Crime in Northampton
Recorded crime in Northampton is 2.4 times the West Northamptonshire average and 2.4 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 7%. 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 Northampton: about 40,195 residents in 32 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −7%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.4×the West Northamptonshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Northampton.
Crime over 5 years
Down 7% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Northampton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.4× the West Northamptonshire average (2.4× the England and Wales average). 185 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Robbery: 12% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 49 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in West Northamptonshire (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole West Northamptonshire partnership area, not only Northampton. Figures for the Daventry and South Northamptonshire and Northampton community safety partnerships, which together cover West 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 | 515 | 1.2 | Down 7% |
| Cars broken into | 1,135 | 2.6 | Down 16% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,401 | 3.2 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of homes | 825 | 1.9 | Down 6% |
| 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 NN1
In NN1, the postcode district at the centre of Northampton, 14% 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) | 2,880 | 9% | 5% | 64% | 18% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,275 | 25% | 2% | 9% | 63% | 1% |
| Public order | 523 | 19% | 3% | 47% | 27% | 3% |
| Other theft | 510 | 1% | 0% | 21% | 76% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 497 | 8% | 4% | 31% | 55% | 2% |
| Drugs | 481 | 35% | 30% | 19% | 9% | 7% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 403 | 3% | 0% | 10% | 85% | 1% |
| Burglary | 284 | 11% | 1% | 24% | 61% | 3% |
| Robbery | 196 | 6% | 0% | 55% | 35% | 4% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 167 | 37% | 3% | 41% | 13% | 7% |
| Other crime | 131 | 18% | 8% | 50% | 13% | 12% |
| Bicycle theft | 92 | 2% | 0% | 5% | 91% | 1% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 76 | 3% | 0% | 24% | 72% | 1% |
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 | 4.4 |
| Burglary | 9.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 73.5 |
| Drugs | 9.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 3.3 |
| Other crime | 2.9 |
| Other theft | 15.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 3.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 14.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 14.9 |
| Public order | 13.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.2 |
| Shoplifting | 17.4 |
Postcode districts in Northampton
Nearby towns
Council: West Northamptonshire
Questions about crime in Northampton
- Is Northampton a safe place to live?
- Northampton scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.4 times the West Northamptonshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Northampton?
- Down 7% over 5 years, from 7,971 recorded crimes a year to 7,375.
- What is the most common crime in Northampton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 74 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Northampton compare with West Northamptonshire?
- Crime severity in Northampton is 2.4 times the West Northamptonshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Northampton?
- In NN1, the postcode district at the centre of Northampton, 14% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 39% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Northampton?
- Of 284 burglaries reported in NN1, the postcode district at the centre of Northampton between September 2024 and August 2025, 11% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 61% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Northampton?
- In 2025/26, in the Daventry and South Northamptonshire and Northampton partnership area, which includes Northampton, the police recorded 515 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, down 7% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Northampton?
- 1,401 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Daventry and South Northamptonshire and Northampton partnership area, which includes Northampton, 3.2 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Northampton last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Daventry and South Northamptonshire and Northampton partnership area, which includes Northampton, against 5 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.