Thetford Crime Overview
Thetford is the safest 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 Thetford in 2020 was 97 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Norfolk's overall crime rate, coming in 28% higher than the Norfolk rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Thetford is the 41st most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 560th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Thetford was the worst medium-sized town in Norfolk for burglary, with 31 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Thetford residents, when it was Norfolk's most dangerous medium-sized town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.11 per 1,000 residents. Thetford recorded 4 reports of robbery during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.15 the worst medium-sized town for robbery in Norfolk that month.
The most common crimes in Thetford are violence and sexual offences, with 1,231 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 46. This is 26% higher than 2019's figure of 912 offences and a difference of 11.89 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Thetford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 8 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 188% from 2019's figure of 23 crimes.
Compare Thetford to other towns and cities
See how Thetford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Thetford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Thetford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Thetford This Year
| Thetford | Norfolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 652 | 24.29 | 15,140 | 16.68 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 41 | 1.53 | 875 | 0.96 | 37% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 96 | 3.58 | 2,498 | 2.75 | 23% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 269 | 10.02 | 7,035 | 7.75 | 23% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 196 | 7.30 | 2,599 | 2.86 | 61% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 69 | 2.57 | 2,320 | 2.56 | 0.39% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 156 | 5.81 | 4,182 | 4.61 | 21% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 40 | 1.49 | 579 | 0.64 | 57% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 248 | 9.24 | 7,162 | 7.89 | 15% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 18 | 0.67 | 338 | 0.37 | 45% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 138 | 5.14 | 3,166 | 3.49 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 0.30 | 357 | 0.39 | 30% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 82 | 3.06 | 1,878 | 2.07 | 32% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,231 | 45.87 | 30,141 | 33.20 | 28% more dangerous |
Crime in Thetford Compared To Norfolk
Thetford Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford | 2,592 | 96.58 | - |
| King's Lynn | 5,040 | 104.44 | 8% more dangerous |
| Great Yarmouth | 7,374 | 135.15 | 29% more dangerous |
Thetford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 29 | 28 | 24 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.86 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 7 | 4.2 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.48 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.41 | 0.48 | 0.52 | 0.67 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 3.5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.82 | 0.45 | 0.86 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5.0 | 5 | 3.5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 30 | 34 | 46 | Getting worse |
Changes In Thetford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Thetford to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 43% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 25% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 16% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 13% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 12% safer |
| Thetford | 96.58 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 0.88% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 6% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime in Thetford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford Central & East | 819 | 72 | Third |
| Thetford North | 799 | 122 | First |
| Thetford South | 974 | 109 | Second |
Crime in Thetford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Thetford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Thetford saw a 900% increase in other theft. Thetford saw a large fall in vehicle crime during March, when it fell by 95% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -39% | +58% | +57% | -38% | -27% | -32% | -37% | -19% | -35% | -27% |
| Bicycle Theft | -25% | -80% | - | - | -25% | - | +600% | +233% | +500% | +33% |
| Burglary | -57% | -43% | -25% | -17% | -50% | - | +400% | +244% | +13% | -82% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -30% | -11% | -10% | +24% | +6% | +122% | +115% | +100% | +75% | -13% |
| Drugs | -55% | - | +50% | +267% | +27% | +80% | +150% | +125% | +120% | +150% |
| Other Crime | -20% | -40% | -33% | +200% | +100% | +167% | +75% | +125% | +75% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -25% | +13% | -7% | +9% | +140% | +67% | +129% | +160% | +900% | -23% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | +50% | +67% | - | +25% | +25% | - | -83% | -33% | -75% |
| Public Order | -16% | +43% | +133% | -5% | +300% | -5% | +17% | +36% | - | +32% |
| Robbery | -67% | - | -50% | - | +100% | +50% | - | - | +100% | - |
| Shoplifting | -14% | -35% | -74% | +29% | -58% | -7% | -9% | +33% | +111% | +43% |
| Theft From the Person | -75% | -75% | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -95% | -58% | -92% | +50% | +75% | - | - | +25% | +150% | -11% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | +14% | -21% | +18% | +174% | +69% | +63% | +53% | +79% | +9% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Thetford
What police force serves Thetford?
Thetford's local territorial police force is the Norfolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Thetford?
Thetford is the safest medium-sized town in Norfolk.What is Thetford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Thetford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Thetford?
Thetford's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021