Lowestoft Crime Overview
Lowestoft is the safest 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 Lowestoft in 2020 was 86 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 22% higher than the Suffolk rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Lowestoft is the 53rd most dangerous major town, and the 809th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Lowestoft had the worst crime rate in Suffolk for vehicle crime, with 47 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.64 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2017 was also a bad month for Lowestoft residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 12 crimes at a rate of 0.16 per 1,000 residents. Lowestoft recorded 6 reports of possession of weapons during June 2015, making its crime rate of 0.08 the worst for possession of weapons in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Lowestoft are violence and sexual offences, with 2,966 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 40. This is 5.0% higher than 2019's figure of 2,818 offences and a difference of 2.01 from 2019's crime rate of 38. Lowestoft's least common crime is robbery, with 36 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 11% from 2019's figure of 40 crimes.
Compare Lowestoft to other towns and cities
See how Lowestoft shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Lowestoft and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Lowestoft Crime Map
Crime in Lowestoft Compared To Suffolk
Summary of Crimes in Lowestoft This Year
| Lowestoft | Suffolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,277 | 17.30 | 9,851 | 12.93 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 135 | 1.83 | 688 | 0.90 | 51% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 226 | 3.06 | 2,634 | 3.46 | 13% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 839 | 11.37 | 5,620 | 7.38 | 35% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 192 | 2.60 | 1,753 | 2.30 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 137 | 1.86 | 1,237 | 1.62 | 13% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 557 | 7.55 | 3,589 | 4.71 | 38% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 61 | 0.83 | 443 | 0.58 | 30% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 700 | 9.49 | 5,448 | 7.15 | 25% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 36 | 0.49 | 318 | 0.42 | 14% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 204 | 2.76 | 2,510 | 3.30 | 20% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 47 | 0.64 | 349 | 0.46 | 28% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 255 | 3.46 | 2,617 | 3.44 | 0.58% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,966 | 40.19 | 23,770 | 31.21 | 22% more dangerous |
Lowestoft Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowestoft | 6,355 | 86.11 | - |
| Ipswich | 14,808 | 99.55 | 14% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Lowestoft
View crime percentage over time forLowestoft Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 16 | 15 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 13 | 10 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.62 | 0.85 | 0.96 | 0.83 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.54 | 0.65 | 0.54 | 0.49 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.53 | 0.68 | 0.66 | 0.64 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 36 | 37 | 38 | 40 | Getting worse |
Changes In Lowestoft's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Lowestoft's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Lowestoft 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard's Meadow | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0.82 |
| Kensington Gardens | 1 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Comparing Lowestoft to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 27% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 11% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 3.5% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 0.35% safer |
| Lowestoft | 86.11 | - |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 0.12% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 12% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 16% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 37% more dangerous |
Crime in Lowestoft's Neighbourhoods
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, Oulton, Oulton Broad West, and Pakefield North.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunton West | 791 | 97 | Third |
| Lowestoft Central | 1,886 | 188 | Second |
| Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley | 1,727 | 223 | First |
| Normanston & Oulton Broad East | 507 | 68 | Fourth |
| Oulton | 283 | 36 | Sixth |
| Oulton Broad West | 195 | 27 | Seventh |
| Pakefield North | 451 | 65 | Fifth |
Lowestoft Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 (29) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (307) |
| Bicycle Theft | Oulton Broad West (3) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (45) |
| Burglary | Oulton Broad West (8) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (66) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Oulton (29) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (212) |
| Drugs | Oulton Broad West (6) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (53) |
| Other Crime | Oulton (4) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (34) |
| Other Theft | Oulton Broad West (18) | Lowestoft Central (197) |
| Possession of Weapons | Oulton (2) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (29) |
| Public Order | Oulton Broad West (14) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (201) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Pakefield North (2) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (16) |
| Shoplifting | Oulton Broad West (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (74) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Oulton (1) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (22) |
| Vehicle Crime | Oulton (17) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (44) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Oulton Broad West (81) | Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (789) |
Crime in Lowestoft During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 1,000% increase in other crime. Lowestoft saw a large fall in shoplifting during December, when it fell by 82% compared to December in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -37% | -20% | +20% | +20% | +20% | +55% | +34% | -11% | +19% | +61% |
| Bicycle Theft | +22% | -53% | -55% | +20% | -38% | +75% | -29% | +36% | -43% | -11% |
| Burglary | +6% | +53% | -47% | +38% | -33% | -46% | -33% | +275% | -39% | +222% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -5% | -53% | -34% | +18% | +78% | +73% | +39% | +2% | +76% | +67% |
| Drugs | +62% | +17% | +150% | +58% | +8% | +27% | - | -32% | +82% | -7% |
| Other Crime | - | +175% | +63% | +88% | -29% | -20% | +14% | -25% | +1,000% | +25% |
| Other Theft | +2% | - | -22% | +17% | +50% | +65% | +59% | +54% | +84% | +78% |
| Possession of Weapons | +75% | - | -40% | -57% | -17% | +20% | - | -40% | -57% | +25% |
| Public Order | +11% | -13% | +57% | +24% | +72% | +62% | +51% | -11% | +67% | +76% |
| Robbery | +50% | -82% | +200% | -33% | -67% | -17% | +300% | -25% | -50% | +150% |
| Shoplifting | +27% | -56% | -21% | -31% | -22% | -33% | -58% | -47% | - | -82% |
| Theft From the Person | -38% | - | -50% | - | - | -33% | +300% | -75% | -60% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -41% | -75% | -41% | -45% | +150% | +5% | +118% | -9% | +108% | +571% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -12% | -14% | -17% | +7% | +12% | +36% | +19% | +2% | +7% | +32% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lowestoft
What police force serves Lowestoft?
Lowestoft's local territorial police force is the Suffolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Lowestoft?
Lowestoft is the safest major town in Suffolk.What is Lowestoft's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Lowestoft are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Lowestoft?
Lowestoft's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021