Ipswich Crime Overview
Ipswich is the most dangerous major town in Suffolk, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Suffolk's 477 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ipswich in 2020 was 100 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 33% higher than the Suffolk rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ipswich is the 32nd most dangerous major town, and the 506th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Ipswich had the worst crime rate in Suffolk for bicycle theft, with 10 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.07 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Ipswich residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 45 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Ipswich recorded 94 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.63 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Ipswich are violence and sexual offences, with 6,771 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 46. This is 12% higher than 2019's figure of 5,965 offences and a difference of 5.42 from 2019's crime rate of 40. Ipswich's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 133 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 37% from 2019's figure of 182 crimes.
Compare Ipswich to other towns and cities
See how Ipswich shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Ipswich and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Ipswich Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Ipswich This Year
| Ipswich | Suffolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,577 | 17.33 | 9,851 | 12.93 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 268 | 1.80 | 688 | 0.90 | 50% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 548 | 3.68 | 2,634 | 3.46 | 6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,415 | 9.51 | 5,620 | 7.38 | 22% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 540 | 3.63 | 1,753 | 2.30 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 308 | 2.07 | 1,237 | 1.62 | 22% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 893 | 6.00 | 3,589 | 4.71 | 22% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 133 | 0.89 | 443 | 0.58 | 35% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,670 | 11.23 | 5,448 | 7.15 | 36% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 148 | 1.00 | 318 | 0.42 | 58% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,176 | 7.91 | 2,510 | 3.30 | 58% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 143 | 0.96 | 349 | 0.46 | 52% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 795 | 5.34 | 2,617 | 3.44 | 36% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,771 | 45.52 | 23,770 | 31.21 | 31% more dangerous |
Crime in Ipswich Compared To Suffolk
Ipswich Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowestoft | 6,355 | 86.11 | 16% safer |
| Ipswich | 14,808 | 99.55 | - |
Ipswich Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24 | 18 | 17 | 17 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 13 | 9 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.85 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.89 | Safer |
| Public Order | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 14 | 13 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.96 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 35 | 41 | 40 | 46 | Getting worse |
Changes In Ipswich's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Ipswich to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 47% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 29% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 16% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 15% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 2.2% safer |
| Ipswich | 99.55 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 25% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 27% more dangerous |
Crime in Ipswich's Neighbourhoods
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 | 487 | 75 | 11th |
| Broke Hall | 466 | 68 | 13th |
| California | 695 | 75 | 12th |
| Castle Hill | 345 | 49 | 16th |
| Christchurch Park | 438 | 54 | 15th |
| Gainsborough, Greenwich & Orwell | 687 | 79 | Tenth |
| Gipping & Chantry Park | 1,673 | 176 | Second |
| Holywells | 690 | 84 | Ninth |
| Ipswich Central | 2,651 | 243 | First |
| Maidenhall, Stoke & Port | 1,043 | 107 | Sixth |
| Priory Heath | 1,048 | 115 | Fourth |
| Rushmere | 479 | 59 | 14th |
| Stoke Park | 816 | 115 | Fifth |
| Westgate | 1,525 | 139 | Third |
| Whitehouse | 855 | 96 | Seventh |
| Whitton | 690 | 89 | Eighth |
Ipswich Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 (32) | Ipswich Central (444) |
| Bicycle Theft | Whitton (3) | Ipswich Central (78) |
| Burglary | Rushmere (8) | Ipswich Central (84) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Castle Hill (19) | Ipswich Central (205) |
| Drugs | Belstead Hills (7) | Ipswich Central (114) |
| Other Crime | Christchurch Park (4) | Ipswich Central (45) |
| Other Theft | Castle Hill (18) | Ipswich Central (198) |
| Possession of Weapons | California (2) | Ipswich Central (35) |
| Public Order | Castle Hill (29) | Ipswich Central (342) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Broke Hall (1) | Ipswich Central (45) |
| Shoplifting | Christchurch Park (1) | Ipswich Central (380) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | California (1) | Ipswich Central (52) |
| Vehicle Crime | Belstead Hills (21) | Ipswich Central (86) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Castle Hill (149) | Ipswich Central (987) |
Crime in Ipswich During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 124% increase in public order. Ipswich saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 85% 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 | -29% | +14% | -5% | -13% | -8% | +13% | +17% | +53% | +10% | +15% |
| Bicycle Theft | -63% | -51% | -41% | -52% | -47% | -50% | -59% | +9% | -42% | -55% |
| Burglary | -21% | -54% | -56% | -31% | -4% | -40% | -10% | -25% | -29% | -27% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -19% | -22% | -31% | +11% | +57% | +17% | -11% | +29% | +25% | -24% |
| Drugs | -10% | -18% | +29% | -17% | +59% | +100% | +3% | - | +19% | +76% |
| Other Crime | +25% | -12% | -37% | -4% | +16% | +43% | -10% | +29% | -48% | -4% |
| Other Theft | -12% | -52% | -22% | -23% | +9% | +5% | +48% | +36% | +7% | -14% |
| Possession of Weapons | -56% | -50% | -50% | -13% | -20% | +9% | +20% | -19% | - | -37% |
| Public Order | +4% | -14% | +2% | +29% | +57% | +124% | +54% | +30% | +24% | -8% |
| Robbery | -59% | -73% | -30% | -62% | -52% | -46% | -42% | -37% | -47% | -65% |
| Shoplifting | -50% | -85% | -75% | -60% | -13% | -56% | -12% | -22% | -20% | -10% |
| Theft From the Person | -8% | -63% | -68% | -33% | -72% | - | -6% | -33% | -47% | -63% |
| Vehicle Crime | -2% | -24% | -18% | -43% | -17% | -6% | -40% | +13% | - | -37% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +15% | +4% | -9% | +24% | +30% | +45% | -1% | +7% | +5% | +1% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ipswich
What police force serves Ipswich?
Ipswich's local territorial police force is the Suffolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Ipswich?
Ipswich is the most dangerous major town in Suffolk.What is Ipswich's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Ipswich are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Ipswich?
Ipswich's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021