Sleaford Crime Overview
Sleaford is among the top 5 safest small towns in Lincolnshire, and is the 80th most dangerous overall out of Lincolnshire's 599 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sleaford in 2020 was 59 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Lincolnshire's overall crime rate, coming in 27% lower than the Lincolnshire rate of 75 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sleaford is the 333rd most dangerous small town, and the 2,188th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Sleaford was the worst small town in Lincolnshire for drugs, with 14 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.72 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2020 was also a bad month for Sleaford residents, when it was Lincolnshire's most dangerous small town for other crime, recording 5 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 residents. Sleaford recorded 21 reports of shoplifting during February 2020, making its crime rate of 1.1 the worst small town for shoplifting in Lincolnshire that month.
The most common crimes in Sleaford are violence and sexual offences, with 548 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 18% lower than 2019's figure of 647 offences and a difference of 5.07 from 2019's crime rate of 33. Sleaford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 300% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Sleaford to other towns and cities
See how Sleaford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sleaford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Sleaford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sleaford This Year
| Sleaford | Lincolnshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 505 | 25.85 | 26,901 | 24.61 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 0.36 | 1,404 | 1.28 | 256% safer |
| Burglary | 39 | 2.00 | 5,666 | 5.18 | 159% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 116 | 5.94 | 10,043 | 9.19 | 55% safer |
| Drugs | 53 | 2.71 | 2,354 | 2.15 | 21% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 24 | 1.23 | 2,275 | 2.08 | 69% safer |
| Other Theft | 74 | 3.79 | 5,909 | 5.41 | 43% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 13 | 0.67 | 753 | 0.69 | 3.0% safer |
| Public Order | 118 | 6.04 | 8,414 | 7.70 | 27% safer |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.26 | 484 | 0.44 | 69% safer |
| Shoplifting | 117 | 5.99 | 6,014 | 5.50 | 8% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.05 | 301 | 0.28 | 460% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 35 | 1.79 | 3,702 | 3.39 | 89% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 548 | 28.05 | 34,660 | 31.71 | 13% safer |
Crime in Sleaford Compared To Lincolnshire
Sleaford Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottesford | 171 | 16.01 | 268% safer |
| Bourne | 771 | 44.57 | 32% safer |
| North Hykeham | 822 | 50.21 | 17% safer |
| Holbeach | 594 | 54.83 | 7% safer |
| Sleaford | 1,150 | 58.87 | - |
| Barton-upon-Humber | 692 | 59.30 | 0.73% more dangerous |
| Stamford | 1,234 | 59.76 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Immingham | 672 | 67.92 | 13% more dangerous |
| Mablethorpe and Sutton | 915 | 72.43 | 19% more dangerous |
| Louth | 1,290 | 74.08 | 21% more dangerous |
Sleaford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 22 | 20 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 0.61 | 1.0 | 0.36 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.3 | 3.7 | 5 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.72 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 6 | 7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.36 | 0.56 | 0.46 | 0.67 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 1.8 | 2.9 | 8 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.61 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 4.4 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.20 | 0.05 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12 | 26 | 33 | 28 | Getting worse |
Changes In Sleaford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Sleaford to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sleaford | 58.87 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 13% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 24% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 32% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 40% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 43% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 56% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 57% more dangerous |
Crime in Sleaford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleaford East | 847 | 87 | First |
| Sleaford West | 303 | 31 | Second |
Crime in Sleaford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sleaford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Sleaford saw a 180% increase in drugs. Sleaford saw a large fall in burglary during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -53% | +87% | +120% | +108% | +33% | +42% | +67% | -14% | +13% | +4% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +100% | - | -67% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -22% | -90% | - | -50% | -50% | +125% | -88% | -60% | -86% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -16% | -82% | -50% | +36% | -50% | +100% | +13% | -55% | -50% | +17% |
| Drugs | -83% | +67% | -29% | +180% | -50% | -33% | - | -25% | -57% | - |
| Other Crime | -17% | - | - | +150% | - | - | -25% | -83% | -50% | -33% |
| Other Theft | +89% | -43% | -80% | -76% | -80% | -60% | -38% | -13% | -30% | +14% |
| Possession of Weapons | -67% | - | - | - | - | -67% | +50% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -36% | -27% | - | -43% | -17% | -53% | -31% | -33% | +14% | +14% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% |
| Shoplifting | -75% | -56% | -60% | -89% | -53% | -45% | -8% | +25% | +33% | -10% |
| Vehicle Crime | -50% | -89% | +67% | -33% | - | - | -50% | +50% | -50% | -50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -29% | -35% | -30% | +43% | -19% | -24% | -25% | -16% | -38% | +18% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sleaford
What police force serves Sleaford?
Sleaford's local territorial police force is the Lincolnshire Police.How dangerous is Sleaford?
Sleaford is among the top 5 safest small towns in Lincolnshire.What is Sleaford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sleaford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sleaford?
Sleaford's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021