Crime in Ashford
Recorded crime in Ashford is 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 25%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
140,936 residents in 81 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.1/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −25%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 25% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Ashford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.9× the England and Wales average. 75 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 68% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 68% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 15 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 4.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 32.8 |
| Drugs | 1.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 6.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 9.3 |
| Public order | 5.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.1 |
| Shoplifting | 6.5 |
What crimes are recorded in Ashford
Kent Police did not assign 44.5% of its recorded crime to a council area, so figures for a single council would be misleading.
Kent Police area: 871 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (872 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Ashford.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
Towns and cities in Ashford
Postcode districts in Ashford
Questions about crime in Ashford
- Is Ashford a safe place to live?
- Ashford scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Ashford?
- Down 25% over 5 years, from 11,752 recorded crimes a year to 8,761.
- What is the most common crime in Ashford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 33 per 1,000 residents a year.