 | 41 | 44 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Boston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgess Pit Playing Field | 6 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 4.6 |
| Rosebery Avenue Playing Fields | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.12 |
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 150% safer |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 101% safer |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 49% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 21% safer |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 11% safer |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 10% safer |
| Boston | 99.82 | - |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 11% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 25% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 34% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Central & North | 1,828 | 201 | First |
| Fenside & Lister Way | 1,016 | 87 | Second |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Boston change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Boston saw a 500% increase in robbery. Boston saw a large fall in possession of weapons during December, when it fell by 90% compared to December in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Boston's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +8% | +150% | +140% | +103% | +43% | +44% | +27% | +33% | +69% | +23% |
| Bicycle Theft | -43% | -30% | -67% | +100% | -29% | -67% | +11% | +50% | -41% | -43% |
| Burglary | -24% | -64% | -64% | -31% | +38% | -55% | -17% | -65% | -25% | +15% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -15% | -50% | +16% | -24% | +45% | +2% | +31% | -20% | -50% | -32% |
| Drugs | -37% | +64% | -19% | -33% | +75% | -46% | +47% | -43% | +75% | -18% |
| Other Crime | -29% | -72% | -60% | -33% | - | +250% | - | -60% | - | -81% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -52% | -7% | -16% | -43% | +8% | -26% | +17% | -38% | -15% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -73% | -17% | - | -22% | +75% | +133% | +100% | -20% | -90% |
| Public Order | -29% | -32% | -22% | - | +3% | -6% | -23% | - | -24% | -8% |
| Robbery | +67% | -75% | +500% | - | - | - | -50% | +100% | -67% | -75% |
| Shoplifting | -3% | -6% | -30% | +31% | -6% | -33% | -18% | -6% | -18% | -43% |
| Theft From the Person | -80% | - | - | -33% | +25% | - | +50% | +100% | -50% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -43% | -44% | +30% | -10% | -22% | -20% | -50% | +11% | +17% | -38% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | -43% | -17% | -6% | -1% | -4% | -4% | -18% | -16% | -26% |
Search by area
