Crime in Stafford
Recorded crime in Stafford is 2.1 times the Stafford council average and 1.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 23%. 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 Stafford: about 19,612 residents in 22 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- +23%more crimes
- vs the council
- 2.1×the Stafford council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Stafford.
Crime over 5 years
Up 23% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Stafford, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.1× the Stafford council average (1.5× the England and Wales average). 124 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Robbery: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% 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: 42 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Stafford (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Stafford council area, not only the town of Stafford. 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 | 122 | 0.86 | Down 13% |
| Cars broken into | 99 | 0.70 | Down 21% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 551 | 3.9 | Up 10% |
| Burglary of homes | 139 | 0.98 | Down 16% |
| 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 ST16
In ST16, the postcode district at the centre of Stafford, 11% 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) | 1,603 | 8% | 8% | 70% | 8% | 5% |
| Public order | 382 | 7% | 5% | 65% | 19% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 299 | 27% | 5% | 28% | 28% | 11% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 261 | 11% | 8% | 37% | 43% | 1% |
| Other theft | 245 | 2% | 3% | 37% | 54% | 4% |
| Drugs | 143 | 15% | 55% | 8% | 17% | 4% |
| Burglary | 104 | 4% | 0% | 33% | 55% | 9% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 83 | 16% | 0% | 18% | 58% | 8% |
| Other crime | 77 | 23% | 8% | 49% | 13% | 6% |
| Bicycle theft | 57 | 16% | 0% | 11% | 70% | 4% |
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 | 1.6 |
| Burglary | 5.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.5 |
| Drugs | 4.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.4 |
| Other crime | 2.0 |
| Other theft | 10.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.0 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.0 |
| Public order | 11.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.7 |
| Shoplifting | 16.2 |
Postcode districts in Stafford
Nearby towns
Council: Stafford
Questions about crime in Stafford
- Is Stafford a safe place to live?
- Stafford scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.1 times the Stafford council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Stafford?
- Up 23% over 5 years, from 2,627 recorded crimes a year to 3,223.
- What is the most common crime in Stafford?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 51 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Stafford compare with Stafford council?
- Crime severity in Stafford is 2.1 times the Stafford council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Stafford?
- In ST16, the postcode district at the centre of Stafford, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 22% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Stafford?
- Of 104 burglaries reported in ST16, the postcode district at the centre of Stafford between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 55% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Stafford?
- In the Stafford council area, the police recorded 122 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.9 per 1,000 residents, down 13% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Stafford?
- 551 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Stafford council area, 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Stafford last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Stafford council area, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.