Crime in the Northamptonshire Police area: statistics, rates and trends
73,722 crimes were recorded in the Northamptonshire Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 90.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Northamptonshire Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Northamptonshire Police area
- Types of crime in the Northamptonshire Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Northamptonshire Police area
- The Northamptonshire Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Northamptonshire Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Northamptonshire Police area
- Demographics of the Northamptonshire Police area
- Questions about crime in the Northamptonshire Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (25,157), anti-social behaviour (17,364) and shoplifting (5,543) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 22nd of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | the Northamptonshire Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 73,722 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 90.6 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 813,682 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Northamptonshire Police area peaked in the year to August 2020 (84,047 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (72,570). 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 | 73,722 | 90.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 74,320 | 91.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 72,570 | 89.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 73,880 | 90.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 76,789 | 94.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 79,996 | 98.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 84,047 | 103.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 79,805 | 98.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 79,656 | 97.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 6,851 |
| July 2026 | 7,341 |
| June 2026 | 6,677 |
| May 2026 | 6,700 |
| April 2026 | 6,063 |
| March 2026 | 5,981 |
| February 2026 | 5,270 |
| January 2026 | 5,661 |
| December 2025 | 5,472 |
| November 2025 | 5,509 |
| October 2025 | 6,127 |
| September 2025 | 6,070 |
Compared with England and Wales, the Northamptonshire Police area recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (39% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (83% below) and bicycle theft (37% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 865 to 1,115 and anti-social behaviour rose from 14,885 to 17,364, while drugs fell from 3,026 to 2,196 and shoplifting fell from 7,108 to 5,543.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 25,157 | 30.9 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 17,364 | 21.3 | 15.4 | +17% |
| Shoplifting | 5,543 | 6.8 | 8.5 | -22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,499 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Other theft | 4,214 | 5.2 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Public order | 4,127 | 5.1 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,791 | 4.7 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Burglary | 2,783 | 3.4 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Drugs | 2,196 | 2.7 | 3.3 | -27% |
| Other crime | 1,308 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -6% |
| Robbery | 1,115 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +29% |
| Possession of weapons | 974 | 1.2 | 1.0 | -10% |
| Bicycle theft | 424 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +2% |
| Theft from the person | 227 | 0.3 | 1.7 | +1% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
57,243 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Northamptonshire Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 70.4 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 3% on the year ending March 2025 (59,290), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Northamptonshire Police area had the 17th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the Northamptonshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 8,240 offences (14% of the total). No category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate. Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.15 times), bicycle theft (0.54 times) and public order offences (0.72 times).
The largest falls were in bicycle theft (−23%) and possession of drugs (−13%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 8,240 | 10.1 | 13.2 | 0.77 | −8% |
| Stalking and harassment | 7,656 | 9.4 | 10.1 | 0.93 | +7% |
| Violence with injury | 6,590 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 0.99 | −6% |
| Shoplifting | 6,139 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 0.93 | – |
| Criminal damage | 4,261 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 0.77 | −8% |
| Other theft offences | 4,100 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 0.77 | −5% |
| Public order offences | 4,096 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 0.72 | +6% |
| Vehicle offences | 3,578 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 0.87 | −6% |
| Other sexual offences | 2,053 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.11 | +2% |
| Residential burglary | 1,775 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.88 | −9% |
| Possession of drugs | 1,616 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.80 | −13% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 1,376 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.81 | −3% |
| Rape | 1,016 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.03 | +1% |
| Possession of weapons | 992 | 1.2 | 1.00 | 1.22 | +2% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 899 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.93 | −11% |
| Non-residential burglary | 860 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.94 | −4% |
| Robbery of personal property | 647 | 0.80 | 0.91 | 0.87 | +8% |
| Robbery of business property | 469 | 0.58 | 0.47 | 1.21 | – |
| Bicycle theft | 377 | 0.46 | 0.85 | 0.54 | −23% |
| Arson | 269 | 0.33 | 0.38 | 0.87 | −13% |
| Theft from the person | 219 | 0.27 | 1.8 | 0.15 | −8% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 8 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.28 | −60% |
| Homicide | 7 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.07 | −22% |
Recorded crime in the Northamptonshire Police area since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The Northamptonshire Police area's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 2 of those 14 years and below it in 12. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 57,243 | 70.4 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 59,290 | 72.9 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 60,169 | 73.9 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 63,820 | 78.4 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 61,743 | 75.9 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 61,223 | 75.2 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 62,928 | 77.3 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 59,239 | 72.8 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 54,760 | 67.3 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 54,399 | 66.9 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 49,195 | 60.5 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 45,930 | 56.4 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 40,898 | 50.3 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 46,305 | 56.9 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Northamptonshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 2 districts in the Northamptonshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, West Northamptonshire had the highest rate (71.0 per 1,000) and North Northamptonshire the lowest (68.8).
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Northamptonshire | 31,211 | 71.0 | 0.85 |
| North Northamptonshire | 25,714 | 68.8 | 0.83 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
2 of the 8 nearest police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Northamptonshire Police area; the highest is the West Midlands Police area (106.6 per 1,000) and the lowest the Thames Valley Police area (73.4).
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Northamptonshire Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire | 60,036 | 80.1 | -12% |
| Leicestershire | 100,535 | 85.5 | -6% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | -10% |
| Cambridgeshire | 83,024 | 88.9 | -2% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | -5% |
| Thames Valley | 193,726 | 73.4 | -19% |
| West Midlands | 323,754 | 106.6 | +18% |
| Nottinghamshire | 125,603 | 105.7 | +17% |
Of the 2 areas within the Northamptonshire Police area, West Northamptonshire had the highest crime rate (93.1 per 1,000) and North Northamptonshire the lowest (87.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Northamptonshire | District | 439,811 | 40,926 | 93.1 |
| North Northamptonshire | District | 373,871 | 32,796 | 87.7 |
Of the 56,358 crimes in the Northamptonshire Police area with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 17,364 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 20,788 | 36.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 19,112 | 33.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 6,580 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,962 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 2,130 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,493 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,155 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 995 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 472 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 470 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 145 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 38 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
The Northamptonshire Police area has an estimated population of 813,682 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Northamptonshire Police area average decile 6.1 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Northamptonshire Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Northamptonshire Police area a safe place to live?
The Northamptonshire Police area recorded 90.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 22nd of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in the Northamptonshire Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 25,157 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (17,364).
Is crime in the Northamptonshire Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Northamptonshire Police area was almost unchanged on the year before: 73,722 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 74,320 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Northamptonshire Police area?
About 813,682 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Northamptonshire Police area in the year ending March 2026?
57,243 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 70.4 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 59,290.
Which offences are more common in the Northamptonshire Police area than across England and Wales?
None: no category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate in the year ending March 2026. The largest category was violence without injury (8,240).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.