Luton Crime Overview
Luton is the third most dangerous city in the East of England, and the 28th most dangerous overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Luton in 2020 was 81 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2020, Luton had the worst crime rate in the East of England for burglary, with 107 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.50 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Luton residents, when it was the East of England's most dangerous area for other theft, recording 110 crimes at a rate of 0.52 per 1,000 residents. Luton recorded 141 reports of criminal damage and arson during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.66 the worst for criminal damage and arson in the East of England that month.
The most common crimes in Luton are violence and sexual offences, with 6,674 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 31. This is 9% lower than 2019's figure of 7,292 offences and a difference of 2.90 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Luton's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 171 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 79% from 2019's figure of 306 crimes.
Luton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Luton This Year
| Luton | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,847 | 22.75 |
| Bicycle Theft | 259 | 1.22 |
| Burglary | 1,167 | 5.48 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,698 | 7.97 |
| Drugs | 801 | 3.76 |
| Other Crime | 345 | 1.62 |
| Other Theft | 1,307 | 6.13 |
| Possession of Weapons | 171 | 0.80 |
| Public Order | 1,839 | 8.63 |
| Robbery | 247 | 1.16 |
| Shoplifting | 757 | 3.55 |
| Theft From the Person | 240 | 1.13 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,769 | 8.30 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,674 | 31.33 |
Luton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 38 | 31 | 21 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 12 | 12 | 9 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.87 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.84 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.80 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.3 | 7 | 10 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 14 | 12 | 8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23 | 30 | 34 | 31 | Getting worse |
Comparing Luton to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 13% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 10% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 9% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 5% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 2.4% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 0.47% safer |
| Luton | 81.08 | - |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 9% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 11% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 12% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 21% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 23% more dangerous |
Crime in Luton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Luton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Luton saw a 136% increase in drugs. Luton saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 74% compared to April in 2019. Luton saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including burglary, other theft, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -8% | +10% | +30% | +8% | +28% | +46% | +28% | -3% | +29% |
| Bicycle Theft | +42% | +40% | +5% | +33% | -33% | +62% | - | - | +130% |
| Burglary | -41% | -42% | -21% | -36% | -38% | -51% | -19% | -16% | -31% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +7% | -6% | +8% | +4% | -24% | -24% | -2% | -14% | -16% |
| Drugs | -24% | +34% | +66% | +90% | +136% | +76% | +57% | +38% | +43% |
| Other Crime | -30% | -34% | +10% | +10% | +48% | -14% | -8% | +16% | +11% |
| Other Theft | -37% | -58% | -48% | -28% | -43% | -35% | -26% | -29% | -42% |
| Possession of Weapons | -73% | -52% | -61% | -50% | +19% | -30% | -41% | -6% | -20% |
| Public Order | -22% | -31% | -16% | -2% | -13% | -1% | +27% | +4% | -6% |
| Robbery | -49% | -46% | -55% | -27% | -21% | -28% | - | -48% | -60% |
| Shoplifting | -6% | -74% | -61% | -53% | -38% | -35% | +5% | +7% | -52% |
| Theft From the Person | -46% | +11% | -50% | -62% | -15% | -11% | - | -43% | -34% |
| Vehicle Crime | -12% | -10% | -36% | -37% | -55% | -45% | -43% | -31% | -39% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +1% | -14% | -7% | +0% | -11% | +9% | +10% | +2% | -8% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Luton
What police force serves Luton?
Luton's local territorial police force is the Bedfordshire Police.How dangerous is Luton?
Luton is the third most dangerous city in the East of England.What is Luton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Luton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Luton?
Luton's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021