Crime in Bedford: statistics, rates and trends
12,865 crimes were recorded in Bedford in the 12 months to August 2026, 125.5 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,384), anti-social behaviour (1,907) and shoplifting (1,568) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 145th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Bedford | Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 12,865 | 18,621 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 125.5 | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 102,530 | 194,976 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bedford peaked in the year to August 2018 (14,223 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (11,242). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 12,865 | 125.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,975 | 116.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,481 | 121.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,242 | 109.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,979 | 116.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,196 | 119.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 13,150 | 128.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 13,756 | 134.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,223 | 138.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,329 |
| July 2026 | 1,483 |
| June 2026 | 1,156 |
| May 2026 | 1,152 |
| April 2026 | 1,075 |
| March 2026 | 1,052 |
| February 2026 | 848 |
| January 2026 | 852 |
| December 2025 | 872 |
| November 2025 | 985 |
| October 2025 | 1,052 |
| September 2025 | 1,009 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bedford recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.2 times the national rate), shoplifting (81% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (56% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (45% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 131 to 215 and possession of weapons rose from 127 to 155, while other crime fell from 353 to 281 and bicycle theft fell from 218 to 184.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,384 | 42.8 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,907 | 18.6 | 15.4 | +9% |
| Shoplifting | 1,568 | 15.3 | 8.5 | +18% |
| Public order | 872 | 8.5 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Other theft | 812 | 7.9 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Vehicle crime | 767 | 7.5 | 5.0 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 751 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Drugs | 493 | 4.8 | 3.3 | +13% |
| Burglary | 381 | 3.7 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Other crime | 281 | 2.7 | 2.1 | -20% |
| Robbery | 215 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +64% |
| Bicycle theft | 184 | 1.8 | 0.8 | -16% |
| Possession of weapons | 155 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +22% |
| Theft from the person | 95 | 0.9 | 1.7 | +12% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston | 2,008 | 94.2 | -25% |
| Shortstown | 413 | 70.1 | -44% |
| Wixams | 588 | 69.9 | -44% |
| Wootton (Bedford) | 305 | 36.5 | -71% |
| Marston Moretaine | 300 | 53.2 | -58% |
| Sandy | 819 | 76.7 | -39% |
| Cranfield | 372 | 42.6 | -66% |
| Ampthill | 370 | 39.9 | -68% |
Of the 12 areas within Bedford, Greyfriars had the highest crime rate (433.6 per 1,000) and Putnoe the lowest (47.3), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greyfriars | Neighbourhood | 4,527 | 1,963 | 433.6 |
| Castle & Newnham | Neighbourhood | 8,635 | 1,499 | 173.6 |
| Kingsbrook | Neighbourhood | 11,087 | 1,889 | 170.4 |
| Harpur | Neighbourhood | 9,293 | 1,561 | 168.0 |
| Cauldwell | Neighbourhood | 12,414 | 1,806 | 145.5 |
| Goldington | Neighbourhood | 9,210 | 935 | 101.5 |
| Queens Park | Neighbourhood | 10,191 | 877 | 86.1 |
| De Parys | Neighbourhood | 7,290 | 539 | 73.9 |
| Riverfield | Neighbourhood | 3,994 | 285 | 71.4 |
| Brickhill | Neighbourhood | 8,914 | 520 | 58.3 |
| Biddenham | Neighbourhood | 4,553 | 244 | 53.6 |
| Putnoe | Neighbourhood | 8,140 | 385 | 47.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 22% of the crime recorded in Bedford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (548).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 548 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 451 |
| On or near Parking Area | 395 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 346 |
| On or near Adelaide Square | 278 |
| On or near Kingsbrook Road | 266 |
| On or near Gwyn Street | 175 |
| On or near High Street | 154 |
| On or near Dane Street | 144 |
| On or near Chandos Street | 137 |
Of the 10,958 crimes in Bedford with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,907 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,986 | 36.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,818 | 34.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,316 | 12.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 692 | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 291 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 259 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 232 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 207 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 70 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 60 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Bedford has an estimated population of 102,530 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (25%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bedford average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bedford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 9.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bedford a safe place to live?
Bedford recorded 125.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 145th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Bedford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,384 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,907).
Is crime in Bedford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bedford was up 7% on the year before: 12,865 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,975 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bedford?
About 102,530 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bedford?
Bedford 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.