Crime in Putnoe: statistics, rates and trends
385 crimes were recorded in Putnoe in the 12 months to August 2026, 47.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (153), anti-social behaviour (104) and other theft (25) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,132nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Putnoe | Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 385 | 18,621 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 47.3 | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 8,140 | 194,976 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Putnoe peaked in the year to August 2023 (431 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (353). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 385 | 47.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 353 | 43.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 409 | 50.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 431 | 52.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 378 | 46.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 377 | 46.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 402 | 49.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 418 | 51.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 410 | 50.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 24 |
| July 2026 | 28 |
| June 2026 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 29 |
| April 2026 | 49 |
| March 2026 | 41 |
| February 2026 | 21 |
| January 2026 | 25 |
| December 2025 | 24 |
| November 2025 | 26 |
| October 2025 | 50 |
| September 2025 | 34 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (61% below) and other theft (52% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 53 to 104, while public order fell from 25 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 153 | 18.8 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 104 | 12.8 | 15.4 | +96% |
| Other theft | 25 | 3.1 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 23 | 2.8 | 5.0 | -15% |
| Public order | 21 | 2.6 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 19 | 2.3 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Drugs | 12 | 1.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 11 | 1.4 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 2 | 0.2 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Putnoe; the highest is Greyfriars, Bedford (433.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Renhold & Ravensden (41.9).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Putnoe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldington | 935 | 101.5 | +115% |
| Brickhill | 520 | 58.3 | +23% |
| De Parys | 539 | 73.9 | +56% |
| Renhold & Ravensden | 133 | 41.9 | -12% |
| Riverfield | 285 | 71.4 | +51% |
| Castle & Newnham | 1,499 | 173.6 | +267% |
| Harpur | 1,561 | 168.0 | +255% |
| Greyfriars | 1,963 | 433.6 | +817% |
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Putnoe over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (58).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 58 |
| On or near Church Lane | 28 |
| On or near Colchester Way | 21 |
| On or near Taunton Close | 20 |
| On or near Helmsley Avenue | 17 |
| On or near Newark Avenue | 16 |
| On or near Putnoe Lane | 14 |
| On or near Hadleigh Close | 13 |
| On or near Pentland Rise | 11 |
| On or near Queen'S Drive | 11 |
Of the 281 crimes in Putnoe with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 104 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 109 | 38.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 89 | 31.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 36 | 12.8% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 14 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 4.6% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 11 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 3 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 2 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
Putnoe has an estimated population of 8,140 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (9.0%, against 20.3%), less social housing (8.8%, against 17.1%) and fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Putnoe average decile 8.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Putnoe | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 27.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 31.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 12.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 82.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 8.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 9.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Putnoe a safe place to live?
Putnoe recorded 47.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,132nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Putnoe?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 153 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (104).
Is crime in Putnoe going up or down?
Recorded crime in Putnoe was up 9% on the year before: 385 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 353 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Putnoe?
About 8,140 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Putnoe?
Putnoe 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.