Ipswich is the safest major town in Suffolk, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Suffolk's 461 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ipswich in 2021 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 27% higher than the Suffolk rate of 63 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ipswich is the 52nd most dangerous major town, and the 845th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2021, Ipswich had the worst crime rate in Suffolk for bicycle theft, with 16 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.11 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Ipswich residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 35 crimes at a rate of 0.24 per 1,000 residents. Ipswich recorded 104 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2021, making its crime rate of 0.70 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Ipswich are violence and sexual offences, with 6,224 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 42. This is 7% lower than 2020's figure of 6,667 offences and a difference of 2.98 from 2020's crime rate of 45. Ipswich's least common crime is theft from the person, with 108 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 32% from 2020's figure of 143 crimes.
Safest
Major Towns, Suffolk
19% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
16% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Ipswich is 19% higher than the East of England and 16% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Ipswich | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Ipswich represent the time frame between April 2019 and March 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87 | 12,910 |
| 2020 | 97 | 14,493 |
| 2019 | 100 | 14,867 |
| 2018 | 114 | 16,946 |
| 2017 | 106 | 15,715 |
| 2016 | 88 | 13,062 |
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| Ipswich | Suffolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,510 | 16.87 | 8,792 | 11.54 | 32% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 161 | 1.08 | 557 | 0.73 | 32% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 402 | 2.70 | 1,980 | 2.60 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,291 | 8.68 | 5,148 | 6.76 | 22% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 447 | 3.01 | 1,484 | 1.95 | 35% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 240 | 1.61 | 1,137 | 1.49 | 7% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 817 | 5.49 | 3,513 | 4.61 | 16% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 133 | 0.89 | 445 | 0.58 | 35% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,606 | 10.80 | 5,436 | 7.14 | 34% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 123 | 0.83 | 261 | 0.34 | 59% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 979 | 6.58 | 2,369 | 3.11 | 53% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 108 | 0.73 | 321 | 0.42 | 42% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 379 | 2.55 | 2,161 | 2.84 | 11% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,224 | 41.84 | 23,423 | 30.75 | 27% more dangerous |
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 12,910 | 86.79 | - |
| Lowestoft | 6,880 | 93.22 | 7% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Temple Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Northgate Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near St Catherine'S Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bus/Coach Station | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Marlow Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Bayswater Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Tacket Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Granville Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Lattice Avenue | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Byron Road | Formal action is not in the public interest |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Ayr Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Prospect Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Temple Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Shopping Area | Offender given penalty notice |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near St Catherine'S Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Shrubland Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.1 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.99 | 1.2 | 0.88 | 0.89 | Safer |
| Public Order | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.98 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 12 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.96 | 0.73 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 41 | 40 | 45 | 42 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Ipswich that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch Park | 6 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 0.33 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 117% safer |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 75% safer |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 29% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 5% safer |
| Ipswich | 86.79 | - |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 22% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 29% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 43% more dangerous |
Ipswich Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Ipswich, followed by Gipping & Chantry Park in second place, and Westgate as the third most dangerous area. Ipswich's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Castle Hill, Christchurch Park, and Rushmere.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belstead Hills | 437 | 68 | 11th |
| Broke Hall | 493 | 72 | Ninth |
| California | 546 | 59 | 13th |
| Castle Hill | 250 | 36 | 16th |
| Christchurch Park | 468 | 57 | 14th |
| Gainsborough, Greenwich & Orwell | 600 | 69 | Tenth |
| Gipping & Chantry Park | 1,571 | 165 | Second |
| Holywells | 540 | 66 | 12th |
| Ipswich Central | 2,715 | 248 | First |
| Maidenhall, Stoke & Port | 881 | 90 | Fifth |
| Priory Heath | 946 | 104 | Fourth |
| Rushmere | 421 | 52 | 15th |
| Stoke Park | 580 | 82 | Sixth |
| Westgate | 1,354 | 124 | Third |
| Whitehouse | 652 | 73 | Seventh |
| Whitton | 560 | 72 | Eighth |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Ipswich for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Castle Hill (31) | Ipswich Central (508) |
| Bicycle Theft | Belstead Hills (1) | Ipswich Central (49) |
| Burglary | Belstead Hills (8) | Ipswich Central (63) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Castle Hill (17) | Ipswich Central (259) |
| Drugs | Rushmere (7) | Gipping & Chantry Park (103) |
| Other Crime | California (5) | Stoke Park (24) |
| Other Theft | Rushmere (21) | Ipswich Central (162) |
| Possession of Weapons | Rushmere (2) | Ipswich Central (26) |
| Public Order | Castle Hill (14) | Ipswich Central (426) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | California (2) | Ipswich Central (39) |
| Shoplifting | Stoke Park (12) | Ipswich Central (379) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Gainsborough, Greenwich & Orwell (1) | Ipswich Central (53) |
| Vehicle Crime | Stoke Park (7) | Priory Heath (48) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Castle Hill (105) | Ipswich Central (1,091) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Ipswich change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Ipswich saw a 120% increase in public order. Ipswich saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 87% compared to April in 2019. Rates of bicycle theft and theft from the person both fell year-on-year for every month during Ipswich's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -33% | +11% | -1% | -20% | -13% | +13% | +16% | +53% | +10% | +17% |
| Bicycle Theft | -62% | -54% | -47% | -55% | -47% | -50% | -59% | +6% | -42% | -55% |
| Burglary | -21% | -51% | -59% | -32% | -15% | -40% | -13% | -19% | -33% | -30% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -19% | -22% | -31% | +10% | +58% | +21% | -10% | +34% | +27% | -23% |
| Drugs | -12% | -18% | +26% | -15% | +56% | +100% | +6% | +2% | +19% | +71% |
| Other Crime | +20% | -12% | -37% | -4% | +16% | +38% | -14% | +29% | -45% | -4% |
| Other Theft | -12% | -54% | -23% | -26% | +11% | +6% | +44% | +39% | +11% | -17% |
| Possession of Weapons | -56% | -50% | -50% | -13% | -20% | +9% | - | -13% | - | -37% |
| Public Order | +3% | -14% | +1% | +31% | +59% | +120% | +51% | +39% | +22% | -9% |
| Robbery | -59% | -73% | -30% | -62% | -52% | -46% | -42% | -37% | -47% | -65% |
| Shoplifting | -52% | -87% | -77% | -61% | -11% | -57% | -15% | -21% | -23% | -10% |
| Theft From the Person | -8% | -63% | -68% | -33% | -72% | - | -6% | -33% | -47% | -60% |
| Vehicle Crime | +2% | -27% | -18% | -42% | -19% | -3% | -42% | +11% | - | -44% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +15% | +4% | -10% | +24% | +31% | +45% | -1% | +6% | +5% | -1% |
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