Crime in Central Bedfordshire: statistics, rates and trends
19,387 crimes were recorded in Central Bedfordshire in the 12 months to August 2026, 61.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Central Bedfordshire at a glance
- Crime trends in Central Bedfordshire
- Types of crime in Central Bedfordshire
- Home Office recorded crime in Central Bedfordshire
- Central Bedfordshire compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Central Bedfordshire
- Streets with the most crime in Central Bedfordshire
- What happened after crimes were reported in Central Bedfordshire
- Demographics of Central Bedfordshire
- Fly-tipping in Central Bedfordshire
- Questions about crime in Central Bedfordshire
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,665), anti-social behaviour (3,921) and criminal damage and arson (1,475) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 256th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 19,387 | 530,364 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 61.4 | 80.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 315,877 | 6,576,306 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Central Bedfordshire of any year here (19,387 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 19,387 | 61.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 19,633 | 62.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 20,130 | 63.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 19,481 | 61.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 19,623 | 62.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 19,834 | 62.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 22,168 | 70.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 23,731 | 75.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 23,586 | 74.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,779 |
| July 2026 | 1,992 |
| June 2026 | 1,629 |
| May 2026 | 1,840 |
| April 2026 | 1,560 |
| March 2026 | 1,482 |
| February 2026 | 1,464 |
| January 2026 | 1,359 |
| December 2025 | 1,453 |
| November 2025 | 1,575 |
| October 2025 | 1,774 |
| September 2025 | 1,480 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (87% below) and bicycle theft (64% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 140 to 213 and drugs rose from 454 to 653, while shoplifting fell from 1,431 to 1,148.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,665 | 21.1 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,921 | 12.4 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,475 | 4.7 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,387 | 4.4 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Other theft | 1,188 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Public order | 1,187 | 3.8 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Shoplifting | 1,148 | 3.6 | 8.5 | -20% |
| Burglary | 696 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 653 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +44% |
| Other crime | 530 | 1.7 | 2.1 | +25% |
| Robbery | 213 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +52% |
| Possession of weapons | 159 | 0.5 | 1.0 | +20% |
| Bicycle theft | 95 | 0.3 | 0.8 | -7% |
| Theft from the person | 70 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -5% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
14,940 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Central Bedfordshire in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 47.3 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Central Bedfordshire had the 25th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Bedfordshire Police area in the year ending March 2026, 3.7% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Central Bedfordshire is an undercount.
No change on the year or longer series is given for Central Bedfordshire: comparable figures start in the year ending March 2026, because the share of crimes in the Bedfordshire Police area not assigned to a district moved from 2.5% in the year ending March 2025 to 3.7% in the year ending March 2026, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Offences recorded in Central Bedfordshire, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 2,332 offences (16% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (3.6 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.11 times), possession of drugs (0.37 times) and possession of weapons (0.38 times).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 2,332 | 7.4 | 13.2 | 0.56 |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,800 | 5.7 | 10.1 | 0.57 |
| Violence with injury | 1,432 | 4.5 | 8.1 | 0.56 |
| Vehicle offences | 1,423 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 0.90 |
| Criminal damage | 1,336 | 4.2 | 6.8 | 0.62 |
| Shoplifting | 1,201 | 3.8 | 8.1 | 0.47 |
| Public order offences | 1,159 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 0.53 |
| Other theft offences | 1,159 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 0.56 |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 452 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 0.68 |
| Other sexual offences | 448 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.62 |
| Residential burglary | 382 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.49 |
| Trafficking of drugs | 355 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.95 |
| Non-residential burglary | 332 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.94 |
| Possession of drugs | 288 | 0.91 | 2.5 | 0.37 |
| Rape | 226 | 0.72 | 1.2 | 0.59 |
| Possession of weapons | 119 | 0.38 | 1.00 | 0.38 |
| Robbery of personal property | 119 | 0.38 | 0.91 | 0.41 |
| Bicycle theft | 116 | 0.37 | 0.85 | 0.43 |
| Robbery of business property | 90 | 0.28 | 0.47 | 0.60 |
| Arson | 68 | 0.22 | 0.38 | 0.57 |
| Theft from the person | 63 | 0.20 | 1.8 | 0.11 |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 40 | 0.13 | 0.03 | 3.63 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
Districts in the Bedfordshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 3 districts in the Bedfordshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Central Bedfordshire had the lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luton | 19,654 | 82.2 | 0.99 |
| Bedford | 14,950 | 76.7 | 0.92 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 14,940 | 47.3 | 0.57 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Every one of the 8 nearest districts has a higher crime rate than Central Bedfordshire.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luton | 22,028 | 92.1 | +50% |
| Bedford | 18,621 | 95.5 | +56% |
| North Hertfordshire | 9,152 | 66.7 | +9% |
| Stevenage | 10,907 | 118.8 | +94% |
| Milton Keynes | 30,686 | 100.3 | +63% |
| Dacorum | 13,768 | 85.3 | +39% |
| St Albans | 11,943 | 79.1 | +29% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 12,131 | 98.8 | +61% |
Of the 72 areas within Central Bedfordshire, Dunstable Central had the highest crime rate (107.3 per 1,000) and Clophill the lowest (24.3), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunstable Central | Neighbourhood | 7,807 | 838 | 107.3 |
| Dunstable East | Neighbourhood | 11,354 | 1,093 | 96.3 |
| Toddington | Town | 4,994 | 478 | 95.7 |
| Houghton Regis East | Neighbourhood | 12,489 | 1,161 | 93.0 |
| Houghton Regis | Town | 24,900 | 2,303 | 92.5 |
| Houghton Regis West | Neighbourhood | 12,411 | 1,142 | 92.0 |
| Leighton-Linslade South | Neighbourhood | 16,342 | 1,453 | 88.9 |
| Sandy | Neighbourhood | 14,287 | 1,196 | 83.7 |
| Toddington | Neighbourhood | 9,835 | 790 | 80.3 |
| Kensworth | Town | 1,511 | 121 | 80.1 |
| Biggleswade West | Neighbourhood | 14,375 | 1,116 | 77.6 |
| Sandy | Town | 10,684 | 819 | 76.7 |
| Dunstable | Town | 35,799 | 2,628 | 73.4 |
| Stanbridge | Town | 1,994 | 144 | 72.2 |
| Heath & Reach | Neighbourhood | 4,460 | 317 | 71.1 |
| Shefford | Town | 8,412 | 593 | 70.5 |
| Biggleswade | Town | 23,352 | 1,573 | 67.4 |
| Shefford | Neighbourhood | 10,556 | 695 | 65.8 |
| Leighton Buzzard | Town | 45,034 | 2,869 | 63.7 |
| Dunstable North | Neighbourhood | 9,800 | 619 | 63.2 |
| Arlesey | Town | 6,366 | 368 | 57.8 |
| Totternhoe | Town | 1,243 | 70 | 56.3 |
| Caddington | Neighbourhood | 10,452 | 582 | 55.7 |
| Stotfold | Neighbourhood | 9,039 | 496 | 54.9 |
| Harlington | Town | 2,420 | 130 | 53.7 |
| Leighton-Linslade West | Neighbourhood | 13,329 | 710 | 53.3 |
| Marston Moretaine | Town | 5,637 | 300 | 53.2 |
| Dunstable South | Neighbourhood | 5,818 | 307 | 52.8 |
| Caddington | Town | 4,359 | 227 | 52.1 |
| Northill | Neighbourhood | 4,846 | 248 | 51.2 |
| Lidlington | Town | 1,668 | 85 | 51.0 |
| Biggleswade East | Neighbourhood | 8,977 | 457 | 50.9 |
| Flitwick | Town | 11,428 | 571 | 50.0 |
| Langford (Central Bedfordshire) | Town | 4,526 | 224 | 49.5 |
| Clifton (Central Bedfordshire) | Town | 3,799 | 185 | 48.7 |
| Arlesey & Fairfield | Neighbourhood | 11,031 | 536 | 48.6 |
| Stotfold | Town | 13,704 | 664 | 48.5 |
| Leighton-Linslade North | Neighbourhood | 16,686 | 806 | 48.3 |
| Slip End | Town | 1,439 | 69 | 47.9 |
| Shillington | Town | 2,014 | 96 | 47.7 |
| Chicksands | Town | 2,144 | 102 | 47.6 |
| Flitwick | Neighbourhood | 14,080 | 661 | 46.9 |
| Potton | Neighbourhood | 8,552 | 400 | 46.8 |
| Cranfield & Marston Moretaine | Neighbourhood | 17,840 | 833 | 46.7 |
| Holywell (Central Bedfordshire) | Town | 1,657 | 77 | 46.5 |
| Clifton, Henlow & Langford | Neighbourhood | 15,738 | 710 | 45.1 |
| Eaton Bray | Neighbourhood | 3,832 | 172 | 44.9 |
| Houghton Conquest | Town | 2,178 | 96 | 44.1 |
| Lower Stondon | Town | 1,923 | 84 | 43.7 |
| Cranfield | Town | 8,733 | 372 | 42.6 |
| Dunstable West | Neighbourhood | 8,328 | 352 | 42.3 |
| Westoning | Town | 2,257 | 95 | 42.1 |
| Houghton Conquest & Haynes | Neighbourhood | 5,537 | 232 | 41.9 |
| Aspley & Woburn | Neighbourhood | 5,156 | 216 | 41.9 |
| Henlow | Town | 2,145 | 89 | 41.5 |
| Meppershall & Shillington | Neighbourhood | 4,476 | 185 | 41.3 |
| Maulden | Town | 3,587 | 146 | 40.7 |
| Upper Caldecote | Town | 1,772 | 71 | 40.1 |
| Ampthill | Town | 9,272 | 370 | 39.9 |
| Barton-le-Clay | Town | 5,028 | 198 | 39.4 |
| Ampthill | Neighbourhood | 14,835 | 564 | 38.0 |
| Dunton | Town | 1,105 | 42 | 38.0 |
| Barton-le-Clay & Silsoe | Neighbourhood | 8,731 | 327 | 37.5 |
| Eaton Bray and Edlesborough | Town | 4,168 | 156 | 37.4 |
| Potton | Town | 3,753 | 139 | 37.0 |
| Meppershall | Town | 2,462 | 89 | 36.1 |
| Westoning, Flitton & Greenfield | Neighbourhood | 4,878 | 173 | 35.5 |
| Aspley Guise | Town | 1,319 | 46 | 34.9 |
| Silsoe | Town | 3,703 | 129 | 34.8 |
| Haynes | Town | 1,165 | 37 | 31.8 |
| Flitton | Town | 2,621 | 78 | 29.8 |
| Clophill | Town | 1,976 | 48 | 24.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 17% of the crime recorded in Central Bedfordshire over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (730).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 730 |
| On or near Supermarket | 673 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 499 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 395 |
| On or near Market Square | 197 |
| On or near Armistice Croft | 196 |
| On or near High Street | 183 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 174 |
| On or near Holmfield Close | 119 |
| On or near West Street | 106 |
Of the 15,466 crimes in Central Bedfordshire with a recorded outcome, 38% 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 3,921 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,904 | 38.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,884 | 38.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,418 | 9.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 599 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 411 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 355 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 342 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 274 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 86 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 74 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 60 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 56 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
Central Bedfordshire has an estimated population of 315,877 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (11%, against 23%), fewer students (5.4%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Central Bedfordshire average decile 7.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 72.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 13.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.1 | 5.5 (England) |
3,031 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Central Bedfordshire in 2024/25 (9.6 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 Central Bedfordshire has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Central Bedfordshire a safe place to live?
Central Bedfordshire recorded 61.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 256th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Central Bedfordshire?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,665 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,921).
Is crime in Central Bedfordshire going up or down?
Recorded crime in Central Bedfordshire was down 1% on the year before: 19,387 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 19,633 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Central Bedfordshire?
About 315,877 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Central Bedfordshire?
Central Bedfordshire is policed by Bedfordshire.
How many crimes did the police record in Central Bedfordshire in the year ending March 2026?
14,940 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 47.3 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales.
Which offences are more common in Central Bedfordshire than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (40 offences, 3.6 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.