Crime in Shefford: statistics, rates and trends
593 crimes were recorded in Shefford in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 27% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Shefford at a glance
- Crime trends in Shefford
- Types of crime in Shefford
- Shefford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Shefford
- Streets with the most crime in Shefford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Shefford
- Demographics of Shefford
- Questions about crime in Shefford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (170), shoplifting (121) and anti-social behaviour (92) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 766th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Shefford | Central Bedfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 593 | 19,387 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.5 | 61.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -27% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 8,412 | 315,877 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Shefford peaked in the year to August 2025 (813 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (482). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 593 | 70.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 813 | 96.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 746 | 88.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 790 | 93.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 482 | 57.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 581 | 69.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 619 | 73.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 714 | 84.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 699 | 83.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 43 |
| July 2026 | 52 |
| June 2026 | 39 |
| May 2026 | 42 |
| April 2026 | 103 |
| March 2026 | 48 |
| February 2026 | 48 |
| January 2026 | 49 |
| December 2025 | 26 |
| November 2025 | 53 |
| October 2025 | 50 |
| September 2025 | 40 |
Compared with England and Wales, Shefford recorded notably more shoplifting (70% above the national rate), and notably less violence and sexual offences (41% below) and public order (39% below). On the year before, shoplifting fell from 271 to 121 and anti-social behaviour fell from 150 to 92.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 170 | 20.2 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 121 | 14.4 | 8.5 | -55% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 92 | 10.9 | 15.4 | -39% |
| Vehicle crime | 47 | 5.6 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 38 | 4.5 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Other theft | 34 | 4.0 | 6.4 | -13% |
| Public order | 34 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -28% |
| Drugs | 21 | 2.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 15 | 1.8 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 7 | 0.8 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Shefford; the highest is Letchworth (84.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Barton-le-Clay (39.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Shefford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlesey | 368 | 57.8 | -18% |
| Stotfold | 664 | 48.5 | -31% |
| Biggleswade | 1,573 | 67.4 | -4% |
| Letchworth | 2,848 | 84.7 | +20% |
| Barton-le-Clay | 198 | 39.4 | -44% |
| Hitchin | 2,533 | 69.9 | -1% |
| Shortstown | 413 | 70.1 | -1% |
| Wixams | 588 | 69.9 | -1% |
Shefford is the one area listed within Shefford, with 65.8 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shefford | Neighbourhood | 10,556 | 695 | 65.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 49% of the crime recorded in Shefford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (112).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 112 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 31 |
| On or near High Street | 29 |
| On or near Duck Lane | 24 |
| On or near Thresher Close | 21 |
| On or near George Street | 17 |
| On or near Davy Drive | 14 |
| On or near Osborn Crescent | 14 |
| On or near Queen Elizabeth Close | 14 |
| On or near Spitfire Road | 13 |
Of the 501 crimes in Shefford with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 92 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 211 | 42.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 150 | 29.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 46 | 9.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 41 | 8.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 15 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 13 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 12 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 7 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Shefford has an estimated population of 8,412 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (9.9%, against 23.3%), less private renting (13%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Shefford average decile 7.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Shefford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 66.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 9.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Shefford a safe place to live?
Shefford recorded 70.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 766th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Shefford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 170 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (121).
Is crime in Shefford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Shefford was down 27% on the year before: 593 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 813 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Shefford?
About 8,412 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Shefford?
Shefford 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.