Crime in Desborough
Recorded crime in Desborough is 0.7 times the North Northamptonshire average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 4%. 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 Desborough: about 11,729 residents in 12 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 4.9/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −4%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.7×the North Northamptonshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Desborough.
Crime over 5 years
Down 4% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Desborough, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the North Northamptonshire average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 48 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 68% of the harm here
- Burglary: 16% of the harm here
- Robbery: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 68% 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: 19 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in North Northamptonshire (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole North Northamptonshire partnership area, not only Desborough. Figures for the Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough community safety partnerships, which together cover North Northamptonshire. 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 | 491 | 1.3 | Up 17% |
| Cars broken into | 699 | 1.9 | Down 12% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,262 | 3.4 | Down 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 525 | 1.4 | Up 9% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 4 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in NN14
In NN14, the postcode district at the centre of Desborough, 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) | 1,090 | 6% | 7% | 71% | 11% | 6% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 183 | 3% | 8% | 31% | 57% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 175 | 3% | 0% | 10% | 85% | 2% |
| Other theft | 158 | 1% | 0% | 34% | 61% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 141 | 31% | 0% | 18% | 49% | 2% |
| Public order | 139 | 6% | 6% | 58% | 29% | 2% |
| Burglary | 137 | 7% | 0% | 16% | 72% | 5% |
| Other crime | 81 | 11% | 2% | 56% | 16% | 15% |
| Drugs | 66 | 32% | 39% | 8% | 8% | 14% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% 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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 23.6 |
| Drugs | 0.8 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 3.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.3 |
| Public order | 2.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 3.1 |
Postcode districts in Desborough
Nearby towns
Council: North Northamptonshire
Questions about crime in Desborough
- Is Desborough a safe place to live?
- Desborough scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.7 times the North Northamptonshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Desborough?
- Down 4% over 5 years, from 637 recorded crimes a year to 610.
- What is the most common crime in Desborough?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Desborough compare with North Northamptonshire?
- Crime severity in Desborough is 0.7 times the North Northamptonshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Desborough?
- In NN14, the postcode district at the centre of Desborough, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 32% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Desborough?
- Of 137 burglaries reported in NN14, the postcode district at the centre of Desborough between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 72% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Desborough?
- In 2025/26, in the Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough partnership area, which includes Desborough, the police recorded 491 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.3 per 1,000 residents, up 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Desborough?
- 1,262 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough partnership area, which includes Desborough, 3.4 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Desborough last year?
- 4 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough partnership area, which includes Desborough, against 4 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.