Crime in Lowestoft
Recorded crime in Lowestoft is 3.0 times the East Suffolk average and 2.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 26%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Lowestoft: about 19,748 residents in 19 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 7.0/10Good
- 5-year change
- −26%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 3.0×the East Suffolk average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Lowestoft.
Crime over 5 years
Down 26% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Lowestoft, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 3.0× the East Suffolk average (2.2× the England and Wales average). 180 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Robbery: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 72% 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: 30 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 | 1.4 |
| Burglary | 6.3 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 81.0 |
| Drugs | 5.3 |
| Possession of weapons | 2.2 |
| Other crime | 3.4 |
| Other theft | 13.3 |
| Theft from the person | 1.5 |
| Vehicle crime | 6.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 22.6 |
| Public order | 17.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.7 |
| Shoplifting | 14.5 |
Postcode districts in Lowestoft
Nearby towns
Council: East Suffolk
Questions about crime in Lowestoft
- Is Lowestoft a safe place to live?
- Lowestoft scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 3.0 times the East Suffolk average.
- Is crime going up or down in Lowestoft?
- Down 26% over 5 years, from 4,347 recorded crimes a year to 3,229.
- What is the most common crime in Lowestoft?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 81 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Lowestoft compare with East Suffolk?
- Crime severity in Lowestoft is 3.0 times the East Suffolk average.