Stowmarket Crime Overview
Stowmarket is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Suffolk, and is the 35th most dangerous overall out of Suffolk's 477 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Stowmarket in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Suffolk's overall crime rate, coming in 2.3% higher than the Suffolk rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Stowmarket is the 210th most dangerous small town, and the 1,507th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Stowmarket was the worst small town in Suffolk for burglary, with 17 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.77 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2020 was also a bad month for Stowmarket residents, when it was Suffolk's most dangerous small town for bicycle theft, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.09 per 1,000 residents. Stowmarket recorded 17 reports of drugs during April 2020, making its crime rate of 0.77 the worst small town for drugs in Suffolk that month.
The most common crimes in Stowmarket are violence and sexual offences, with 720 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 33. This is 8% higher than 2019's figure of 666 offences and a difference of 2.46 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Stowmarket's least common crime is theft from the person, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 10 crimes.
Compare Stowmarket to other towns and cities
See how Stowmarket shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Stowmarket and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Stowmarket Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Stowmarket This Year
| Stowmarket | Suffolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 303 | 13.81 | 9,851 | 12.93 | 6% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 18 | 0.82 | 688 | 0.90 | 10% safer |
| Burglary | 99 | 4.51 | 2,634 | 3.46 | 23% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 170 | 7.75 | 5,620 | 7.38 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 78 | 3.56 | 1,753 | 2.30 | 35% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 30 | 1.37 | 1,237 | 1.62 | 18% safer |
| Other Theft | 95 | 4.33 | 3,589 | 4.71 | 9% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 18 | 0.82 | 443 | 0.58 | 29% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 181 | 8.25 | 5,448 | 7.15 | 13% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.41 | 318 | 0.42 | 2.4% safer |
| Shoplifting | 36 | 1.64 | 2,510 | 3.30 | 101% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.23 | 349 | 0.46 | 100% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 43 | 1.96 | 2,617 | 3.44 | 76% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 720 | 32.82 | 23,770 | 31.21 | 4.9% more dangerous |
Crime in Stowmarket Compared To Suffolk
Stowmarket Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kesgrave | 442 | 29.73 | 130% safer |
| Hadleigh | 455 | 50.93 | 34% safer |
| Woodbridge | 479 | 60.66 | 13% safer |
| Felixstowe | 1,496 | 60.94 | 12% safer |
| Brandon | 629 | 67.32 | 1.7% safer |
| Stowmarket | 1,502 | 68.47 | - |
| Great Cornard | 705 | 72.30 | 5% more dangerous |
| Mildenhall | 799 | 74.13 | 8% more dangerous |
| Beccles | 796 | 76.72 | 11% more dangerous |
| Newmarket | 1,591 | 95.85 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sudbury | 1,432 | 103.42 | 34% more dangerous |
Stowmarket Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 15 | 11 | 14 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.82 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.0 | 3.2 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 0.64 | 0.36 | 0.82 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.55 | 0.41 | 0.50 | 0.41 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5.0 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 0.50 | 0.46 | 0.23 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.5 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 38 | 30 | 33 | Getting worse |
Changes In Stowmarket's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Stowmarket to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.1% safer |
| Stowmarket | 68.47 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 12% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 18% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 21% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 30% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 33% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 36% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 49% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 50% more dangerous |
Crime in Stowmarket's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stowmarket West | 554 | 86 | First |
Crime in Stowmarket During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Stowmarket change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Stowmarket saw a 1,600% increase in drugs. Stowmarket saw a large fall in vehicle crime during April, when it fell by 94% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +13% | +5% | -5% | +52% | +81% | +50% | +111% | +18% | +21% | -22% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | -33% | - | - | -33% | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Burglary | +29% | +11% | -25% | +13% | - | -81% | -83% | -85% | -92% | -73% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | -25% | +8% | +30% | +8% | +183% | +38% | +45% | -44% | -38% |
| Drugs | +100% | +1,600% | +300% | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | +100% |
| Other Crime | -33% | -67% | - | - | -33% | - | +600% | -50% | - | +50% |
| Other Theft | -36% | -75% | +267% | -17% | -31% | +175% | +100% | +300% | +40% | +67% |
| Possession of Weapons | +150% | - | - | +100% | - | - | -50% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -53% | -44% | +8% | +243% | +100% | +183% | +82% | +71% | +100% | +60% |
| Robbery | - | -75% | - | - | -75% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +50% | -80% | - | -40% | -60% | - | -75% | +20% | -78% | +100% |
| Theft From the Person | -67% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +33% | -94% | +150% | -73% | -75% | - | -75% | +150% | -25% | -50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -4% | -10% | +8% | -10% | +23% | +44% | +10% | +5% | +8% | +11% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Stowmarket
What police force serves Stowmarket?
Stowmarket's local territorial police force is the Suffolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Stowmarket?
Stowmarket is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Suffolk.What is Stowmarket's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Stowmarket are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Stowmarket?
Stowmarket's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021