Crime in Greyfriars, Bedford: statistics, rates and trends
1,963 crimes were recorded in Greyfriars, Bedford in the 12 months to August 2026, 433.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 16% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Greyfriars, Bedford at a glance
- Crime trends in Greyfriars, Bedford
- Types of crime in Greyfriars, Bedford
- Greyfriars, Bedford compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Greyfriars, Bedford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Greyfriars, Bedford
- Demographics of Greyfriars, Bedford
- Questions about crime in Greyfriars, Bedford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (667), anti-social behaviour (283) and shoplifting (231) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 27th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Greyfriars, Bedford | Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,963 | 18,621 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 433.6 | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +16% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 4,527 | 194,976 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Greyfriars, Bedford peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,705 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (1,642). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,963 | 433.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,696 | 374.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,861 | 411.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,713 | 378.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,820 | 402.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,642 | 362.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,825 | 403.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,240 | 494.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,705 | 597.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 233 |
| July 2026 | 227 |
| June 2026 | 177 |
| May 2026 | 191 |
| April 2026 | 150 |
| March 2026 | 148 |
| February 2026 | 142 |
| January 2026 | 114 |
| December 2025 | 124 |
| November 2025 | 157 |
| October 2025 | 167 |
| September 2025 | 133 |
Compared with England and Wales, Greyfriars, Bedford recorded notably more bicycle theft (10.4 times the national rate), robbery (8.1 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (7.8 times the national rate). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 20 to 34 and robbery rose from 31 to 50, while other crime fell from 55 to 27 and bicycle theft fell from 55 to 39.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 667 | 147.3 | 34.2 | +12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 283 | 62.5 | 15.4 | +19% |
| Shoplifting | 231 | 51.0 | 8.5 | +60% |
| Public order | 169 | 37.3 | 6.7 | +18% |
| Other theft | 141 | 31.1 | 6.4 | +34% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 86 | 19.0 | 6.7 | +28% |
| Drugs | 81 | 17.9 | 3.3 | -14% |
| Burglary | 75 | 16.6 | 3.6 | +23% |
| Robbery | 50 | 11.0 | 1.4 | +61% |
| Vehicle crime | 48 | 10.6 | 5.0 | -21% |
| Bicycle theft | 39 | 8.6 | 0.8 | -29% |
| Possession of weapons | 34 | 7.5 | 1.0 | +70% |
| Theft from the person | 32 | 7.1 | 1.7 | +10% |
| Other crime | 27 | 6.0 | 2.1 | -51% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Greyfriars, Bedford has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Greyfriars, Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harpur | 1,561 | 168.0 | -61% |
| Queens Park | 877 | 86.1 | -80% |
| Cauldwell | 1,806 | 145.5 | -66% |
| De Parys | 539 | 73.9 | -83% |
| Castle & Newnham | 1,499 | 173.6 | -60% |
| Kempston North | 303 | 78.2 | -82% |
| Kingsbrook | 1,889 | 170.4 | -61% |
| Biddenham | 244 | 53.6 | -88% |
The 10 locations below account for 58% of the crime recorded in Greyfriars, Bedford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Gwyn Street” (175).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Gwyn Street | 175 |
| On or near Dane Street | 144 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 123 |
| On or near Paradine Court | 111 |
| On or near River Street | 110 |
| On or near Harpur Square | 104 |
| On or near Rutland Road | 101 |
| On or near St Paul'S Square | 93 |
| On or near A5141 | 89 |
| On or near Horne Lane | 84 |
Of the 1,680 crimes in Greyfriars, Bedford with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 283 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 636 | 37.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 557 | 33.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 233 | 13.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 94 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 43 | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 41 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 39 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Greyfriars, Bedford has an estimated population of 4,527 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (48%, against 20%), more households without a car (51%, against 23%) and more unemployed residents (7.2%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Greyfriars, Bedford average decile 1.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Greyfriars, Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 8.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 7.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 9.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 51.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 22.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 28.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 48.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 100.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Greyfriars, Bedford a safe place to live?
Greyfriars, Bedford recorded 433.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 27th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Greyfriars, Bedford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 667 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (283).
Is crime in Greyfriars, Bedford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Greyfriars, Bedford was up 16% on the year before: 1,963 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,696 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Greyfriars, Bedford?
About 4,527 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 8.4% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Greyfriars, Bedford?
Greyfriars, Bedford 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.