Sharnbrook Crime Rate

Sharnbrook stands out as one of the safest areas in the Bedford local authority, boasting an overall crime rate of just 34.1 per 1,000 people. This is remarkably low compared to the UK average of 91.7, earning the village an exceptional safety score of 92/100. Although there has been a significant 88.5% increase in crime year-over-year, it is important to contextualise this: the increase is from a very low starting point, and the total number of incidents remains small. The following detailed analysis, covering December 2024 to November 2025, provides insights into the crime types and trends in Sharnbrook, helping residents maintain the high standards of safety they currently enjoy.

In Sharnbrook, the crime profile is led by violence and sexual offences, which account for 36.7% of all recorded incidents (12.5 per 1,000 people). Anti-social behaviour is the second most common at 28.6%, followed by public order offences at 10.2%.

Property crime—which includes burglary, vehicle crime, and various thefts—is exceptionally low in Sharnbrook, with a rate of just 7.7 per 1,000 residents. This is far below the UK average of 32.3. Burglary and criminal damage each make up 6.1% of the total crime, while vehicle crime and other theft are even less frequent at 4.1% each. For residents, these figures indicate that Sharnbrook is a very secure environment for property. However, the dominance of violence and anti-social behaviour suggests that community-related issues are the more prominent concern for the local population.

Sharnbrook has seen a notable 88.5% increase in crime year-over-year, though this rise is from an exceptionally low base. Monthly data from December 2024 to November 2025 shows that crime rates peaked in May 2025 at 7.0 per 1,000 residents, followed by July at 4.9 and February at 5.6. The safest month was January 2025, with a rate of just 0.7 per 1,000. These fluctuations are typical for small populations where a single incident can cause a large percentage shift. For residents, the overall message remains one of high safety, but the upward trend suggests that maintaining vigilance is more important now than in previous years.

How To Keep Safe in Sharnbrook

The most common crime types in Sharnbrook are violence and sexual offences, followed by anti-social behaviour. Despite the low crime rate, residents can take proactive steps to ensure their continued safety.

1. Engage with the local community through parish council meetings or neighbourhood watch schemes to stay informed about any local issues or suspicious activities.
2. Ensure that your home’s exterior is well-maintained and well-lit. Motion-sensor lighting is an effective way to deter anti-social behaviour and opportunistic crime around your property.
3. Be aware of your surroundings when walking through the village, particularly in the evening. Stick to well-lit routes and let someone know your expected arrival time if walking alone.
4. Secure outbuildings like sheds and garages with high-quality padlocks. Even in low-crime areas, these are often targets for opportunistic theft of garden equipment or bicycles.
5. Report any incidents of anti-social behaviour to the local authorities. Early reporting helps the police identify patterns and allocate resources effectively to keep the village safe.

Crime in Sharnbrook follows clear temporal trends. The afternoon is the most significant time for burglary, accounting for 39% of such incidents, which suggests properties are often targeted when they appear unoccupied during the day. In the evening, the "other" crime category (including anti-social behaviour) rises to 47%, reflecting community-related activity. Night-time is the peak period for vehicle crime, which makes up 34% of incidents between midnight and 6am. Morning hours see a more even distribution of crimes, with burglary at 25% and theft at 18%. These patterns indicate that while the volume of crime is low, specific risks like vehicle crime and burglary are concentrated at predictable times.

In the local context, Sharnbrook is positioned as a highly secure settlement. It is significantly safer than the nearby village of Harrold, which has a crime rate of 55.6 per 1,000. However, it is slightly more active than Felmersham, Pavenham, and Milton Ernest, all of which reported no crimes (0.0 per 1,000) during the same period. Despite these variations, Sharnbrook’s safety score of 92/100 confirms its status as a premier location for those prioritising security. It remains a tranquil and low-crime environment compared to both its immediate neighbours and the wider UK.

While Sharnbrook enjoys an exceptionally low property crime rate of 7.7 per 1,000 people, the recent 88.5% increase in overall crime suggests that residents should not become complacent. For homeowners in such a safe area, the goal of security is often maintaining peace of mind and ensuring that their property remains an unattractive target for opportunistic offenders. Traditional security systems like Ring or Nest are reactive; they notify you after someone is already at your door or has entered your home.

The scOS artificial intelligence system provides a proactive alternative. By using multi-camera intelligence to watch your property boundaries, scOS can detect potential threats before they escalate. If an unauthorised person enters your perimeter, the system can autonomously engage them with lights or speakers, removing the element of surprise. In a village like Sharnbrook, where crime is rare, such a visible and intelligent deterrent is often all that is needed to make a would-be intruder move on. Choosing scOS means investing in a system that prevents crime, rather than one that simply records your property being targeted.