Crime in Harpur: statistics, rates and trends
1,561 crimes were recorded in Harpur in the 12 months to August 2026, 168.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 17% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (659), anti-social behaviour (213) and public order (124) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 316th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Harpur | Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,561 | 18,621 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 168.0 | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +17% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 9,293 | 194,976 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Harpur peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,131 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,339). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,561 | 168.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,339 | 144.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,479 | 159.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,495 | 160.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,409 | 151.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,615 | 173.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,131 | 229.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,876 | 201.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,682 | 181.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 176 |
| July 2026 | 156 |
| June 2026 | 117 |
| May 2026 | 111 |
| April 2026 | 103 |
| March 2026 | 133 |
| February 2026 | 113 |
| January 2026 | 92 |
| December 2025 | 120 |
| November 2025 | 142 |
| October 2025 | 159 |
| September 2025 | 139 |
Compared with England and Wales, Harpur recorded notably more other crime (4.6 times the national rate), violence and sexual offences (2.1 times the national rate) and robbery (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (29% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 30 to 56 and drugs rose from 46 to 62, while burglary fell from 53 to 33.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 659 | 70.9 | 34.2 | +25% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 213 | 22.9 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Public order | 124 | 13.3 | 6.7 | +27% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 107 | 11.5 | 6.7 | +29% |
| Other crime | 91 | 9.8 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Other theft | 77 | 8.3 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Vehicle crime | 70 | 7.5 | 5.0 | -3% |
| Drugs | 62 | 6.7 | 3.3 | +35% |
| Shoplifting | 56 | 6.0 | 8.5 | +87% |
| Burglary | 33 | 3.6 | 3.6 | -38% |
| Robbery | 26 | 2.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 18 | 1.9 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 13 | 1.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 12 | 1.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Harpur; the highest is Greyfriars, Bedford (433.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Biddenham (53.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Harpur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greyfriars | 1,963 | 433.6 | +158% |
| Queens Park | 877 | 86.1 | -49% |
| De Parys | 539 | 73.9 | -56% |
| Castle & Newnham | 1,499 | 173.6 | +3% |
| Cauldwell | 1,806 | 145.5 | -13% |
| Biddenham | 244 | 53.6 | -68% |
| Kempston North | 303 | 78.2 | -53% |
| Brickhill | 520 | 58.3 | -65% |
The 10 locations below account for 52% of the crime recorded in Harpur over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Adelaide Square” (278).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Adelaide Square | 278 |
| On or near Chandos Street | 137 |
| On or near Fairhill | 84 |
| On or near Lansdowne Road | 53 |
| On or near Trevor Street | 48 |
| On or near Argyll Street | 46 |
| On or near Chaucer Road | 44 |
| On or near Queen Street | 43 |
| On or near Warwick Avenue | 39 |
| On or near Shakespeare Road | 35 |
Of the 1,348 crimes in Harpur with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 213 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 612 | 45.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 370 | 27.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 156 | 11.6% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 54 | 4.0% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 48 | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 36 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 25 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 22 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 17 | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Harpur has an estimated population of 9,293 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (39%, against 20%), more households without a car (38%, against 23%) and less home ownership (39%, against 63%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Harpur average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Harpur | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 38.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 39.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 38.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Harpur a safe place to live?
Harpur recorded 168.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 316th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Harpur?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 659 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (213).
Is crime in Harpur going up or down?
Recorded crime in Harpur was up 17% on the year before: 1,561 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,339 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Harpur?
About 9,293 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Harpur?
Harpur 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.