Crime in Sandy: statistics, rates and trends
819 crimes were recorded in Sandy in the 12 months to August 2026, 76.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (292), anti-social behaviour (171) and criminal damage and arson (67) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 669th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Sandy | Central Bedfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 819 | 19,387 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 76.7 | 61.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 10,684 | 315,877 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sandy peaked in the year to August 2021 (986 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (769). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 819 | 76.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 800 | 74.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 904 | 84.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 888 | 83.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 830 | 77.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 986 | 92.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 957 | 89.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 837 | 78.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 769 | 72.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 95 |
| July 2026 | 87 |
| June 2026 | 67 |
| May 2026 | 68 |
| April 2026 | 65 |
| March 2026 | 52 |
| February 2026 | 63 |
| January 2026 | 60 |
| December 2025 | 63 |
| November 2025 | 59 |
| October 2025 | 78 |
| September 2025 | 62 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sandy recorded notably more drugs (83% above the national rate) and other crime (28% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (73% below) and other theft (38% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 37 to 64 and other theft rose from 28 to 43, while vehicle crime fell from 54 to 42.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 292 | 27.3 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 171 | 16.0 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 67 | 6.3 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Drugs | 64 | 6.0 | 3.3 | +73% |
| Public order | 51 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 43 | 4.0 | 6.4 | +54% |
| Vehicle crime | 42 | 3.9 | 5.0 | -22% |
| Other crime | 29 | 2.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 24 | 2.2 | 8.5 | -8% |
| Burglary | 11 | 1.0 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Sandy; the highest is Bedford (125.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Stotfold (48.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sandy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biggleswade | 1,573 | 67.4 | -12% |
| Shortstown | 413 | 70.1 | -9% |
| St Neots | 2,386 | 72.3 | -6% |
| Shefford | 593 | 70.5 | -8% |
| Bedford | 12,865 | 125.5 | +64% |
| Wixams | 588 | 69.9 | -9% |
| Arlesey | 368 | 57.8 | -25% |
| Stotfold | 664 | 48.5 | -37% |
Sandy is the one area listed within Sandy, with 83.7 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy | Neighbourhood | 14,287 | 1,196 | 83.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Sandy over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Mcmurdo Court” (43).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Mcmurdo Court | 43 |
| On or near Supermarket | 39 |
| On or near Maple Road | 37 |
| On or near Wesley Road | 30 |
| On or near Market Square | 29 |
| On or near Winchester Road | 29 |
| On or near Potton Road | 26 |
| On or near Robert Hunt Gardens | 24 |
| On or near Greens Close | 23 |
| On or near Longfield Road | 22 |
Of the 648 crimes in Sandy with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 171 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 245 | 37.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 229 | 35.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 76 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 23 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 22 | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 17 | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Sandy has an estimated population of 10,684 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sandy average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Sandy | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sandy a safe place to live?
Sandy recorded 76.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 669th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Sandy?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 292 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (171).
Is crime in Sandy going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sandy was up 2% on the year before: 819 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 800 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sandy?
About 10,684 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sandy?
Sandy 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.