Crime in Dunstable
Recorded crime in Dunstable is 1.6 times the Central Bedfordshire average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 2%. 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 Dunstable: about 28,866 residents in 26 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.6/10Good
- 5-year change
- −2%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Central Bedfordshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dunstable.
Crime over 5 years
Down 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Dunstable, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Central Bedfordshire average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 81 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 53% of the harm here
- Burglary: 20% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 26 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Central Bedfordshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Central Bedfordshire council area, not only Dunstable. 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 | 448 | 1.4 | Down 18% |
| Cars broken into | 655 | 2.1 | Down 10% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 895 | 2.8 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 283 | 0.90 | Down 11% |
| 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 LU6
In LU6, the postcode district at the centre of Dunstable, 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) | 794 | 7% | 7% | 69% | 13% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 207 | 3% | 4% | 21% | 71% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 185 | 3% | 0% | 8% | 90% | 0% |
| Public order | 170 | 5% | 4% | 54% | 36% | 2% |
| Other theft | 169 | 1% | 0% | 27% | 70% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 164 | 25% | 1% | 6% | 67% | 1% |
| Burglary | 98 | 4% | 0% | 11% | 84% | 1% |
| Other crime | 66 | 12% | 12% | 65% | 6% | 5% |
| Drugs | 60 | 23% | 37% | 18% | 18% | 3% |
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 | 1.3 |
| Burglary | 6.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 26.0 |
| Drugs | 1.8 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.4 |
| Other theft | 6.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.1 |
| Public order | 7.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.3 |
| Shoplifting | 9.1 |
Postcode districts in Dunstable
Nearby towns
Council: Central Bedfordshire
Questions about crime in Dunstable
- Is Dunstable a safe place to live?
- Dunstable scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Central Bedfordshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Dunstable?
- Down 2% over 5 years, from 2,123 recorded crimes a year to 2,085.
- What is the most common crime in Dunstable?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 26 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Dunstable compare with Central Bedfordshire?
- Crime severity in Dunstable is 1.6 times the Central Bedfordshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Dunstable?
- In LU6, the postcode district at the centre of Dunstable, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 42% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Dunstable?
- Of 98 burglaries reported in LU6, the postcode district at the centre of Dunstable between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 84% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Dunstable?
- In Central Bedfordshire, the council area Dunstable is in, the police recorded 448 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.4 per 1,000 residents, down 18% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Dunstable?
- 895 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Central Bedfordshire, the council area Dunstable is in, 2.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Dunstable last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Central Bedfordshire, the council area Dunstable is in, against 3 the year before.