Crime in Bedford
Recorded crime in Bedford is 1.9 times the Bedford council average and 1.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 10%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Bedford: about 40,205 residents in 36 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.0/10Good
- 5-year change
- +10%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.9×the Bedford council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Bedford.
Crime over 5 years
Up 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Bedford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.9× the Bedford council average (1.7× the England and Wales average). 136 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 58% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 38 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Bedford (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Bedford council area, not only the town of Bedford. 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 | 317 | 1.6 | Down 12% |
| Cars broken into | 510 | 2.6 | Down 16% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 854 | 4.4 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 225 | 1.2 | Down 20% |
| 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 MK40
In MK40, the postcode district at the centre of Bedford, 8% 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) | 1,964 | 7% | 4% | 72% | 14% | 3% |
| Public order | 415 | 5% | 3% | 56% | 33% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 349 | 4% | 3% | 33% | 57% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 347 | 5% | 1% | 12% | 81% | 3% |
| Other theft | 320 | 1% | 0% | 24% | 70% | 5% |
| Drugs | 252 | 27% | 33% | 25% | 7% | 9% |
| Shoplifting | 230 | 14% | 2% | 15% | 68% | 0% |
| Other crime | 201 | 10% | 9% | 59% | 18% | 3% |
| Burglary | 198 | 9% | 2% | 21% | 67% | 2% |
| Bicycle theft | 116 | 2% | 0% | 9% | 84% | 4% |
| Robbery | 68 | 9% | 0% | 56% | 35% | 0% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 67 | 37% | 4% | 42% | 6% | 10% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 54 | 2% | 2% | 26% | 63% | 7% |
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.
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 | 2.4 |
| Burglary | 8.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.6 |
| Drugs | 5.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.5 |
| Other crime | 3.3 |
| Other theft | 10.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.0 |
| Public order | 12.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 5.5 |
| Shoplifting | 12.0 |
Postcode districts in Bedford
Nearby towns
Council: Bedford
Questions about crime in Bedford
- Is Bedford a safe place to live?
- Bedford scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.9 times the Bedford council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Bedford?
- Up 10% over 5 years, from 5,516 recorded crimes a year to 6,083.
- What is the most common crime in Bedford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 51 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Bedford compare with Bedford council?
- Crime severity in Bedford is 1.9 times the Bedford council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Bedford?
- In MK40, the postcode district at the centre of Bedford, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 35% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Bedford?
- Of 198 burglaries reported in MK40, the postcode district at the centre of Bedford between September 2024 and August 2025, 9% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 67% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Bedford?
- In the Bedford council area, the police recorded 317 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.6 per 1,000 residents, down 12% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Bedford?
- 854 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Bedford council area, 4.4 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Bedford last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Bedford council area, against 3 the year before.