Crime in Bury St Edmunds: statistics, rates and trends
3,471 crimes were recorded in Bury St Edmunds in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bury St Edmunds at a glance
- Crime trends in Bury St Edmunds
- Types of crime in Bury St Edmunds
- Bury St Edmunds compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bury St Edmunds
- Streets with the most crime in Bury St Edmunds
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bury St Edmunds
- Demographics of Bury St Edmunds
- Questions about crime in Bury St Edmunds
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,540), shoplifting (381) and criminal damage and arson (295) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 643rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Bury St Edmunds | West Suffolk | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,471 | 11,225 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.5 | 59.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 44,240 | 188,485 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Bury St Edmunds of any year here (3,471 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,471 | 78.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,692 | 83.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,415 | 99.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,172 | 94.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,035 | 113.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,658 | 105.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,472 | 101.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,676 | 105.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,565 | 103.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 255 |
| July 2026 | 319 |
| June 2026 | 286 |
| May 2026 | 298 |
| April 2026 | 284 |
| March 2026 | 277 |
| February 2026 | 253 |
| January 2026 | 295 |
| December 2025 | 283 |
| November 2025 | 310 |
| October 2025 | 305 |
| September 2025 | 306 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bury St Edmunds recorded notably more possession of weapons (52% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (69% below) and theft from the person (62% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 49 to 65 and other crime rose from 66 to 77, while theft from the person fell from 39 to 28 and drugs fell from 182 to 140.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,540 | 34.8 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 381 | 8.6 | 8.5 | -6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 295 | 6.7 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Public order | 278 | 6.3 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Other theft | 237 | 5.4 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 210 | 4.7 | 15.4 | -19% |
| Drugs | 140 | 3.2 | 3.3 | -23% |
| Vehicle crime | 86 | 1.9 | 5.0 | +5% |
| Burglary | 82 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -1% |
| Other crime | 77 | 1.7 | 2.1 | +17% |
| Possession of weapons | 65 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +33% |
| Theft from the person | 28 | 0.6 | 1.7 | -28% |
| Bicycle theft | 26 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -21% |
| Robbery | 26 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bury St Edmunds; the highest is Thetford (95.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Red Lodge (42.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bury St Edmunds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lodge | 299 | 42.0 | -46% |
| Mildenhall (West Suffolk) | 733 | 80.5 | +3% |
| Thetford | 2,414 | 95.4 | +22% |
| Stowmarket | 1,412 | 64.3 | -18% |
| Beck Row | 233 | 45.3 | -42% |
| Newmarket | 1,512 | 73.7 | -6% |
| Lakenheath | 242 | 47.8 | -39% |
| Brandon (West Suffolk) | 629 | 64.4 | -18% |
Of the 8 areas within Bury St Edmunds, Abbeygate had the highest crime rate (172.5 per 1,000) and Westgate the lowest (25.2), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeygate | Neighbourhood | 6,330 | 1,092 | 172.5 |
| Southgate | Neighbourhood | 4,299 | 435 | 101.2 |
| Tollgate | Neighbourhood | 5,751 | 508 | 88.3 |
| Eastgate | Neighbourhood | 2,643 | 188 | 71.1 |
| Minden | Neighbourhood | 5,854 | 394 | 67.3 |
| St Olaves | Neighbourhood | 7,462 | 396 | 53.1 |
| Moreton Hall | Neighbourhood | 7,732 | 353 | 45.7 |
| Westgate | Neighbourhood | 4,169 | 105 | 25.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 28% of the crime recorded in Bury St Edmunds over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (256).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 256 |
| On or near Supermarket | 150 |
| On or near Merchants Place | 105 |
| On or near Hospital | 93 |
| On or near River Lane | 90 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 80 |
| On or near Macmillan Way | 70 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 47 |
| On or near Lake Avenue | 47 |
| On or near Chalk Road (South) | 44 |
Of the 3,261 crimes in Bury St Edmunds with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 210 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,055 | 32.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 840 | 25.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 352 | 10.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 301 | 9.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 211 | 6.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 183 | 5.6% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 115 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 99 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 64 | 2.0% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Bury St Edmunds has an estimated population of 44,240 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bury St Edmunds average decile 6.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Bury St Edmunds | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bury St Edmunds a safe place to live?
Bury St Edmunds recorded 78.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 643rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Bury St Edmunds?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,540 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (381).
Is crime in Bury St Edmunds going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bury St Edmunds was down 6% on the year before: 3,471 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,692 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bury St Edmunds?
About 44,240 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bury St Edmunds?
Bury St Edmunds is policed by Suffolk.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.