Boston Crime Overview
Boston is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Lincolnshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Lincolnshire's 599 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Boston in 2020 was 103 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Lincolnshire's overall crime rate, coming in 27% higher than the Lincolnshire rate of 75 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Boston is the 33rd most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 449th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Boston had the worst crime rate in Lincolnshire for possession of weapons, with 14 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.38 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2018 was also a bad month for Boston residents, when it was Lincolnshire's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 6 crimes at a rate of 0.16 per 1,000 residents. Boston recorded 29 reports of bicycle theft during October 2018, making its crime rate of 0.79 the worst for bicycle theft in Lincolnshire that month.
The most common crimes in Boston are violence and sexual offences, with 1,502 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 18% lower than 2019's figure of 1,767 offences and a difference of 7.23 from 2019's crime rate of 48. Boston's least common crime is theft from the person, with 19 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 58% from 2019's figure of 30 crimes.
Compare Boston to other towns and cities
See how Boston shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Boston and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Boston Crime Map
Crime in Boston Compared To Lincolnshire
Summary of Crimes in Boston This Year
| Boston | Lincolnshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,642 | 44.77 | 26,901 | 24.61 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 110 | 3.00 | 1,404 | 1.28 | 57% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 143 | 3.90 | 5,666 | 5.18 | 33% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 370 | 10.09 | 10,043 | 9.19 | 9% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 216 | 5.89 | 2,354 | 2.15 | 63% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 85 | 2.32 | 2,275 | 2.08 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 252 | 6.87 | 5,909 | 5.41 | 21% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 60 | 1.64 | 753 | 0.69 | 58% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 307 | 8.37 | 8,414 | 7.70 | 8% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 29 | 0.79 | 484 | 0.44 | 44% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 577 | 15.73 | 6,014 | 5.50 | 65% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 19 | 0.52 | 301 | 0.28 | 46% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 111 | 3.03 | 3,702 | 3.39 | 12% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,502 | 40.95 | 34,660 | 31.71 | 23% more dangerous |
Boston Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spalding | 2,623 | 73.56 | 40% safer |
| Grantham | 3,598 | 80.76 | 28% safer |
| Cleethorpes | 3,166 | 82.68 | 25% safer |
| Boston | 3,781 | 103.09 | - |
Crime Over Time in Boston
View crime percentage over time forBoston Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 34 | 29 | 45 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.9 | 6 | 4.3 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.46 | 0.55 | 0.79 | 0.79 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.52 | 1.1 | 0.82 | 0.52 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 34 | 48 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Boston's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Boston's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Boston that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| 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 |
Comparing Boston to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 52% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 33% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 20% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 6% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 0.21% safer |
| Boston | 103.09 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Boston's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Central & North | 1,899 | 209 | First |
| Fenside & Lister Way | 917 | 79 | Second |
Crime in Boston During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Boston
What police force serves Boston?
Boston's local territorial police force is the Lincolnshire Police.How dangerous is Boston?
Boston is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Lincolnshire.What is Boston's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Boston are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Boston?
Boston's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021