Car theft and vehicle crime in Northampton
Between October 2025 and September 2026, Northamptonshire Police logged 585 vehicle offences inside a one-mile radius of Northampton. Recent months have been broadly steady: 139 offences in the latest quarter against 151 previously.
Northampton month by month
The busiest month was June 2026 with 68 offences; the quietest was August 2026 with 33. There was little difference between the first and second six months. Average: 48.8 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51 | +2 |
| Nov 2025 | 52 | +3 |
| Dec 2025 | 48 | -1 |
| Jan 2026 | 45 | -4 |
| Feb 2026 | 61 | +12 |
| Mar 2026 | 38 | -11 |
| Apr 2026 | 34 | -15 |
| May 2026 | 49 | +0 |
| Jun 2026 | 68 | +19 |
| Jul 2026 | 59 | +10 |
| Aug 2026 | 33 | -16 |
| Sep 2026 | 47 | -2 |
How Northampton compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Northampton ranks 16 for monthly vehicle crime at 49 a month, about 2.1 times the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Northampton averaged 46 vehicle offences a month. Central Northampton lands in the busiest 8% of our national postcode sample. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Northampton is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Northampton is the only Northamptonshire Police area on our list. Across the 8 East Midlands towns we track it ranks 3 for vehicle crime per month.
Towns nearest to Northampton
- Milton Keynes (15 miles away): 36 a month, 26% fewer than Northampton
- Bedford (20 miles away): 31 a month, 36% fewer than Northampton
- Coventry (28 miles away): 45 a month, about the same than Northampton
Where in Northampton offences were recorded
The top five recorded locations hold 10% of all offences in the radius around Northampton.
- On or near Supermarket: 18
- On or near Parking Area: 14
- On or near Petrol Station: 10
- On or near Leslie Road: 9
- On or near Nightclub: 9
What happened to Northampton cases
The most common recorded outcome near Northampton was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (484 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 484 | 83% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 54 | 9% |
| Under investigation | 21 | 4% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 9 | 2% |
| Status update unavailable | 9 | 2% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Northampton
With roughly 49 offences a month close to Northampton, assume a parked car here will be tried at some point. Watch June in particular: it produced the highest count locally.
Against the 585 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.
Northampton car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Northampton?
Police recorded 585 vehicle offences within about a mile of central Northampton in the 12 months to September 2026, an average of 49 a month. That ranks 16 of 84 towns on our list, among the higher end.
When was vehicle crime worst in Northampton?
June 2026 was the peak with 68 offences, against 33 in August 2026. The latest month, September 2026, recorded 47.
Are car thieves caught in Northampton?
Police.uk shows 484 of 585 Northampton cases (83%) closed without a suspect and 15 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 Northampton?
No. Police.uk counts theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle and vehicle interference together as vehicle crime, so the 585 figure for Northampton is wider than stolen cars alone.
Source: police.uk, centred on 52.2405, -0.9027, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.