Lowestoft is the most dangerous 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 Lowestoft in 2021 was 93 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 32% higher than the Suffolk rate of 63 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Lowestoft is the 43rd most dangerous major town, and the 695th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Lowestoft had the worst crime rate in Suffolk for bicycle theft, with 18 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.24 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2021 was also a bad month for Lowestoft residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 51 crimes at a rate of 0.69 per 1,000 residents. Lowestoft recorded 65 reports of other theft during August 2021, making its crime rate of 0.88 the worst for other theft in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Lowestoft are violence and sexual offences, with 3,314 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 45. This is 12% higher than 2020's figure of 2,930 offences and a difference of 5.21 from 2020's crime rate of 40. Lowestoft's least common crime is robbery, with 33 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 9% from 2020's figure of 36 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Major Towns, Suffolk
24% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
22% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Lowestoft is 24% higher than the East of England and 22% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Lowestoft | |
East of England | |
England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Lowestoft 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
Set up monthly updates on crime & public safety issues. We never spam.
Thanks! Please check your email and confirm your signup there.
Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
---|---|---|
2021 | 93 | 6,880 |
2020 | 85 | 6,298 |
2019 | 76 | 5,637 |
2018 | 83 | 6,100 |
2017 | 88 | 6,507 |
2016 | 70 | 5,188 |
We're available to answer questions about crime data and can supply custom data to support your work.
Email us directly
Lowestoft | Suffolk | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,324 | 17.94 | 8,792 | 11.54 | 36% more dangerous |
Bicycle Theft | 183 | 2.48 | 557 | 0.73 | 71% more dangerous |
Burglary | 263 | 3.56 | 1,980 | 2.60 | 27% more dangerous |
Criminal Damage and Arson | 833 | 11.29 | 5,148 | 6.76 | 40% more dangerous |
Drugs | 157 | 2.13 | 1,484 | 1.95 | 8% more dangerous |
Other Crime | 104 | 1.41 | 1,137 | 1.49 | 6% safer |
Other Theft | 599 | 8.12 | 3,513 | 4.61 | 43% more dangerous |
Possession of Weapons | 51 | 0.69 | 445 | 0.58 | 16% more dangerous |
Public Order | 749 | 10.15 | 5,436 | 7.14 | 30% more dangerous |
Robbery | 33 | 0.45 | 261 | 0.34 | 24% more dangerous |
Shoplifting | 280 | 3.79 | 2,369 | 3.11 | 18% more dangerous |
Theft From the Person | 36 | 0.49 | 321 | 0.42 | 14% more dangerous |
Vehicle Crime | 278 | 3.77 | 2,161 | 2.84 | 25% more dangerous |
Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,314 | 44.91 | 23,423 | 30.75 | 32% more dangerous |
Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Ipswich | 12,910 | 86.79 | 7% safer |
Lowestoft | 6,880 | 93.22 | - |
View crime percentage over time for
Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
March 2022 | Other theft | On or near St Peter'S Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Kirkley Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Mill Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Telesia Court | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Rosewood | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Elim Terrace | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Boston Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Bourne Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Denton Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Seago Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St John'S Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Public order | On or near Peto Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Sycamore Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Somerton Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Whiting Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Public order | On or near Harebell Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St Peter'S Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Church Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near South View Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Waveney Crescent | Action to be taken by another organisation |
Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | Getting worse |
Bicycle Theft | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
Burglary | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | Safer |
Drugs | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.4 | Safer |
Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
Possession of Weapons | 0.81 | 0.92 | 0.79 | 0.69 | Safer |
Public Order | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | Getting worse |
Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.62 | 0.54 | 0.49 | 0.45 | Safer |
Shoplifting | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 3.8 | Safer |
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.64 | 0.49 | Safer |
Vehicle Crime | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.8 | Safer |
Violence and Sexual Offences | 37 | 37 | 40 | 45 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Lowestoft 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barnard's Meadow | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0.82 |
Kensington Gardens | 1 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
---|---|---|
Coventry | 39.93 | 133% safer |
Birmingham | 49.60 | 88% safer |
Barnet | 67.08 | 39% safer |
Croydon | 82.48 | 13% safer |
Sheffield | 90.03 | 3.5% safer |
Bristol | 90.52 | 3.0% safer |
Lowestoft | 93.22 | - |
Leicester | 111.59 | 16% more dangerous |
Liverpool | 123.06 | 24% more dangerous |
Bradford | 132.28 | 30% more dangerous |
Leeds | 150.94 | 38% more dangerous |
Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Lowestoft, followed by Lowestoft Central in second place, and Gunton West as the third most dangerous area. Lowestoft's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Normanston & Oulton Broad East, Oulton, and Oulton Broad West.
Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Gunton West | 934 | 115 | Third |
Lowestoft Central | 2,039 | 203 | Second |
Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley | 1,818 | 235 | First |
Normanston & Oulton Broad East | 520 | 69 | Fifth |
Oulton | 333 | 43 | Sixth |
Oulton Broad West | 201 | 28 | Seventh |
Pakefield North | 541 | 78 | Fourth |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Lowestoft for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
---|---|---|
Anti-Social Behaviour | Oulton Broad West (36) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (293) |
Bicycle Theft | Oulton Broad West (3) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (46) |
Burglary | Oulton Broad West (12) | Lowestoft Central (79) |
Criminal Damage and Arson | Oulton Broad West (34) | Lowestoft Central (266) |
Drugs | Oulton Broad West (5) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (49) |
Other Crime | Oulton Broad West (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (32) |
Other Theft | Oulton Broad West (19) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (154) |
Possession of Weapons | Oulton (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (19) |
Public Order | Oulton Broad West (15) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (220) |
Robbery (inc. mugging) | Oulton (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (19) |
Shoplifting | Oulton (4) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (101) |
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Oulton Broad West (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (12) |
Vehicle Crime | Oulton Broad West (20) | Lowestoft Central (67) |
Violence and Sexual Offences | Oulton Broad West (91) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (884) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Lowestoft change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Lowestoft saw a 1,100% increase in other crime. Lowestoft saw a large fall in robbery during April, when it fell by 82% compared to April in 2019.
Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Social Behaviour | -39% | -22% | +15% | +14% | +20% | +50% | +35% | -14% | +16% | +65% |
Bicycle Theft | +22% | -53% | -55% | +33% | -38% | +63% | -29% | +36% | -43% | -11% |
Burglary | +6% | +24% | -44% | +38% | -24% | -42% | -38% | +275% | -44% | +250% |
Criminal Damage and Arson | -8% | -56% | -35% | +29% | +70% | +78% | +38% | +2% | +75% | +79% |
Drugs | +69% | +8% | +150% | +73% | +8% | +18% | -25% | -36% | +82% | - |
Other Crime | - | +267% | +63% | +129% | -29% | -30% | +17% | -18% | +1,100% | +25% |
Other Theft | +2% | -5% | -19% | +16% | +50% | +68% | +67% | +54% | +104% | +78% |
Possession of Weapons | +75% | - | -60% | -57% | -17% | +50% | -14% | -40% | -57% | +25% |
Public Order | +31% | -10% | +53% | +23% | +76% | +69% | +46% | -11% | +58% | +79% |
Robbery | +50% | -82% | +200% | -33% | -67% | -17% | +300% | -25% | -50% | +150% |
Shoplifting | +36% | -58% | -21% | -33% | -30% | -24% | -59% | -50% | +8% | -78% |
Theft From the Person | -38% | - | -50% | -50% | - | -33% | +200% | -75% | -60% | - |
Vehicle Crime | -48% | -71% | -18% | -50% | +150% | +4% | +69% | -27% | +77% | +543% |
Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | -9% | -12% | +15% | +17% | +36% | +18% | +6% | +5% | +35% |
Search by area