What is the crime rate in Bedford?

As of March 2026, Bedford has a crime rate of 8.48 per 1,000 residents, based on 1,570 recorded offences.

How does Bedford rank nationally for crime?

Bedford ranks #100 out of 330 local authorities by total crime volume.

What is the most common crime in Bedford?

The most common crime type in Bedford is Violence and sexual offences with 594 incidents in March 2026, accounting for 37.8% of all crime.

March 2026 Source: Bedfordshire Police Police

Bedford Crime Intelligence Report

Bedford recorded 1,570 crimes in March 2026, equating to a crime rate of 8.48 per 1,000 residents. This places Bedford at #100 of 330 local authorities nationally by total crime volume. Crime has increased by 27.7% compared to the previous month. Year-on-year, crime levels are 9.8% higher.

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Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry Period: March 2026 • Updated monthly

Total Crimes

1,570

trending_up +27.7% vs last month

Crime Rate

8.48per 1k

Moderate

National Rank

#100of 330

By total crime volume

National Population

185,224

Estimated population

12-Month Crime Trend

Monthly Totals

Interactive Crime Map

District View

Live Points

Crime Incident

Area Boundary

Incident Distribution

Top Locations

Location Reference	Crime Breakdown	Primary Count
On or near Adelaide Square Map	Violence and sexual offences: 20 Other crime: 16	20
On or near Supermarket Map	Shoplifting: 21 Public order: 4	21
On or near Abbott Crescent Map	Public order: 8 Violence and sexual offences: 7 Drugs: 4	8
On or near Shopping Area Map	Shoplifting: 14 Other theft: 3	14
On or near Petrol Station Map	Shoplifting: 15	15
On or near Kingsbrook Road Map	Shoplifting: 13 Vehicle crime: 2	13
On or near Parking Area Map	Anti-social behaviour: 11	11
On or near Shopping Area Map	Robbery: 4 Public order: 4	4
On or near Supermarket Map	Anti-social behaviour: 6 Robbery: 2	6
On or near Old Milton Road Map	Violence and sexual offences: 8	8

Crime Breakdown

March 2026

1,570 Total

Violence & Sexual Offences

594

37.8%

Anti-social Behaviour

268

17.1%

Shoplifting

126

8.0%

Public Order

108

6.9%

Other Theft

6.2%

Criminal Damage & Arson

5.2%

Vehicle Crime

4.5%

Drug Offences

3.9%

Burglary

3.8%

Other Crime

3.2%

Robbery

1.2%

Bicycle Theft

1.0%

Weapons Possession

0.8%

Theft from Person

0.6%

Expert Safety Insights

Ward Safety Rankings

27 wards

Highest Crime

#	Ward	Crimes	Rate
1	Castle	226	24.8
2	Cauldwell	171	15.5
3	Kingsbrook	161	15.9
4	Harpur	133	15.0
5	Kempston West	85	15.4

Safest Wards

	Ward	Crimes	Rate
shield	Riseley	2	0.6
shield	Oakley	8	2.1
shield	Kempston North	9	2.4
shield	Wyboston	10	2.7
shield	Clapham	19	4.2

Growth Analysis

Month-on-Monthtrending_up +27.7%

Year-on-Yeartrending_up +9.8%

Data Transparency

Crime rates are calculated per 1,000 residents using ONS Census 2021 population data. Rankings cover all 330 local authorities in England & Wales.

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