Crime in Sands: statistics, rates and trends
608 crimes were recorded in Sands in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.9 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 13% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (232), anti-social behaviour (98) and drugs (52) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,645th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Sands | Buckinghamshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 608 | 35,812 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.9 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -13% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 7,081 | 578,772 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sands peaked in the year to August 2025 (701 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (407). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 49%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 608 | 85.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 701 | 99.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 578 | 81.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 691 | 97.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 693 | 97.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 687 | 97.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 590 | 83.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 470 | 66.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 407 | 57.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 43 |
| July 2026 | 61 |
| June 2026 | 58 |
| May 2026 | 55 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| March 2026 | 50 |
| February 2026 | 41 |
| January 2026 | 62 |
| December 2025 | 49 |
| November 2025 | 50 |
| October 2025 | 44 |
| September 2025 | 50 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sands recorded notably more drugs (2.2 times the national rate). On the year before, drugs rose from 37 to 52, while other theft fell from 66 to 42 and criminal damage and arson fell from 59 to 47.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 232 | 32.8 | 34.2 | -16% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 98 | 13.8 | 15.4 | -18% |
| Drugs | 52 | 7.3 | 3.3 | +41% |
| Public order | 49 | 6.9 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 47 | 6.6 | 6.7 | -20% |
| Other theft | 42 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -36% |
| Vehicle crime | 41 | 5.8 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Burglary | 17 | 2.4 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 12 | 1.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 1.4 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Sands; the highest is Abbey, Buckinghamshire (174.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Terriers & Amersham Hill (44.9).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlefield & Oakridge | 957 | 88.5 | +3% |
| Downley | 338 | 50.6 | -41% |
| Booker & Cressex | 756 | 151.3 | +76% |
| Disraeli | 462 | 79.4 | -8% |
| Abbey | 3,065 | 174.6 | +103% |
| West Wycombe & Lane End | 273 | 47.8 | -44% |
| Terriers & Amersham Hill | 486 | 44.9 | -48% |
| Totteridge & Bowerdean | 700 | 53.1 | -38% |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in Sands over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Birches Rise” (35).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Birches Rise | 35 |
| On or near Parking Area | 31 |
| On or near Fryers Lane | 26 |
| On or near Grafton Street | 26 |
| On or near Langston Court | 24 |
| On or near Mill End Road | 23 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 22 |
| On or near Desborough Park Road | 21 |
| On or near Gilletts Lane | 20 |
| On or near Templeside Gardens | 20 |
Of the 510 crimes in Sands with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 98 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 199 | 39.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 151 | 29.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 68 | 13.3% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 30 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 25 | 4.9% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 16 | 3.1% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Sands has an estimated population of 7,081 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has a younger population (10%, against 19%), fewer retired residents (12%, against 22%) and fewer households without a car (14%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sands average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Sands | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 67.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sands a safe place to live?
Sands recorded 85.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,645th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs.
What is the most common crime in Sands?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 232 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (98).
Is crime in Sands going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sands was down 13% on the year before: 608 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 701 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sands?
About 7,081 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 10% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sands?
Sands is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.