Crime in Swaffham: statistics, rates and trends
597 crimes were recorded in Swaffham in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Swaffham at a glance
- Crime trends in Swaffham
- Types of crime in Swaffham
- Swaffham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Swaffham
- Streets with the most crime in Swaffham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Swaffham
- Demographics of Swaffham
- Questions about crime in Swaffham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (232), anti-social behaviour (94) and shoplifting (71) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 636th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Swaffham | Breckland | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 597 | 8,523 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.7 | 58.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 7,584 | 146,620 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Swaffham peaked in the year to August 2020 (763 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (526). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 3%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 597 | 78.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 611 | 80.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 628 | 82.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 587 | 77.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 697 | 91.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 526 | 69.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 763 | 100.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 740 | 97.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 614 | 81.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 49 |
| July 2026 | 58 |
| June 2026 | 61 |
| May 2026 | 50 |
| April 2026 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 46 |
| February 2026 | 56 |
| January 2026 | 37 |
| December 2025 | 34 |
| November 2025 | 56 |
| October 2025 | 46 |
| September 2025 | 62 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (31% below) was well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 52 to 71 and other theft rose from 46 to 56, while criminal damage and arson fell from 59 to 42 and public order fell from 47 to 35.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 232 | 30.6 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 94 | 12.4 | 15.4 | -8% |
| Shoplifting | 71 | 9.4 | 8.5 | +37% |
| Other theft | 56 | 7.4 | 6.4 | +22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 42 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -29% |
| Public order | 35 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -26% |
| Drugs | 18 | 2.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 18 | 2.4 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 13 | 1.7 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 10 | 1.3 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Swaffham; the highest is King's Lynn (113.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Attleborough (53.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swaffham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watton | 764 | 57.4 | -27% |
| Dereham | 1,704 | 79.1 | 0% |
| Downham Market | 667 | 59.0 | -25% |
| King's Lynn | 5,606 | 113.4 | +44% |
| Brandon (West Suffolk) | 629 | 64.4 | -18% |
| Fakenham | 708 | 86.7 | +10% |
| Thetford | 2,414 | 95.4 | +21% |
| Attleborough | 603 | 53.3 | -32% |
Swaffham is the one area listed within Swaffham, with 72.7 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swaffham | Neighbourhood | 9,541 | 694 | 72.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 49% of the crime recorded in Swaffham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (82).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 82 |
| On or near Orchard Place | 44 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 31 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 24 |
| On or near Lynn Street | 23 |
| On or near Manor Way | 23 |
| On or near Supermarket | 20 |
| On or near Station Street | 17 |
| On or near Whitsands Mews | 15 |
| On or near Castleacre Road | 13 |
Of the 503 crimes in Swaffham with a recorded outcome, 19% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 94 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 223 | 44.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 98 | 19.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 68 | 13.5% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 33 | 6.6% | 2.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 26 | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 21 | 4.2% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 10 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 6 | 1.2% | 0.0% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 1.0% | 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% |
Swaffham has an estimated population of 7,584 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (32%, against 19%), more retired residents (37%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swaffham average decile 3.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Swaffham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 32.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 46.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 36.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 25.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Swaffham a safe place to live?
Swaffham recorded 78.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 636th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Swaffham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 232 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (94).
Is crime in Swaffham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swaffham was down 2% on the year before: 597 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 611 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swaffham?
About 7,584 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 32% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swaffham?
Swaffham is policed by Norfolk.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.