Car theft and vehicle crime in Canterbury
Police recorded 167 vehicle crimes within about a mile of Canterbury between October 2025 and September 2026. The most recent quarter brought 36 offences, 29% fewer than the 51 in the quarter before it.
Canterbury month by month
October 2025 stands out at 25 recorded offences, while February 2026 dropped to 6. The second half ran 9% above the first. Average: 13.9 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25 | +11 |
| Nov 2025 | 17 | +3 |
| Dec 2025 | 14 | +0 |
| Jan 2026 | 10 | -4 |
| Feb 2026 | 6 | -8 |
| Mar 2026 | 8 | -6 |
| Apr 2026 | 11 | -3 |
| May 2026 | 20 | +6 |
| Jun 2026 | 20 | +6 |
| Jul 2026 | 15 | +1 |
| Aug 2026 | 8 | -6 |
| Sep 2026 | 13 | -1 |
How Canterbury compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Canterbury comes 64. Its 14 offences a month are around 41% below the typical town in our set, next to 116 for Cardiff.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Canterbury averaged 12 vehicle offences a month. That is more than 75% of the sampled British postcodes, but well short of the worst. Our benchmark is 400 random postcodes from England, Scotland and Wales, counted with the same one-mile method over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Kent Police area, Canterbury ranks 1 of the 2 centres we track at 14 offences a month. The others: Maidstone (13).
Towns nearest to Canterbury
- Maidstone (24 miles away): 13 a month, about the same than Canterbury
- Southend-on-Sea (24 miles away): 37 a month, 168% more than Canterbury
- Basildon (33 miles away): 20 a month, 44% more than Canterbury
Where in Canterbury offences were recorded
These five police.uk map points account for 15% of the offences near Canterbury.
- On or near Supermarket: 8
- On or near Redwood Close: 5
- On or near Harcourt Drive: 4
- On or near Ulcombe Gardens: 4
- On or near Wemyss Way: 4
What happened to Canterbury cases
The most common recorded outcome near Canterbury was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (133 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 133 | 80% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 20 | 12% |
| Under investigation | 6 | 4% |
| Status update unavailable | 5 | 3% |
| Court result unavailable | 1 | 1% |
| Local resolution | 1 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Canterbury
A rate near 14 a month makes Canterbury a lower-volume area, which is when an unprotected premium car stands out. October was the local peak, which is worth remembering when you plan where to park.
For a car kept near Canterbury, layering helps: an immobiliser to stop the engine starting, and a certified tracker for recovery if it goes anyway. See installation options.
Canterbury car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Canterbury?
167 in the latest 12 months (14 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Canterbury centre. Of our 84 towns, Canterbury comes 64, among the lower end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Canterbury?
October 2025 was the peak with 25 offences, against 6 in February 2026. The latest month, September 2026, recorded 13.
Are car thieves caught in Canterbury?
Police.uk shows 133 of 167 Canterbury cases (80%) closed without a suspect and 2 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 Canterbury?
The Canterbury total of 167 includes thefts of vehicles, thefts from them and interference: police.uk does not split these at street level, so treat it as all car crime rather than stolen cars only.
Source: police.uk, centred on 51.2802, 1.0789, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.