Crime in the Suffolk Police area: statistics, rates and trends
48,655 crimes were recorded in the Suffolk Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 61.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Suffolk Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Suffolk Police area
- Types of crime in the Suffolk Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Suffolk Police area
- The Suffolk Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Suffolk Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Suffolk Police area
- Demographics of the Suffolk Police area
- Questions about crime in the Suffolk Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (21,303), shoplifting (4,545) and criminal damage and arson (4,472) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 41st of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | the Suffolk Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 48,655 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 61.9 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 786,231 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Suffolk Police area peaked in the year to August 2018 (62,322 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (47,810). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 22%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 48,655 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 47,810 | 60.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 50,172 | 63.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 55,451 | 70.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 61,664 | 78.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 57,278 | 72.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 58,727 | 74.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 60,181 | 76.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 62,322 | 79.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,060 |
| July 2026 | 4,719 |
| June 2026 | 4,324 |
| May 2026 | 4,226 |
| April 2026 | 4,037 |
| March 2026 | 4,114 |
| February 2026 | 3,618 |
| January 2026 | 3,951 |
| December 2025 | 3,771 |
| November 2025 | 3,709 |
| October 2025 | 4,218 |
| September 2025 | 3,908 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (83% below) and robbery (72% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 246 to 302 and shoplifting rose from 3,779 to 4,545, while theft from the person fell from 274 to 231.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 21,303 | 27.1 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 4,545 | 5.8 | 8.5 | +20% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,472 | 5.7 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,978 | 5.1 | 15.4 | +3% |
| Other theft | 3,325 | 4.2 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Public order | 2,896 | 3.7 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,003 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Burglary | 1,727 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Other crime | 1,513 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Drugs | 1,278 | 1.6 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Possession of weapons | 687 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +5% |
| Bicycle theft | 395 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -15% |
| Robbery | 302 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +23% |
| Theft from the person | 231 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
44,078 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Suffolk Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 56.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (44,509), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Suffolk Police area had the 2nd 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 Suffolk Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 8,580 offences (19% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (1.4 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for robbery of business property (0.15 times), theft from the person (0.17 times) and robbery of personal property (0.29 times).
The largest rises on the year were in possession of weapons (+15%) and miscellaneous crimes against society (+11%). The largest falls were in trafficking of drugs (−28%) and theft from the person (−19%). 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 | 8,580 | 10.9 | 13.2 | 0.83 | +1% |
| Violence with injury | 5,789 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 0.90 | −1% |
| Shoplifting | 4,322 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 0.68 | – |
| Criminal damage | 4,279 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 0.80 | −5% |
| Stalking and harassment | 3,787 | 4.8 | 10.1 | 0.48 | +2% |
| Other theft offences | 3,195 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 0.62 | −10% |
| Public order offences | 2,977 | 3.8 | 7.0 | 0.54 | −13% |
| Vehicle offences | 1,995 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 0.50 | −0% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,790 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.00 | +8% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 1,406 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.85 | +11% |
| Residential burglary | 1,145 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.58 | −1% |
| Possession of drugs | 1,132 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 0.58 | +5% |
| Rape | 864 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.91 | +2% |
| Possession of weapons | 696 | 0.89 | 1.00 | 0.89 | +15% |
| Non-residential burglary | 637 | 0.81 | 1.1 | 0.72 | −18% |
| Bicycle theft | 420 | 0.53 | 0.85 | 0.63 | −11% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 319 | 0.41 | 1.2 | 0.34 | −28% |
| Theft from the person | 242 | 0.31 | 1.8 | 0.17 | −19% |
| Robbery of personal property | 207 | 0.26 | 0.91 | 0.29 | +5% |
| Arson | 194 | 0.25 | 0.38 | 0.65 | −15% |
| Robbery of business property | 55 | 0.07 | 0.47 | 0.15 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 38 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 1.39 | −5% |
| Homicide | 9 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 1.43 | +29% |
Recorded crime in the Suffolk 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 Suffolk Police area's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. 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 | 44,078 | 56.1 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 44,509 | 56.6 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 45,965 | 58.5 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 52,167 | 66.4 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 50,689 | 64.5 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 48,284 | 61.4 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 56,992 | 72.5 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 54,634 | 69.5 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 53,174 | 67.6 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 45,226 | 57.5 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 44,090 | 56.1 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 38,000 | 48.3 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 36,441 | 46.3 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 39,307 | 50.0 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Suffolk Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 2 districts in the Suffolk Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Ipswich had the highest rate (90.5 per 1,000) and East Suffolk the lowest (49.4). 1.3% of the crimes recorded in the area that year were not assigned to a district, so the district figures add up to less than the force total. Babergh, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk are not in the table because the Home Office publishes each of them jointly with a neighbouring district, as one community safety partnership.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 12,692 | 90.5 | 1.09 |
| East Suffolk | 12,345 | 49.4 | 0.59 |
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.
Every one of the 8 nearest police force areas has a higher crime rate than the Suffolk Police area.
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Suffolk Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 66,675 | 70.9 | +15% |
| Essex | 165,544 | 85.8 | +39% |
| Cambridgeshire | 83,024 | 88.9 | +44% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +39% |
| Kent | 175,741 | 91.0 | +47% |
| Bedfordshire | 60,036 | 80.1 | +29% |
| City of London | 9,663 | 639.5 | +933% |
| Metropolitan Police | 1,117,214 | 123.1 | +99% |
Of the 5 areas within the Suffolk Police area, Ipswich had the highest crime rate (100.3 per 1,000) and Mid Suffolk the lowest (41.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | District | 140,274 | 14,071 | 100.3 |
| West Suffolk | District | 188,485 | 11,225 | 59.6 |
| East Suffolk | District | 249,664 | 14,335 | 57.4 |
| Babergh | District | 97,033 | 4,466 | 46.0 |
| Mid Suffolk | District | 110,775 | 4,558 | 41.1 |
Of the 44,677 crimes in the Suffolk Police area with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,978 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 15,110 | 33.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 12,377 | 27.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 5,931 | 13.3% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 2,957 | 6.6% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,687 | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,691 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 1,553 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,335 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 424 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 320 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 123 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 107 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
The Suffolk Police area has an estimated population of 786,231 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.9%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%) and an older population (24%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Suffolk Police area average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Suffolk Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Suffolk Police area a safe place to live?
The Suffolk Police area recorded 61.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 41st of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the Suffolk Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 21,303 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (4,545).
Is crime in the Suffolk Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Suffolk Police area was up 2% on the year before: 48,655 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 47,810 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Suffolk Police area?
About 786,231 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Suffolk Police area in the year ending March 2026?
44,078 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 56.1 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 44,509.
Which offences are more common in the Suffolk Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (38 offences, 1.4 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.