Crime in Saints: statistics, rates and trends
809 crimes were recorded in Saints in the 12 months to August 2026, 57.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (326), anti-social behaviour (138) and criminal damage and arson (76) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,701st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Saints | Luton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 809 | 22,028 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 57.9 | 92.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 13,965 | 239,090 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Saints peaked in the year to August 2018 (853 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (698). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 809 | 57.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 814 | 58.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 698 | 50.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 700 | 50.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 759 | 54.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 830 | 59.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 754 | 54.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 791 | 56.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 853 | 61.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 78 |
| July 2026 | 70 |
| June 2026 | 84 |
| May 2026 | 79 |
| April 2026 | 63 |
| March 2026 | 64 |
| February 2026 | 65 |
| January 2026 | 71 |
| December 2025 | 58 |
| November 2025 | 63 |
| October 2025 | 56 |
| September 2025 | 58 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (51% below) and other theft (47% below) were well below it. On the year before, drugs rose from 22 to 44 and other theft rose from 35 to 48, while other crime fell from 31 to 20 and vehicle crime fell from 66 to 45.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 326 | 23.3 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 138 | 9.9 | 15.4 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 76 | 5.4 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Other theft | 48 | 3.4 | 6.4 | +37% |
| Public order | 46 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 45 | 3.2 | 5.0 | -32% |
| Drugs | 44 | 3.2 | 3.3 | +100% |
| Other crime | 20 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -35% |
| Possession of weapons | 19 | 1.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 16 | 1.1 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 15 | 1.1 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Robbery | 10 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Saints; the highest is High Town (109.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Barnfield, Luton (45.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Saints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biscot | 698 | 61.4 | +6% |
| Beech Hill | 1,180 | 76.8 | +33% |
| Barnfield | 460 | 45.4 | -22% |
| Challney | 1,290 | 72.0 | +24% |
| Northwell | 1,103 | 68.8 | +19% |
| Bramingham | 896 | 62.2 | +7% |
| Dallow | 872 | 85.7 | +48% |
| High Town | 1,364 | 109.4 | +89% |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Saints over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Varna Close” (38).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Varna Close | 38 |
| On or near Cuffley Close | 28 |
| On or near Galliard Close | 27 |
| On or near St Winifreds Avenue | 22 |
| On or near Rondini Avenue | 21 |
| On or near Shervington Grove | 21 |
| On or near St Bernard'S Close | 20 |
| On or near The Meads | 20 |
| On or near St Ives Close | 19 |
| On or near St Mildreds Avenue | 19 |
Of the 671 crimes in Saints with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 138 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 294 | 43.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 204 | 30.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 74 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 33 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 23 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 19 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 4 | 0.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Saints has an estimated population of 13,965 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (7.2%, against 17.1%), a younger population (8.8%, against 18.9%) and more students (12.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Saints average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Saints | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 25.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 8.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 12.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 7.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Saints a safe place to live?
Saints recorded 57.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,701st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Saints?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 326 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (138).
Is crime in Saints going up or down?
Recorded crime in Saints was almost unchanged on the year before: 809 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 814 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Saints?
About 13,965 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 8.8% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Saints?
Saints 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.