King's Lynn Crime Overview
King's Lynn is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Norfolk, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Norfolk's 546 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in King's Lynn in 2020 was 104 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Norfolk's overall crime rate, coming in 33% higher than the Norfolk rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, King's Lynn is the 31st most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 432nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2017, King's Lynn had the worst crime rate in Norfolk for bicycle theft, with 26 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.54 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2017 was also a bad month for King's Lynn residents, when it was Norfolk's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 9 crimes at a rate of 0.19 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in King's Lynn are violence and sexual offences, with 2,262 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 47. This is 18% higher than 2019's figure of 1,849 offences and a difference of 8.55 from 2019's crime rate of 38. King's Lynn's least common crime is robbery, with 34 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 29% from 2019's figure of 24 crimes.
Compare King's Lynn to other towns and cities
See how King's Lynn shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how King's Lynn and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
King's Lynn Crime Map
Crime in King's Lynn Compared To Norfolk
Summary of Crimes in King's Lynn This Year
| King's Lynn | Norfolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,283 | 26.59 | 15,140 | 16.68 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 121 | 2.51 | 875 | 0.96 | 62% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 133 | 2.76 | 2,498 | 2.75 | 0.36% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 615 | 12.74 | 7,035 | 7.75 | 39% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 319 | 6.61 | 2,599 | 2.86 | 57% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 165 | 3.42 | 2,320 | 2.56 | 25% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 309 | 6.40 | 4,182 | 4.61 | 28% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 64 | 1.33 | 579 | 0.64 | 52% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 556 | 11.52 | 7,162 | 7.89 | 32% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 34 | 0.70 | 338 | 0.37 | 47% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 351 | 7.27 | 3,166 | 3.49 | 52% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 41 | 0.85 | 357 | 0.39 | 54% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 70 | 1.45 | 1,878 | 2.07 | 43% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,262 | 46.87 | 30,141 | 33.20 | 29% more dangerous |
King's Lynn Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford | 2,592 | 96.58 | 8% safer |
| King's Lynn | 5,040 | 104.44 | - |
| Great Yarmouth | 7,374 | 135.15 | 23% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in King's Lynn
View crime percentage over time forKing's Lynn Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 37 | 31 | 27 | 27 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.6 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 4.8 | 4.8 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.81 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 9 | 11 | 8 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.77 | 0.89 | 0.50 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.95 | 1.2 | 0.95 | 0.85 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 33 | 41 | 38 | 47 | Getting worse |
Changes In King's Lynn's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in King's Lynn's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in King's Lynn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaywood Park | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.31 |
| St James Park | 13 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 3.6 |
Comparing King's Lynn to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 54% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 35% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 25% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 22% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 21% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 7% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 1.5% safer |
| King's Lynn | 104.44 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 21% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 24% more dangerous |
Crime in King's Lynn's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairstead & Springwood | 778 | 85 | Second |
| Gaywood Chase & Old Gaywood | 787 | 108 | First |
| Gaywood North Bank | 330 | 45 | Third |
Crime in King's Lynn During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in King's Lynn change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when King's Lynn saw a 1,800% increase in bicycle theft. King's Lynn saw a large fall in theft from the person during December, when it fell by 88% compared to December in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -16% | +46% | +14% | -1% | +30% | -14% | +27% | +3% | -36% | -39% |
| Bicycle Theft | -65% | -80% | -81% | - | - | +1,800% | +29% | -48% | +117% | +100% |
| Burglary | -7% | -25% | -26% | +25% | +63% | -29% | -14% | -31% | -36% | +100% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +27% | -24% | -18% | +79% | - | +170% | +10% | +85% | +58% | +41% |
| Drugs | -13% | +5% | +65% | +14% | +24% | +48% | +16% | +42% | +84% | -5% |
| Other Crime | +38% | - | +50% | -58% | +100% | +56% | -13% | - | +14% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -10% | -59% | -47% | +16% | +146% | +63% | -7% | +210% | -21% | +50% |
| Possession of Weapons | -17% | -86% | -25% | -29% | -25% | +13% | -33% | +80% | +125% | -86% |
| Public Order | +22% | +17% | +6% | +61% | +112% | +67% | +71% | +50% | +22% | +24% |
| Robbery | +300% | +100% | +100% | -75% | - | - | +150% | - | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | -24% | -41% | -82% | -37% | +10% | +4% | -26% | +16% | -35% | +39% |
| Theft From the Person | -20% | -80% | - | -20% | - | +150% | - | -25% | - | -88% |
| Vehicle Crime | -13% | -63% | -64% | - | - | +300% | +100% | +67% | -29% | +33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -9% | -13% | +2% | +98% | +76% | +21% | +29% | +34% | -1% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in King's Lynn
What police force serves King's Lynn?
King's Lynn's local territorial police force is the Norfolk Constabulary.How dangerous is King's Lynn?
King's Lynn is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Norfolk.What is King's Lynn's most common crime?
The most common crimes in King's Lynn are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in King's Lynn?
King's Lynn's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021