Car theft and vehicle crime in Bedford
377 vehicle crimes were reported to Bedfordshire Police within about a mile of Bedford from October 2025 to September 2026. Recent months have been broadly steady: 104 offences in the latest quarter against 110 previously.
Bedford month by month
Counts ranged from 19 in February 2026 up to 45 in July 2026. The second half ran 31% above the first. Average: 31.4 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36 | +5 |
| Nov 2025 | 27 | -4 |
| Dec 2025 | 36 | +5 |
| Jan 2026 | 26 | -5 |
| Feb 2026 | 19 | -12 |
| Mar 2026 | 19 | -12 |
| Apr 2026 | 35 | +4 |
| May 2026 | 37 | +6 |
| Jun 2026 | 38 | +7 |
| Jul 2026 | 45 | +14 |
| Aug 2026 | 32 | +1 |
| Sep 2026 | 27 | -4 |
How Bedford compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Bedford ranks 28 for monthly vehicle crime at 31 a month, about 1.3 times the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Bedford averaged 35 vehicle offences a month. That is more than 89% of the sampled British postcodes, but well short of the worst. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Bedford is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Bedfordshire Police area, Bedford ranks 2 of the 2 centres we track at 31 offences a month. The others: Luton (64).
Towns nearest to Bedford
- Milton Keynes (14 miles away): 36 a month, 14% more than Bedford
- Luton (18 miles away): 64 a month, 103% more than Bedford
- Northampton (20 miles away): 49 a month, 55% more than Bedford
Where in Bedford offences were recorded
The top five recorded locations hold 9% of all offences in the radius around Bedford.
- On or near Kingsbrook Road: 9
- On or near Parking Area: 8
- On or near Supermarket: 7
- On or near Usher Close: 6
- On or near Bedesman Lane: 5
What happened to Bedford cases
The most common recorded outcome near Bedford was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (307 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 307 | 81% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 41 | 11% |
| Under investigation | 18 | 5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5 | 1% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 1% |
| Status update unavailable | 2 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Bedford
Bedford sees around 31 vehicle offences a month: low by city standards, yet thieves target the most valuable cars first. July was the local peak, which is worth remembering when you plan where to park.
Against the 377 offences logged here in a year, an aftermarket immobiliser slows thieves who clone or relay keys, and an S5 or S7 tracker covers you if they still get away. See installation options.
Bedford car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Bedford?
377 in the latest 12 months (31 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Bedford centre. Of our 84 towns, Bedford comes 28, among the higher end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Bedford?
Bedford peaked in July 2026 at 45 recorded offences and bottomed out at 19 in February 2026; 27 were logged in September 2026.
Are car thieves caught in Bedford?
Police.uk shows 307 of 377 Bedford cases (81%) closed without a suspect and 9 with a court-stage outcome, so an owner is far better served by an immobiliser and tracker than by the odds of a conviction.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Bedford?
Not only. The 377 Bedford offences combine cars stolen outright, items taken from vehicles and tampering, because police.uk publishes them as one vehicle crime category.
Source: police.uk, centred on 52.1356, -0.4685, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.