Crime in Luton: statistics, rates and trends
22,791 crimes were recorded in Luton in the 12 months to August 2026, 91.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (8,061), anti-social behaviour (3,468) and shoplifting (1,930) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 455th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Luton | Luton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 22,791 | 22,028 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 91.6 | 92.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 248,819 | 239,090 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Luton peaked in the year to August 2019 (27,869 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (22,460). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 22,791 | 91.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 23,818 | 95.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 23,636 | 95.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 22,460 | 90.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 23,182 | 93.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 23,073 | 92.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 25,404 | 102.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 27,869 | 112.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 27,851 | 111.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,067 |
| July 2026 | 2,132 |
| June 2026 | 1,904 |
| May 2026 | 2,047 |
| April 2026 | 1,919 |
| March 2026 | 1,885 |
| February 2026 | 1,716 |
| January 2026 | 1,712 |
| December 2025 | 1,779 |
| November 2025 | 1,880 |
| October 2025 | 1,907 |
| September 2025 | 1,843 |
Compared with England and Wales, Luton recorded notably more possession of weapons (41% above the national rate), vehicle crime (35% above the national rate) and drugs (33% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (40% below) and bicycle theft (40% below). On the year before, bicycle theft fell from 180 to 124 and shoplifting fell from 2,317 to 1,930.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,061 | 32.4 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,468 | 13.9 | 15.4 | -1% |
| Shoplifting | 1,930 | 7.8 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,673 | 6.7 | 5.0 | -16% |
| Public order | 1,496 | 6.0 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,489 | 6.0 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Other theft | 1,452 | 5.8 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Drugs | 1,082 | 4.3 | 3.3 | +8% |
| Burglary | 588 | 2.4 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Other crime | 485 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -10% |
| Robbery | 354 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +10% |
| Possession of weapons | 339 | 1.4 | 1.0 | -3% |
| Theft from the person | 250 | 1.0 | 1.7 | +2% |
| Bicycle theft | 124 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -31% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Luton; the highest is Houghton Regis (92.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Harpenden (37.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Luton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Regis | 2,303 | 92.5 | +1% |
| Dunstable | 2,628 | 73.4 | -20% |
| Barton-le-Clay | 198 | 39.4 | -57% |
| Harpenden | 1,086 | 37.6 | -59% |
| Flitwick | 571 | 50.0 | -45% |
| Hitchin | 2,533 | 69.9 | -24% |
| Ampthill | 370 | 39.9 | -56% |
| Leighton Buzzard | 2,869 | 63.7 | -30% |
Of the 21 areas within Luton, Central had the highest crime rate (448.8 per 1,000) and Barnfield the lowest (45.4), 10 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 8,257 | 3,706 | 448.8 |
| South | Neighbourhood | 12,643 | 1,866 | 147.6 |
| Wigmore | Neighbourhood | 9,585 | 1,262 | 131.7 |
| Farley | Neighbourhood | 17,250 | 2,019 | 117.0 |
| High Town | Neighbourhood | 12,468 | 1,364 | 109.4 |
| Dunstable East | Neighbourhood | 11,354 | 1,093 | 96.3 |
| Dallow | Neighbourhood | 10,174 | 872 | 85.7 |
| Beech Hill | Neighbourhood | 15,362 | 1,180 | 76.8 |
| Sundon Park | Neighbourhood | 8,661 | 629 | 72.6 |
| Challney | Neighbourhood | 17,928 | 1,290 | 72.0 |
| Stopsley | Neighbourhood | 12,382 | 858 | 69.3 |
| Northwell | Neighbourhood | 16,023 | 1,103 | 68.8 |
| Leagrave | Neighbourhood | 11,419 | 751 | 65.8 |
| Lewsey | Neighbourhood | 10,387 | 677 | 65.2 |
| Round Green | Neighbourhood | 11,294 | 733 | 64.9 |
| Bramingham | Neighbourhood | 14,416 | 896 | 62.2 |
| Biscot | Neighbourhood | 11,375 | 698 | 61.4 |
| Saints | Neighbourhood | 13,965 | 809 | 57.9 |
| Vauxhall | Neighbourhood | 7,946 | 456 | 57.4 |
| Poets | Neighbourhood | 7,429 | 399 | 53.7 |
| Barnfield | Neighbourhood | 10,126 | 460 | 45.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Luton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,153).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,153 |
| On or near Supermarket | 927 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 807 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 666 |
| On or near Prince Way | 542 |
| On or near Flowers Way | 263 |
| On or near Police Station | 262 |
| On or near B653 | 224 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 217 |
| On or near Hospital | 212 |
Of the 19,323 crimes in Luton with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,468 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7,471 | 38.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 6,998 | 36.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,563 | 8.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 918 | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 770 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 511 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 470 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 327 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 102 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 97 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 64 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Luton has an estimated population of 248,819 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (28%, against 20%), a younger population (12%, against 19%) and fewer retired residents (14%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Luton average decile 3.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Luton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 14.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Luton a safe place to live?
Luton recorded 91.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 455th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Luton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 8,061 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,468).
Is crime in Luton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Luton was down 4% on the year before: 22,791 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 23,818 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Luton?
About 248,819 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Luton?
Luton 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.