Crime in Southwold
Recorded crime in Southwold is 0.9 times the East Suffolk average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. 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 Southwold: about 1,955 residents in 3 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 4.4/10Weak
- 5-year change
- −1%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.9×the East Suffolk average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Southwold.
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Southwold, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.9× the East Suffolk average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 51 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 52% of the harm here
- Burglary: 29% of the harm here
- Other theft: 7% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 6.4 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in East Suffolk (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole East Suffolk partnership area, not only Southwold. Figures for the Suffolk Coastal and Waveney community safety partnerships, which together cover East Suffolk. 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 | 188 | 0.75 | Down 11% |
| Cars broken into | 258 | 1.0 | Up 9% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 961 | 3.8 | Down 5% |
| Burglary of homes | 178 | 0.71 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in IP18
In IP18, the postcode district at the centre of Southwold, 9% 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) | 74 | 14% | 26% | 43% | 11% | 7% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% 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 | 6.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 16.9 |
| Drugs | 1.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.1 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 7.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.2 |
| Public order | 4.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 2.3 |
Postcode districts in Southwold
Nearby towns
Council: East Suffolk
Questions about crime in Southwold
- Is Southwold a safe place to live?
- Southwold scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.9 times the East Suffolk average.
- Is crime going up or down in Southwold?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 93 recorded crimes a year then, 92 now.
- What is the most common crime in Southwold?
- 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 Southwold compare with East Suffolk?
- Crime severity in Southwold is 0.9 times the East Suffolk average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Southwold?
- In IP18, the postcode district at the centre of Southwold, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 44% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Southwold?
- In 2025/26, in the Suffolk Coastal and Waveney partnership area, which includes Southwold, the police recorded 188 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 11% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Southwold?
- 961 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Suffolk Coastal and Waveney partnership area, which includes Southwold, 3.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Southwold last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Suffolk Coastal and Waveney partnership area, which includes Southwold, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.