Crime in Lincoln
Recorded crime in Lincoln is 1.2 times the Lincoln council average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 10%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Lincoln: about 66,613 residents in 42 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −10%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Lincoln council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Lincoln.
Crime over 5 years
Down 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Lincoln, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Lincoln council average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 142 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 64% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 64% 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: 44 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Lincoln (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Lincoln council area, not only the city of Lincoln. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 122 | 1.2 | Up 5% |
| Cars broken into | 168 | 1.6 | Up 24% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 655 | 6.2 | Down 9% |
| Burglary of homes | 150 | 1.4 | Down 23% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in LN1
In LN1, the postcode district at the centre of Lincoln, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,345 | 7% | 4% | 73% | 14% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 451 | 34% | 0% | 23% | 42% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 271 | 2% | 2% | 36% | 59% | 0% |
| Public order | 256 | 22% | 3% | 52% | 21% | 2% |
| Other theft | 167 | 2% | 3% | 31% | 64% | 1% |
| Burglary | 98 | 8% | 1% | 15% | 71% | 4% |
| Other crime | 92 | 13% | 1% | 65% | 14% | 7% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 82 | 9% | 0% | 16% | 74% | 1% |
| Drugs | 61 | 15% | 18% | 49% | 5% | 13% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
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 | 1.5 |
| Burglary | 6.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 53.6 |
| Drugs | 5.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.6 |
| Other crime | 3.1 |
| Other theft | 10.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 14.1 |
| Public order | 14.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.0 |
| Shoplifting | 21.9 |
Postcode districts in Lincoln
Nearby towns
Council: Lincoln
Questions about crime in Lincoln
- Is Lincoln a safe place to live?
- Lincoln scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Lincoln council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Lincoln?
- Down 10% over 5 years, from 10,750 recorded crimes a year to 9,625.
- What is the most common crime in Lincoln?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 54 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Lincoln compare with Lincoln council?
- Crime severity in Lincoln is 1.2 times the Lincoln council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Lincoln?
- In LN1, the postcode district at the centre of Lincoln, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 30% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Lincoln?
- Of 98 burglaries reported in LN1, the postcode district at the centre of Lincoln between September 2024 and August 2025, 8% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 71% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Lincoln?
- In the Lincoln council area, the police recorded 122 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, up 5% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Lincoln?
- 655 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Lincoln council area, 6.2 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Lincoln last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Lincoln council area, against 3 the year before.