Car theft and vehicle crime in Norwich
219 vehicle crimes were reported to Norfolk Constabulary within about a mile of Norwich from October 2025 to September 2026. The last three months (51) ran 28% above the three before (40), so the recent direction is up.
Norwich month by month
The busiest month was December 2025 with 43 offences; the quietest was September 2026 with 7. The second half was 29% quieter than the first. Average: 18.2 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16 | -2 |
| Nov 2025 | 21 | +3 |
| Dec 2025 | 43 | +25 |
| Jan 2026 | 17 | -1 |
| Feb 2026 | 12 | -6 |
| Mar 2026 | 19 | +1 |
| Apr 2026 | 17 | -1 |
| May 2026 | 11 | -7 |
| Jun 2026 | 12 | -6 |
| Jul 2026 | 30 | +12 |
| Aug 2026 | 14 | -4 |
| Sep 2026 | 7 | -11 |
How Norwich compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Norwich comes 58. Its 18 offences a month are close to the typical town in our set, next to 116 for Cardiff.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Norwich averaged 17 vehicle offences a month. Roughly 20% of sampled British postcodes recorded more than central Norwich. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Norwich is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Norwich is the only Norfolk Constabulary area on our list. Across the 11 East of England towns we track it ranks 7 for vehicle crime per month.
Towns nearest to Norwich
- Ipswich (40 miles away): 18 a month, about the same than Norwich
- Colchester (54 miles away): 13 a month, 28% fewer than Norwich
- Cambridge (58 miles away): 15 a month, 18% fewer than Norwich
Where in Norwich offences were recorded
The top five recorded locations hold 12% of all offences in the radius around Norwich.
- On or near Parking Area: 12
- On or near Alexandra Road: 4
- On or near Sports/recreation Area: 4
- On or near St James Meadow: 4
- On or near Browne Street: 3
What happened to Norwich cases
The most common recorded outcome near Norwich was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (119 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 119 | 54% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 53 | 24% |
| Under investigation | 16 | 7% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 15 | 7% |
| Court result unavailable | 9 | 4% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 6 | 3% |
What this means if you park near Norwich
Norwich sees around 18 vehicle offences a month: low by city standards, yet thieves target the most valuable cars first. The recent rise is the signal to act now rather than after the next December peak.
For a car kept near Norwich, layering helps: an immobiliser to stop the engine starting, and a certified tracker for recovery if it goes anyway. See installation options.
Norwich car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Norwich?
In the year to September 2026, 219 vehicle crimes were logged inside a mile of central Norwich: about 18 every month, placing it 58 of the 84 towns we track (among the lower end).
When was vehicle crime worst in Norwich?
Norwich peaked in December 2025 at 43 recorded offences and bottomed out at 7 in September 2026; 7 were logged in September 2026.
Are car thieves caught in Norwich?
Police.uk shows 119 of 219 Norwich cases (54%) closed without a suspect and 30 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 Norwich?
No. Police.uk counts theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle and vehicle interference together as vehicle crime, so the 219 figure for Norwich is wider than stolen cars alone.
Source: police.uk, centred on 52.6309, 1.2974, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.