Crime in Milton Keynes district: statistics, rates and trends
30,686 crimes were recorded in Milton Keynes district in the 12 months to August 2026, 100.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Milton Keynes district at a glance
- Crime trends in Milton Keynes district
- Types of crime in Milton Keynes district
- Home Office recorded crime in Milton Keynes district
- Milton Keynes district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Milton Keynes district
- Streets with the most crime in Milton Keynes district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Milton Keynes district
- Demographics of Milton Keynes district
- Fly-tipping in Milton Keynes
- Questions about crime in Milton Keynes district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (11,963), shoplifting (3,234) and anti-social behaviour (3,214) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 97th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Milton Keynes district | South East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 30,686 | 787,517 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 100.3 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 305,884 | 9,642,942 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Milton Keynes district peaked in the year to August 2023 (30,781 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (25,310). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 30,686 | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 30,487 | 99.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 29,387 | 96.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 30,781 | 100.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 30,591 | 100.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 27,424 | 89.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 27,025 | 88.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 25,722 | 84.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 25,310 | 82.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,708 |
| July 2026 | 2,810 |
| June 2026 | 2,913 |
| May 2026 | 2,882 |
| April 2026 | 2,568 |
| March 2026 | 2,781 |
| February 2026 | 2,147 |
| January 2026 | 2,338 |
| December 2025 | 2,152 |
| November 2025 | 2,373 |
| October 2025 | 2,507 |
| September 2025 | 2,507 |
Compared with England and Wales, Milton Keynes district recorded notably more vehicle crime (32% above the national rate) and shoplifting (25% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (54% below) and possession of weapons (39% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 926 to 1,068, while possession of weapons fell from 236 to 181 and bicycle theft fell from 309 to 248.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 11,963 | 39.1 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Shoplifting | 3,234 | 10.6 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,214 | 10.5 | 15.4 | +2% |
| Public order | 2,265 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Other theft | 2,256 | 7.4 | 6.4 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,132 | 7.0 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,007 | 6.6 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Burglary | 1,068 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +15% |
| Drugs | 948 | 3.1 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Other crime | 583 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +12% |
| Robbery | 349 | 1.1 | 1.4 | -6% |
| Bicycle theft | 248 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 238 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0% |
| Possession of weapons | 181 | 0.6 | 1.0 | -23% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
26,843 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Milton Keynes district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 87.8 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (27,069), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Milton Keynes district had the 88th highest 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).
Offences recorded in Milton Keynes district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 4,553 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for shoplifting (1.3 times the national rate) and vehicle offences (1.3 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.37 times), miscellaneous crimes against society (0.71 times) and robbery of personal property (0.75 times).
The largest rises on the year were in possession of drugs (+31%). The largest falls were in trafficking of drugs (−30%) and bicycle theft (−24%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 4,553 | 14.9 | 13.2 | 1.13 | +4% |
| Stalking and harassment | 3,183 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 1.03 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 3,136 | 10.3 | 8.1 | 1.26 | – |
| Violence with injury | 2,628 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 1.06 | −3% |
| Public order offences | 2,309 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 1.08 | +3% |
| Other theft offences | 2,196 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 1.10 | +0% |
| Criminal damage | 1,997 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 0.96 | +2% |
| Vehicle offences | 1,932 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 1.26 | −11% |
| Possession of drugs | 863 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.13 | +31% |
| Other sexual offences | 787 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.13 | +3% |
| Residential burglary | 595 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 0.78 | −8% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 453 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.71 | −7% |
| Rape | 419 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.13 | +7% |
| Non-residential burglary | 309 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.90 | −2% |
| Bicycle theft | 289 | 0.94 | 0.85 | 1.11 | −24% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 274 | 0.90 | 1.2 | 0.76 | −30% |
| Possession of weapons | 240 | 0.78 | 1.00 | 0.79 | +0% |
| Robbery of personal property | 208 | 0.68 | 0.91 | 0.75 | −10% |
| Theft from the person | 199 | 0.65 | 1.8 | 0.37 | −15% |
| Robbery of business property | 147 | 0.48 | 0.47 | 1.01 | – |
| Arson | 121 | 0.40 | 0.38 | 1.04 | −23% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 4 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.38 | −64% |
| Homicide | 1 | <0.01 | 0.01 | 0.41 | −67% |
Recorded crime in Milton Keynes district since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Milton Keynes district's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 8 of those 14 years and below it in 6. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26,843 | 87.8 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 27,069 | 88.5 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 26,189 | 85.6 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 28,070 | 91.8 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 26,179 | 85.6 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 21,604 | 70.6 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 26,723 | 87.4 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 24,027 | 78.5 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 21,361 | 69.8 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 19,570 | 64.0 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 18,657 | 61.0 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 18,132 | 59.3 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 18,292 | 59.8 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 19,092 | 62.4 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Thames Valley Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 13 districts in the Thames Valley Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Milton Keynes district had the 4th highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17,915 | 97.9 | 1.18 |
| Oxford | 15,987 | 96.3 | 1.16 |
| Slough | 14,784 | 88.3 | 1.06 |
| Milton Keynes | 26,843 | 87.8 | 1.05 |
| Cherwell | 10,854 | 63.7 | 0.77 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 9,081 | 57.1 | 0.69 |
| West Berkshire | 9,078 | 55.0 | 0.66 |
| Buckinghamshire | 31,038 | 53.6 | 0.64 |
| Bracknell Forest | 6,881 | 52.6 | 0.63 |
| Vale of White Horse | 6,925 | 46.4 | 0.56 |
| West Oxfordshire | 5,173 | 42.8 | 0.51 |
| South Oxfordshire | 6,359 | 40.6 | 0.49 |
| Wokingham | 7,341 | 39.2 | 0.47 |
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.
Milton Keynes district has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest districts.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Milton Keynes district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 19,387 | 61.4 | -39% |
| Bedford | 18,621 | 95.5 | -5% |
| West Northamptonshire | 40,926 | 93.1 | -7% |
| Luton | 22,028 | 92.1 | -8% |
| Dacorum | 13,768 | 85.3 | -15% |
| Buckinghamshire | 35,812 | 61.9 | -38% |
| Cherwell | 12,225 | 71.7 | -28% |
| North Hertfordshire | 9,152 | 66.7 | -34% |
Of the 28 areas within Milton Keynes district, Central Milton Keynes had the highest crime rate (322.5 per 1,000) and Lavendon the lowest (38.6), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Milton Keynes | Neighbourhood | 18,170 | 5,860 | 322.5 |
| Woughton & Fishermead | Neighbourhood | 18,538 | 2,965 | 159.9 |
| Bow Brickhill | Town | 2,338 | 283 | 121.0 |
| Bletchley East | Neighbourhood | 20,769 | 2,419 | 116.5 |
| Campbell Park & Old Woughton | Neighbourhood | 17,075 | 1,981 | 116.0 |
| Wolverton | Neighbourhood | 17,023 | 1,865 | 109.6 |
| Milton Keynes | Town | 196,444 | 21,460 | 109.2 |
| Bletchley Park | Neighbourhood | 14,756 | 1,382 | 93.7 |
| Bradwell | Neighbourhood | 13,312 | 1,233 | 92.6 |
| Bletchley | Town | 44,400 | 3,995 | 90.0 |
| Stantonbury | Neighbourhood | 16,102 | 1,399 | 86.9 |
| Monkston | Neighbourhood | 13,099 | 1,134 | 86.6 |
| Loughton & Shenley | Neighbourhood | 16,515 | 1,322 | 80.0 |
| Newport Pagnell South | Neighbourhood | 11,072 | 878 | 79.3 |
| Shenley Brook End | Neighbourhood | 13,607 | 1,051 | 77.2 |
| Danesborough & Walton | Neighbourhood | 21,073 | 1,623 | 77.0 |
| North Crawley | Town | 1,395 | 99 | 71.0 |
| Broughton | Neighbourhood | 21,959 | 1,514 | 68.9 |
| Bletchley West | Neighbourhood | 15,800 | 1,022 | 64.7 |
| Newport Pagnell | Town | 15,566 | 966 | 62.1 |
| Stony Stratford | Neighbourhood | 17,809 | 1,091 | 61.3 |
| Newport Pagnell North & Hanslope | Neighbourhood | 12,322 | 657 | 53.3 |
| Tattenhoe | Neighbourhood | 12,863 | 638 | 49.6 |
| Olney | Neighbourhood | 14,020 | 652 | 46.5 |
| Hanslope | Town | 3,645 | 164 | 45.0 |
| Olney | Town | 7,849 | 342 | 43.6 |
| Woburn Sands | Town | 3,852 | 166 | 43.1 |
| Lavendon | Town | 1,996 | 77 | 38.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Milton Keynes district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (2,337).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 2,337 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,182 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 998 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 807 |
| On or near Police Station | 509 |
| On or near Hospital | 445 |
| On or near Secklow Gate | 431 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 349 |
| On or near Nightclub | 159 |
| On or near Grafton Street | 158 |
Of the 27,472 crimes in Milton Keynes district with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,214 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,703 | 35.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 8,757 | 31.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 3,491 | 12.7% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,379 | 5.0% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,307 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,206 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 568 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 561 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 207 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 179 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 80 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Milton Keynes district has an estimated population of 305,884 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%), a younger population (14%, against 19%) and fewer retired residents (17%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Milton Keynes district average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Milton Keynes district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.5% | 10.1% (England) |
4,258 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Milton Keynes in 2024/25 (13.9 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 Milton Keynes has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Milton Keynes district a safe place to live?
Milton Keynes district recorded 100.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 97th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Milton Keynes district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 11,963 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (3,234).
Is crime in Milton Keynes district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Milton Keynes district was almost unchanged on the year before: 30,686 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 30,487 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Milton Keynes district?
About 305,884 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Milton Keynes district?
Milton Keynes district is policed by Thames Valley.
How many crimes did the police record in Milton Keynes district in the year ending March 2026?
26,843 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 87.8 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 27,069.
Which offences are more common in Milton Keynes district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were shoplifting (3,136 offences, 1.3 times the England and Wales rate) and vehicle offences (1,932 offences, 1.3 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.