Central BedfordshireCouncil area
Crime in Central Bedfordshire
Recorded crime in Central Bedfordshire is 0.6 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
315,877 residents in 175 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 5.9/10Fair
- 5-year change
- +1%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes in Central Bedfordshire, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.6× the England and Wales average. 50 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 20% of the harm here
- Robbery: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 16 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 | 4.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 17.6 |
| Drugs | 1.1 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 4.9 |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime | 6.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.5 |
| Public order | 4.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 3.7 |
Towns and cities in Central Bedfordshire
Postcode districts in Central Bedfordshire
Questions about crime in Central Bedfordshire
- Is Central Bedfordshire a safe place to live?
- Central Bedfordshire scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Central Bedfordshire?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 15,223 recorded crimes a year then, 15,451 now.
- What is the most common crime in Central Bedfordshire?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 18 per 1,000 residents a year.