Crime in Downham Market
Recorded crime in Downham Market is 0.8 times the King's Lynn and West Norfolk average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 27%. 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 Downham Market: about 11,362 residents in 11 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.5/10Good
- 5-year change
- −27%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.8×the King's Lynn and West Norfolk average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Downham Market.
Crime over 5 years
Down 27% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Downham Market, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the King's Lynn and West Norfolk average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 49 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Drugs: 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: 13 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in King's Lynn and West Norfolk (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area, not only Downham Market. 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% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 597 | 3.8 | Down 8% |
| Burglary of homes | 118 | 0.76 | Down 21% |
| 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 PE38
In PE38, the postcode district at the centre of Downham Market, 11% 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) | 364 | 7% | 13% | 71% | 6% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 87 | 7% | 9% | 32% | 49% | 2% |
| Public order | 71 | 7% | 14% | 63% | 8% | 7% |
| Shoplifting | 59 | 34% | 7% | 25% | 32% | 2% |
| Other theft | 58 | 3% | 2% | 29% | 57% | 9% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 2.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 23.0 |
| Drugs | 1.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 3.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.0 |
| Public order | 4.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.7 |
| Shoplifting | 2.7 |
Postcode districts in Downham Market
Nearby towns
Council: King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Questions about crime in Downham Market
- Is Downham Market a safe place to live?
- Downham Market scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the King's Lynn and West Norfolk average.
- Is crime going up or down in Downham Market?
- Down 27% over 5 years, from 722 recorded crimes a year to 529.
- What is the most common crime in Downham Market?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 23 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Downham Market compare with King's Lynn and West Norfolk?
- Crime severity in Downham Market is 0.8 times the King's Lynn and West Norfolk average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Downham Market?
- In PE38, the postcode district at the centre of Downham Market, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 23% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Downham Market?
- In King's Lynn and West Norfolk, the council area Downham Market is in, 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 Downham Market?
- 597 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, the council area Downham Market is in, 3.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Downham Market last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, the council area Downham Market is in, against 1 the year before.