Crime in Shefford
Recorded crime in Shefford is about the Central Bedfordshire average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 18%. 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 Shefford: about 8,068 residents in 8 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.4/10Fair
- 5-year change
- +18%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.0×the Central Bedfordshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Shefford.
Crime over 5 years
Up 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Shefford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the Central Bedfordshire average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 58 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 16% of the harm here
- Other theft: 10% of the harm here
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 Central Bedfordshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Central Bedfordshire council area, not only Shefford. 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 SG17
In SG17, the postcode district at the centre of Shefford, 7% 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) | 340 | 8% | 10% | 71% | 5% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 282 | 5% | 0% | 1% | 94% | 0% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 75 | 1% | 0% | 5% | 91% | 3% |
| Public order | 69 | 6% | 4% | 54% | 33% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 64 | 5% | 2% | 41% | 53% | 0% |
| Other theft | 56 | 2% | 2% | 16% | 77% | 4% |
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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 17.4 |
| Drugs | 1.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 9.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.0 |
| Public order | 4.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 7.8 |
Postcode districts in Shefford
Nearby towns
Council: Central Bedfordshire
Questions about crime in Shefford
- Is Shefford a safe place to live?
- Shefford scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is about the Central Bedfordshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Shefford?
- Up 18% over 5 years, from 401 recorded crimes a year to 473.
- What is the most common crime in Shefford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 17 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Shefford compare with Central Bedfordshire?
- Crime severity in Shefford is about the Central Bedfordshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Shefford?
- In SG17, the postcode district at the centre of Shefford, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 50% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Shefford?
- In Central Bedfordshire, the council area Shefford 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 Shefford?
- 895 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Central Bedfordshire, the council area Shefford is in, 2.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Shefford last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Central Bedfordshire, the council area Shefford is in, against 3 the year before.