Crime in Ipswich
Recorded crime in Ipswich is 1.7 times the Ipswich council average and 2.0 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 19%. 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 Ipswich: about 34,110 residents in 31 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- −19%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.7×the Ipswich council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Ipswich.
Crime over 5 years
Down 19% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Ipswich, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.7× the Ipswich council average (2.0× the England and Wales average). 177 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 64% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% 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: 29 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Ipswich (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Ipswich council area, not only the town of Ipswich. 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 | 92 | 0.66 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 434 | 3.1 | Down 21% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 845 | 6.0 | Down 4% |
| Burglary of homes | 165 | 1.2 | Down 3% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in IP1
In IP1, the postcode district at the centre of Ipswich, 15% 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) | 2,130 | 11% | 16% | 58% | 12% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 876 | 29% | 4% | 11% | 55% | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 435 | 11% | 4% | 29% | 54% | 1% |
| Public order | 392 | 14% | 7% | 53% | 24% | 2% |
| Other theft | 339 | 2% | 4% | 24% | 68% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 270 | 14% | 0% | 11% | 74% | 1% |
| Drugs | 181 | 31% | 43% | 19% | 4% | 2% |
| Burglary | 124 | 15% | 0% | 14% | 68% | 4% |
| Other crime | 93 | 16% | 6% | 58% | 13% | 6% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 88 | 38% | 9% | 41% | 11% | 1% |
| Bicycle theft | 66 | 2% | 2% | 6% | 91% | 0% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% 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 | 2.8 |
| Burglary | 6.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 67.3 |
| Drugs | 6.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.3 |
| Other crime | 2.9 |
| Other theft | 12.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 3.0 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 7.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 16.8 |
| Public order | 17.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 5.4 |
| Shoplifting | 25.4 |
Postcode districts in Ipswich
Nearby towns
Council: Ipswich
Questions about crime in Ipswich
- Is Ipswich a safe place to live?
- Ipswich scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.7 times the Ipswich council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Ipswich?
- Down 19% over 5 years, from 6,550 recorded crimes a year to 5,326.
- What is the most common crime in Ipswich?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 67 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Ipswich compare with Ipswich council?
- Crime severity in Ipswich is 1.7 times the Ipswich council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Ipswich?
- In IP1, the postcode district at the centre of Ipswich, 15% 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 Ipswich?
- Of 124 burglaries reported in IP1, the postcode district at the centre of Ipswich between September 2024 and August 2025, 15% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 68% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Ipswich?
- In the Ipswich council area, the police recorded 92 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Ipswich?
- 845 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Ipswich council area, 6.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Ipswich last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Ipswich council area, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.