Crime in Stowmarket
Recorded crime in Stowmarket is 1.7 times the Mid Suffolk average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. 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 Stowmarket: about 17,830 residents in 15 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 5/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.7×the Mid Suffolk average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Stowmarket.
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Stowmarket, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.7× the Mid Suffolk average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 67 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 71% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 71% 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: 11 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Mid Suffolk (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Mid Suffolk partnership area, not only Stowmarket. Figures for the Western Suffolk community safety partnership, which covers Babergh, Mid Suffolk and West 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 | 257 | 0.65 | Up 7% |
| Cars broken into | 394 | 0.99 | Up 20% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,234 | 3.1 | Down 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 304 | 0.77 | Down 6% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 4 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in IP14
In IP14, the postcode district at the centre of Stowmarket, 10% 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) | 943 | 9% | 17% | 62% | 7% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 202 | 6% | 7% | 29% | 55% | 3% |
| Other theft | 164 | 2% | 5% | 24% | 61% | 8% |
| Public order | 147 | 14% | 8% | 58% | 18% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 140 | 13% | 4% | 15% | 67% | 1% |
| Burglary | 79 | 4% | 1% | 20% | 73% | 1% |
| Other crime | 70 | 9% | 14% | 64% | 9% | 4% |
| Drugs | 69 | 39% | 39% | 13% | 6% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 56 | 7% | 2% | 11% | 80% | 0% |
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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 31.1 |
| Drugs | 2.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.7 |
| Other theft | 4.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 7.5 |
| Public order | 7.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.0 |
| Shoplifting | 4.1 |
Postcode districts in Stowmarket
Nearby towns
Council: Mid Suffolk
Questions about crime in Stowmarket
- Is Stowmarket a safe place to live?
- Stowmarket scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.7 times the Mid Suffolk average.
- Is crime going up or down in Stowmarket?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 1,251 recorded crimes a year to 1,089.
- What is the most common crime in Stowmarket?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 31 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Stowmarket compare with Mid Suffolk?
- Crime severity in Stowmarket is 1.7 times the Mid Suffolk average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Stowmarket?
- In IP14, the postcode district at the centre of Stowmarket, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 28% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Stowmarket?
- Of 79 burglaries reported in IP14, the postcode district at the centre of Stowmarket between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 73% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Stowmarket?
- In 2025/26, in the Western Suffolk partnership area, which includes Stowmarket, the police recorded 257 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.6 per 1,000 residents, up 7% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Stowmarket?
- 1,234 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Western Suffolk partnership area, which includes Stowmarket, 3.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Stowmarket last year?
- 4 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Western Suffolk partnership area, which includes Stowmarket, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.