Crime in Dereham
Recorded crime in Dereham is 1.4 times the Breckland average and about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 16%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dereham: about 13,106 residents in 12 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 5.9/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −16%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Breckland average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dereham.
Crime over 5 years
Down 16% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Dereham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Breckland average (about the England and Wales average). 78 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 75% of the harm here
- Burglary: 8% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 75% 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: 19 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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 2.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 37.4 |
| Drugs | 3.3 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.8 |
| Other crime | 1.9 |
| Other theft | 4.4 |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime | 2.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.4 |
| Public order | 7.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.7 |
| Shoplifting | 7.7 |
Postcode districts in Dereham
Nearby towns
Council: Breckland
Questions about crime in Dereham
- Is Dereham a safe place to live?
- Dereham scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Breckland average.
- Is crime going up or down in Dereham?
- Down 16% over 5 years, from 1,233 recorded crimes a year to 1,039.
- What is the most common crime in Dereham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 37 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Dereham compare with Breckland?
- Crime severity in Dereham is 1.4 times the Breckland average.