Crime in Babergh: statistics, rates and trends
4,466 crimes were recorded in Babergh in the 12 months to August 2026, 46.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Babergh at a glance
- Crime trends in Babergh
- Types of crime in Babergh
- Babergh compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Babergh
- Streets with the most crime in Babergh
- What happened after crimes were reported in Babergh
- Demographics of Babergh
- Fly-tipping in Babergh
- Questions about crime in Babergh
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,095), criminal damage and arson (450) and anti-social behaviour (420) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 295th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | Babergh | Suffolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,466 | 48,655 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 46.0 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 97,033 | 786,231 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Babergh peaked in the year to August 2020 (5,757 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (4,439). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 19%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,466 | 46.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,439 | 45.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,471 | 46.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,234 | 53.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,413 | 55.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,400 | 55.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,757 | 59.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,379 | 55.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,506 | 56.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 406 |
| July 2026 | 452 |
| June 2026 | 402 |
| May 2026 | 415 |
| April 2026 | 362 |
| March 2026 | 401 |
| February 2026 | 328 |
| January 2026 | 373 |
| December 2025 | 347 |
| November 2025 | 345 |
| October 2025 | 323 |
| September 2025 | 312 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (72% below) and shoplifting (71% below) were well below it. On the year before, burglary fell from 211 to 162.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,095 | 21.6 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 450 | 4.6 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 420 | 4.3 | 15.4 | +12% |
| Other theft | 319 | 3.3 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Public order | 278 | 2.9 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Shoplifting | 239 | 2.5 | 8.5 | +8% |
| Vehicle crime | 176 | 1.8 | 5.0 | +8% |
| Burglary | 162 | 1.7 | 3.6 | -23% |
| Drugs | 119 | 1.2 | 3.3 | +9% |
| Other crime | 110 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Possession of weapons | 60 | 0.6 | 1.0 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 17 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 12 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 9 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Babergh; the highest is Ipswich district (100.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Mid Suffolk (41.1).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Babergh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | 18,986 | 94.8 | +106% |
| Ipswich | 14,071 | 100.3 | +118% |
| Mid Suffolk | 4,558 | 41.1 | -11% |
| Braintree | 10,156 | 61.8 | +34% |
| Tendring | 14,944 | 95.3 | +107% |
| West Suffolk | 11,225 | 59.6 | +29% |
| Maldon | 3,535 | 51.1 | +11% |
| Uttlesford | 5,882 | 61.8 | +34% |
Of the 39 areas within Babergh, Sudbury South East had the highest crime rate (111.6 per 1,000) and Stratford St Mary the lowest (18.8), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudbury South East | Neighbourhood | 4,132 | 461 | 111.6 |
| Sudbury North East | Neighbourhood | 1,578 | 170 | 107.7 |
| Sudbury North West | Neighbourhood | 6,741 | 684 | 101.5 |
| Sudbury | Town | 24,179 | 1,860 | 76.9 |
| East Bergholt | Town | 1,532 | 95 | 62.0 |
| Sudbury South West | Neighbourhood | 1,614 | 99 | 61.3 |
| Washbrook | Town | 2,170 | 130 | 59.9 |
| Hadleigh North | Neighbourhood | 2,151 | 116 | 53.9 |
| Sproughton & Pinewood | Neighbourhood | 5,651 | 299 | 52.9 |
| Copdock & Washbrook | Neighbourhood | 3,641 | 192 | 52.7 |
| Hadleigh | Town | 9,215 | 460 | 49.9 |
| Hadleigh South | Neighbourhood | 7,064 | 344 | 48.7 |
| Great Cornard | Neighbourhood | 10,114 | 446 | 44.1 |
| Chelmondiston | Town | 2,189 | 95 | 43.4 |
| Orwell | Neighbourhood | 2,189 | 95 | 43.4 |
| East Bergholt | Neighbourhood | 3,567 | 145 | 40.7 |
| Sproughton | Town | 1,275 | 49 | 38.4 |
| Long Melford | Town | 4,463 | 168 | 37.6 |
| Shotley Gate | Town | 1,744 | 64 | 36.7 |
| Ganges | Neighbourhood | 1,744 | 64 | 36.7 |
| South East Cosford | Neighbourhood | 2,259 | 79 | 35.0 |
| Long Melford | Neighbourhood | 6,171 | 207 | 33.5 |
| Capel St Mary | Town | 3,407 | 113 | 33.2 |
| Lavenham | Town | 1,994 | 66 | 33.1 |
| Leavenheath | Town | 1,873 | 60 | 32.0 |
| Assington | Neighbourhood | 1,873 | 60 | 32.0 |
| Lavenham | Neighbourhood | 5,436 | 171 | 31.5 |
| Great Waldingfield | Town | 1,832 | 56 | 30.6 |
| Brett Vale | Neighbourhood | 3,457 | 104 | 30.1 |
| Bures St Mary & Nayland | Neighbourhood | 3,897 | 111 | 28.5 |
| Box Vale | Neighbourhood | 2,433 | 68 | 27.9 |
| Brantham | Town | 2,890 | 77 | 26.6 |
| Glemsford | Town | 4,148 | 108 | 26.0 |
| North West Cosford | Neighbourhood | 4,708 | 118 | 25.1 |
| Stour | Neighbourhood | 4,051 | 97 | 23.9 |
| Chadacre | Neighbourhood | 6,265 | 146 | 23.3 |
| Holbrook (Babergh) | Town | 2,580 | 60 | 23.3 |
| Acton | Town | 1,708 | 39 | 22.8 |
| Stratford St Mary | Town | 1,223 | 23 | 18.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Babergh over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (167).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 167 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 114 |
| On or near Supermarket | 92 |
| On or near Nightclub | 90 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 88 |
| On or near Market Hill | 66 |
| On or near Hamilton Road | 55 |
| On or near The Street | 42 |
| On or near Elm Road | 38 |
| On or near Foxhall Close | 36 |
Of the 4,046 crimes in Babergh with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 420 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,591 | 39.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,043 | 25.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 566 | 14.0% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 254 | 6.3% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 156 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 146 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 142 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 55 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 43 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 33 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Babergh has an estimated population of 97,033 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%), an older population (27%, against 19%) and fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Babergh average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Babergh | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 27.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 30.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
430 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Babergh in 2024/25 (4.4 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Babergh has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Babergh a safe place to live?
Babergh recorded 46.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 295th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Babergh?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,095 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (450).
Is crime in Babergh going up or down?
Recorded crime in Babergh was almost unchanged on the year before: 4,466 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,439 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Babergh?
About 97,033 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Babergh?
Babergh is policed by Suffolk.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.