Crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Recorded crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk is 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
156,206 residents in 92 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 5/10Average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 4.1/10Weak
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the England and Wales average. 59 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 70% 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: 12 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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 2.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 26.9 |
| Drugs | 2.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.8 |
| Other theft | 4.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.7 |
| Public order | 5.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.0 |
| Shoplifting | 4.1 |
What crimes are recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
57.4 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 8,893. Home Office recorded crime: 8,963 (1% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 107 | 0.68 | Up 5% |
| Cars broken into | 80 | 0.51 | Down 47% |
| Vehicle tampering | 14 | 0.09 | Down 55% |
| Vandalism to homes | 247 | 1.6 | Down 9% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 76 | 0.49 | Down 20% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 274 | 1.8 | Down 4% |
| Arson | 29 | 0.19 | Down 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 118 | 0.76 | Down 21% |
| Burglary of businesses | 106 | 0.68 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 67 | 0.43 | Down 29% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 58 | 0.37 | Up 14% |
| Robbery of people | 27 | 0.17 | Up 29% |
| Robbery of businesses | 12 | 0.08 | - |
| Violence with injury | 1,296 | 8.3 | Up 9% |
| Violence without injury | 1,740 | 11.1 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 895 | 5.7 | Down 6% |
| Sexual offences | 456 | 2.9 | Up 2% |
| Shoplifting | 804 | 5.1 | Down 14% |
| Bicycle theft | 100 | 0.64 | Down 21% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 52 | 0.33 | Up 4% |
| Drug dealing | 72 | 0.46 | Down 22% |
| Drug possession | 305 | 2.0 | Down 25% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Norfolk Police area: 439 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (437 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In King's Lynn and West Norfolk, 16% 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) | 4,522 | 12% | 10% | 71% | 5% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 903 | 9% | 8% | 38% | 44% | 1% |
| Public order | 803 | 14% | 11% | 62% | 11% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 781 | 47% | 11% | 20% | 21% | 1% |
| Other theft | 640 | 5% | 6% | 34% | 51% | 4% |
| Drugs | 361 | 42% | 45% | 9% | 1% | 2% |
| Other crime | 305 | 16% | 9% | 62% | 9% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 275 | 16% | 1% | 25% | 53% | 5% |
| Burglary | 262 | 14% | 2% | 18% | 65% | 1% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 137 | 31% | 12% | 53% | 1% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 120 | 14% | 8% | 28% | 43% | 7% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 50 | 4% | 2% | 46% | 48% | 0% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 3% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Postcode districts in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Questions about crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Is King's Lynn and West Norfolk a safe place to live?
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 10,585 recorded crimes a year to 9,166.
- What is the most common crime in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 27 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- In King's Lynn and West Norfolk, 16% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 18% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- Of 262 burglaries reported in King's Lynn and West Norfolk between September 2024 and August 2025, 14% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 65% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- In King's Lynn and West Norfolk, the police recorded 107 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, up 5% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- 597 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in 2025/26, 3.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in King's Lynn and West Norfolk last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.