Crime in West Suffolk: statistics, rates and trends
11,225 crimes were recorded in West Suffolk in the 12 months to August 2026, 59.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in West Suffolk at a glance
- Crime trends in West Suffolk
- Types of crime in West Suffolk
- West Suffolk compared with nearby districts
- Areas within West Suffolk
- Streets with the most crime in West Suffolk
- What happened after crimes were reported in West Suffolk
- Demographics of West Suffolk
- Fly-tipping in West Suffolk
- Questions about crime in West Suffolk
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,066), criminal damage and arson (1,033) and other theft (866) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 265th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | West Suffolk | Suffolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 11,225 | 48,655 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 59.6 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 188,485 | 786,231 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in West Suffolk of any year here (11,225 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 11,225 | 59.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,555 | 61.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,248 | 65.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 12,666 | 67.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 14,542 | 77.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 13,826 | 73.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 14,170 | 75.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 14,286 | 75.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,288 | 75.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 908 |
| July 2026 | 1,039 |
| June 2026 | 981 |
| May 2026 | 965 |
| April 2026 | 910 |
| March 2026 | 976 |
| February 2026 | 780 |
| January 2026 | 978 |
| December 2025 | 871 |
| November 2025 | 861 |
| October 2025 | 996 |
| September 2025 | 960 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (82% below) and anti-social behaviour (75% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 49 to 73, while bicycle theft fell from 109 to 73 and theft from the person fell from 76 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,066 | 26.9 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,033 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 866 | 4.6 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 785 | 4.2 | 8.5 | +8% |
| Public order | 728 | 3.9 | 6.7 | -19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 720 | 3.8 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Burglary | 457 | 2.4 | 3.6 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 431 | 2.3 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Other crime | 373 | 2.0 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Drugs | 353 | 1.9 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Possession of weapons | 210 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +9% |
| Bicycle theft | 73 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -33% |
| Robbery | 73 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +49% |
| Theft from the person | 57 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than West Suffolk; the highest is Cambridge (111.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Mid Suffolk (41.1).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs West Suffolk |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cambridgeshire | 5,607 | 60.4 | +1% |
| Cambridge | 16,597 | 111.1 | +87% |
| Mid Suffolk | 4,558 | 41.1 | -31% |
| Babergh | 4,466 | 46.0 | -23% |
| South Cambridgeshire | 10,190 | 59.1 | -1% |
| Breckland | 8,523 | 58.1 | -2% |
| Braintree | 10,156 | 61.8 | +4% |
| Uttlesford | 5,882 | 61.8 | +4% |
Of the 62 areas within West Suffolk, Abbeygate had the highest crime rate (172.5 per 1,000) and Little Eriswell the lowest (10.2), 17 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeygate | Neighbourhood | 6,330 | 1,092 | 172.5 |
| Haverhill Central | Neighbourhood | 2,271 | 306 | 134.7 |
| Newmarket East | Neighbourhood | 8,552 | 873 | 102.1 |
| Southgate | Neighbourhood | 4,299 | 435 | 101.2 |
| Cock and End | Town | 2,080 | 210 | 101.0 |
| Brandon Central | Neighbourhood | 2,485 | 237 | 95.4 |
| Mildenhall Kingsway & Market | Neighbourhood | 4,604 | 431 | 93.6 |
| Haverhill North | Neighbourhood | 3,263 | 293 | 89.8 |
| Tollgate | Neighbourhood | 5,751 | 508 | 88.3 |
| Mildenhall Great Heath | Neighbourhood | 2,870 | 251 | 87.5 |
| Haverhill East | Neighbourhood | 6,233 | 529 | 84.9 |
| Mildenhall (West Suffolk) | Town | 9,107 | 733 | 80.5 |
| Exning | Town | 2,620 | 209 | 79.8 |
| Bury St Edmunds | Town | 44,240 | 3,471 | 78.5 |
| Newmarket | Town | 20,507 | 1,512 | 73.7 |
| Haverhill | Town | 27,558 | 1,983 | 72.0 |
| Eastgate | Neighbourhood | 2,643 | 188 | 71.1 |
| Newmarket North | Neighbourhood | 4,929 | 345 | 70.0 |
| Minden | Neighbourhood | 5,854 | 394 | 67.3 |
| Haverhill South | Neighbourhood | 8,984 | 595 | 66.2 |
| Brandon (West Suffolk) | Town | 9,772 | 629 | 64.4 |
| Brandon West | Neighbourhood | 3,742 | 228 | 60.9 |
| Newmarket West | Neighbourhood | 4,299 | 247 | 57.5 |
| St Olaves | Neighbourhood | 7,462 | 396 | 53.1 |
| Lakenheath | Town | 5,059 | 242 | 47.8 |
| Clare, Hundon & Kedington | Neighbourhood | 9,474 | 452 | 47.7 |
| Brandon East | Neighbourhood | 3,545 | 164 | 46.3 |
| Moreton Hall | Neighbourhood | 7,732 | 353 | 45.7 |
| Beck Row | Town | 5,147 | 233 | 45.3 |
| Red Lodge | Town | 7,120 | 299 | 42.0 |
| Iceni | Neighbourhood | 7,120 | 299 | 42.0 |
| Rougham | Neighbourhood | 2,918 | 120 | 41.1 |
| The Rows | Neighbourhood | 8,376 | 340 | 40.6 |
| Haverhill West | Neighbourhood | 5,198 | 210 | 40.4 |
| Barningham | Neighbourhood | 2,597 | 104 | 40.0 |
| Ixworth | Town | 2,284 | 88 | 38.5 |
| Clare | Town | 2,270 | 86 | 37.9 |
| Withersfield | Neighbourhood | 3,259 | 123 | 37.7 |
| Manor | Neighbourhood | 4,498 | 169 | 37.6 |
| Culford | Town | 1,450 | 52 | 35.9 |
| Kentford & Moulton | Neighbourhood | 2,426 | 84 | 34.6 |
| Chedburgh & Chevington | Neighbourhood | 2,259 | 78 | 34.5 |
| Risby | Neighbourhood | 2,681 | 92 | 34.3 |
| West Row | Town | 1,932 | 66 | 34.2 |
| Risby | Town | 1,231 | 40 | 32.5 |
| Mildenhall Queensway | Neighbourhood | 1,633 | 51 | 31.2 |
| Haverhill South East | Neighbourhood | 1,609 | 50 | 31.1 |
| Fornham St Martin | Town | 1,643 | 51 | 31.0 |
| Lakenheath | Neighbourhood | 9,291 | 285 | 30.7 |
| Stanton | Neighbourhood | 2,887 | 86 | 29.8 |
| Bardwell | Neighbourhood | 2,669 | 75 | 28.1 |
| Horringer | Neighbourhood | 2,324 | 60 | 25.8 |
| Barrow (West Suffolk) | Town | 2,794 | 71 | 25.4 |
| Barrow | Neighbourhood | 2,794 | 71 | 25.4 |
| Westgate | Neighbourhood | 4,169 | 105 | 25.2 |
| The Fornhams & Great Barton | Neighbourhood | 4,333 | 109 | 25.2 |
| Stanton (West Suffolk) | Town | 1,419 | 33 | 23.3 |
| Whepstead & Wickhambrook | Neighbourhood | 2,277 | 52 | 22.8 |
| Bardwell | Town | 1,224 | 27 | 22.1 |
| Great Barton | Town | 2,690 | 58 | 21.6 |
| Pakenham & Troston | Neighbourhood | 2,941 | 48 | 16.3 |
| Little Eriswell | Town | 4,232 | 43 | 10.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 16% of the crime recorded in West Suffolk over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (494).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 494 |
| On or near Supermarket | 239 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 194 |
| On or near Chestnut Road | 170 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 159 |
| On or near High Street | 136 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 110 |
| On or near Merchants Place | 105 |
| On or near Hospital | 98 |
| On or near River Lane | 90 |
Of the 10,505 crimes in West Suffolk with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 720 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,636 | 34.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,727 | 26.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,404 | 13.4% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 682 | 6.5% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 654 | 6.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 411 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 367 | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 345 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 146 | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 63 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 36 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
West Suffolk has an estimated population of 188,485 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%) and fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up West Suffolk average decile 6.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | West Suffolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.2 | 5.5 (England) |
276 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in West Suffolk in 2024/25 (1.5 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 West Suffolk has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is West Suffolk a safe place to live?
West Suffolk recorded 59.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 265th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in West Suffolk?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,066 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (1,033).
Is crime in West Suffolk going up or down?
Recorded crime in West Suffolk was down 3% on the year before: 11,225 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,555 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of West Suffolk?
About 188,485 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers West Suffolk?
West Suffolk 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.