Beccles Crime Overview
Beccles is the third most dangerous small town in Suffolk, and is the 26th most dangerous overall out of Suffolk's 477 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Beccles in 2020 was 77 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 13% higher than the Suffolk rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Beccles is the 145th most dangerous small town, and the 1,115th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Beccles was the worst small town in Suffolk for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.39 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2020 was also a bad month for Beccles residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 22 crimes at a rate of 2.1 per 1,000 residents. Beccles recorded 1 report of robbery during March 2020, making its crime rate of 0.10 the worst small town for robbery in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Beccles are violence and sexual offences, with 362 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 35. This is 30% higher than 2019's figure of 253 offences and a difference of 10.50 from 2019's crime rate of 24. Beccles's least common crime is robbery, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 1 crime.
Compare Beccles to other towns and cities
See how Beccles shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Beccles and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Beccles Crime Map
Crime in Beccles Compared To Suffolk
Summary of Crimes in Beccles This Year
| Beccles | Suffolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 212 | 20.43 | 9,851 | 12.93 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 11 | 1.06 | 688 | 0.90 | 15% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 26 | 2.51 | 2,634 | 3.46 | 38% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 109 | 10.51 | 5,620 | 7.38 | 30% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 19 | 1.83 | 1,753 | 2.30 | 26% safer |
| Other Crime | 13 | 1.25 | 1,237 | 1.62 | 30% safer |
| Other Theft | 51 | 4.92 | 3,589 | 4.71 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 11 | 1.06 | 443 | 0.58 | 45% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 85 | 8.19 | 5,448 | 7.15 | 13% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.10 | 318 | 0.42 | 320% safer |
| Shoplifting | 61 | 5.88 | 2,510 | 3.30 | 44% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.67 | 349 | 0.46 | 31% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 40 | 3.86 | 2,617 | 3.44 | 11% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 362 | 34.89 | 23,770 | 31.21 | 11% more dangerous |
Beccles Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felixstowe | 1,496 | 60.94 | 26% safer |
| Brandon | 629 | 67.32 | 14% safer |
| Stowmarket | 1,502 | 68.47 | 12% safer |
| Great Cornard | 705 | 72.30 | 6% safer |
| Mildenhall | 799 | 74.13 | 3.5% safer |
| Beccles | 796 | 76.72 | - |
| Newmarket | 1,591 | 95.85 | 20% more dangerous |
| Sudbury | 1,432 | 103.42 | 26% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Beccles
View crime percentage over time forRecent Crimes in Beccles
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2021 | Drugs | On or near Clerk'S Piece | Offender given a caution |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Clerk'S Piece | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Drugs | On or near Rigbourne Hill | Offender given a caution |
| October 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Bus/Coach Station | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Other theft | On or near Bus/Coach Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ballygate | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Other theft | On or near Dowes Hill Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| October 2021 | Public order | On or near Kilbrack Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near George Brown Way | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Newgate | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Other theft | On or near Grove Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Sir John Leman Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Woodside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Woodside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shopping Area | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shopping Area | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| October 2021 | Public order | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| October 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Marion Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| October 2021 | Shoplifting | On or near Petrol Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| October 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Hungate | Unable to prosecute suspect |
Beccles Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 11 | 9 | 20 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.8 | 0.58 | 0.67 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.7 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 16 | 11 | 7 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.58 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 9 | 5 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.48 | 0.39 | 0.87 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 6 | 4.5 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.10 | 0.39 | 0.10 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.10 | 0.19 | 0.58 | 0.67 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 27 | 28 | 24 | 35 | Getting worse |
Changes In Beccles's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Beccles's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Beccles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beccles Common | - | - | - | - | 2 | 4 | 0.16 |
Comparing Beccles to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 13% safer |
| Beccles | 76.72 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 0.89% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 8% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 11% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 21% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 25% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 42% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 44% more dangerous |
Crime in Beccles's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beccles | 740 | 87 | First |
Crime in Beccles During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Beccles change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Beccles saw a 1,000% increase in criminal damage and arson. Beccles saw a large fall in criminal damage and arson during June, when it fell by 78% compared to June in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +50% | +25% | +43% | +200% | +23% | +450% | +188% | +138% | +118% | +56% |
| Bicycle Theft | +200% | - | - | - | - | +300% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | - | +700% | - | - | -75% | -33% | +200% | - | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -17% | +100% | -38% | -78% | +350% | +1,000% | +125% | +88% | +183% | -33% |
| Drugs | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - | +300% | - | +300% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | +200% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -50% | -57% | -60% | -60% | +75% | +40% | - | -50% | +133% | -75% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +100% | +25% | +50% | -50% | +300% | +167% | +125% | +150% | +350% | -60% |
| Shoplifting | +25% | -75% | - | +100% | - | +33% | +350% | +267% | +175% | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | +100% | -78% | -33% | - | - | -50% | - | - | +300% | +100% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -26% | +129% | -47% | +61% | +94% | +255% | +60% | +94% | +146% | +5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Beccles
What police force serves Beccles?
Beccles's local territorial police force is the Suffolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Beccles?
Beccles is the third most dangerous small town in Suffolk.What is Beccles's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Beccles are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Beccles?
Beccles's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 26 Nov 2021