Crime in Beech Hill: statistics, rates and trends
1,180 crimes were recorded in Beech Hill in the 12 months to August 2026, 76.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 11% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Beech Hill at a glance
- Crime trends in Beech Hill
- Types of crime in Beech Hill
- Beech Hill compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Beech Hill
- What happened after crimes were reported in Beech Hill
- Demographics of Beech Hill
- Questions about crime in Beech Hill
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (504), anti-social behaviour (158) and other theft (94) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,956th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Beech Hill | Luton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,180 | 22,028 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 76.8 | 92.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -11% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 15,362 | 239,090 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Beech Hill peaked in the year to August 2018 (1,407 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,090). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,180 | 76.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,319 | 85.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,267 | 82.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,204 | 78.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,090 | 71.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,185 | 77.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,277 | 83.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,262 | 82.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,407 | 91.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 106 |
| July 2026 | 112 |
| June 2026 | 87 |
| May 2026 | 99 |
| April 2026 | 87 |
| March 2026 | 107 |
| February 2026 | 102 |
| January 2026 | 86 |
| December 2025 | 89 |
| November 2025 | 107 |
| October 2025 | 100 |
| September 2025 | 98 |
Compared with England and Wales, Beech Hill recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (82% below) and burglary (43% below). On the year before, drugs fell from 67 to 42 and vehicle crime fell from 115 to 79.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 504 | 32.8 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 158 | 10.3 | 15.4 | -16% |
| Other theft | 94 | 6.1 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 79 | 5.1 | 5.0 | -31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 77 | 5.0 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Public order | 76 | 4.9 | 6.7 | -25% |
| Drugs | 42 | 2.7 | 3.3 | -37% |
| Other crime | 36 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -20% |
| Burglary | 31 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Possession of weapons | 30 | 2.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 23 | 1.5 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Robbery | 20 | 1.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Beech Hill; the highest is Central, Luton (448.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Barnfield, Luton (45.4).
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Beech Hill over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (93).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 93 |
| On or near Parking Area | 70 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 67 |
| On or near Beech Road | 38 |
| On or near Claremont Road | 37 |
| On or near Stratford Road | 35 |
| On or near Westbourne Road | 35 |
| On or near A505 | 32 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 32 |
| On or near Hampton Road | 30 |
Of the 1,022 crimes in Beech Hill with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 158 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 449 | 43.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 327 | 32.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 90 | 8.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 43 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 31 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 25 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 24 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 16 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 8 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Beech Hill has an estimated population of 15,362 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (14.3%, against 7.9%), more private renting (36%, against 20%) and more unemployed residents (6.0%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Beech Hill average decile 1.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Beech Hill | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 27.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 6.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 14.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 31.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 54.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Beech Hill a safe place to live?
Beech Hill recorded 76.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,956th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Beech Hill?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 504 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (158).
Is crime in Beech Hill going up or down?
Recorded crime in Beech Hill was down 11% on the year before: 1,180 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,319 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Beech Hill?
About 15,362 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 6.6% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Beech Hill?
Beech Hill is policed by Bedfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.