Crime in Guildford
Recorded crime in Guildford is 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
151,359 residents in 84 neighbourhoods. 1% live in busy town or city centres.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- +9%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Guildford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the England and Wales average. 65 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 64% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Other theft: 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: 18 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 | 3.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 23.9 |
| Drugs | 2.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 6.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 7.1 |
| Public order | 7.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.3 |
| Shoplifting | 6.3 |
What crimes are recorded in Guildford
72.1 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Guildford in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 10,820. Home Office recorded crime: 10,920 (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 | 134 | 0.89 | Down 12% |
| Cars broken into | 253 | 1.7 | Down 13% |
| Vehicle tampering | 128 | 0.85 | Down 8% |
| Vandalism to homes | 227 | 1.5 | Down 4% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 157 | 1.0 | Down 10% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 302 | 2.0 | Up 7% |
| Arson | 64 | 0.42 | Up 100% |
| Burglary of homes | 157 | 1.0 | Down 13% |
| Burglary of businesses | 92 | 0.61 | Down 12% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 27 | 0.18 | Up 4% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 65 | 0.43 | Up 23% |
| Robbery of people | 60 | 0.40 | Up 33% |
| Robbery of businesses | 54 | 0.36 | - |
| Violence with injury | 1,045 | 6.9 | Down 2% |
| Violence without injury | 2,151 | 14.2 | Up 6% |
| Stalking and harassment | 996 | 6.6 | About the same |
| Sexual offences | 491 | 3.2 | Down 6% |
| Shoplifting | 1,144 | 7.6 | Down 5% |
| Bicycle theft | 152 | 1.0 | Up 45% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 79 | 0.52 | Up 18% |
| Drug dealing | 86 | 0.57 | Down 9% |
| Drug possession | 307 | 2.0 | Up 7% |
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.
Surrey Police area: 450 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (479 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Guildford.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Guildford, 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) | 4,775 | 7% | 5% | 66% | 15% | 7% |
| Public order | 1,271 | 10% | 2% | 54% | 27% | 7% |
| Shoplifting | 1,112 | 17% | 4% | 29% | 46% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 1,037 | 6% | 4% | 33% | 52% | 5% |
| Other theft | 840 | 3% | 1% | 24% | 63% | 8% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 518 | 3% | 0% | 11% | 83% | 3% |
| Drugs | 368 | 17% | 36% | 28% | 10% | 9% |
| Burglary | 354 | 6% | 1% | 18% | 68% | 7% |
| Other crime | 299 | 15% | 6% | 45% | 20% | 14% |
| Bicycle theft | 150 | 5% | 1% | 16% | 69% | 9% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 93 | 1% | 1% | 24% | 65% | 10% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 90 | 23% | 8% | 48% | 8% | 13% |
| Robbery | 70 | 9% | 0% | 41% | 49% | 1% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Guildford
Postcode districts in Guildford
Questions about crime in Guildford
- Is Guildford a safe place to live?
- Guildford scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Guildford?
- Up 9% over 5 years, from 9,492 recorded crimes a year to 10,330.
- What is the most common crime in Guildford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Guildford?
- In Guildford, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 33% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Guildford?
- Of 354 burglaries reported in Guildford between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 68% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Guildford?
- In Guildford, the police recorded 134 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.9 per 1,000 residents, down 12% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Guildford?
- 686 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Guildford in 2025/26, 4.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Guildford last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in Guildford in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.