Toddington Crime Rate

Introduction to Crime Statistics

Toddington records an overall crime rate of 99.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, placing it above the national average of 93.1 per 1,000. This results in a Safety Score of 78 out of 100, which is exactly the national average. Furthermore, the latest data shows that the crime trend is increasing, with a year-over-year rise of 6.6%. This upward trend suggests a recent elevation in the volume of reported incidents compared to the previous period. The town’s crime profile is heavily skewed by high rates of violence, anti-social behaviour, and notably, vehicle crime.

Crime Type Analysis

Toddington records a high overall crime rate of 99.7 per 1,000 residents, placing it above the national average. The crime profile is heavily dominated by social issues and vehicle targeting. Violence and sexual offences is the most frequent category, accounting for 26.4% of all crimes, or 26.3 incidents per 1,000 people. This is closely followed by Anti-social behaviour (ASB) at 23.4% (23.4 per 1,000). The third most common offence is Vehicle crime, representing a significant 19.6% of the total (19.6 per 1,000), indicating a major vulnerability for vehicle owners.

The town’s overall property crime rate is 36.0 per 1,000 people, which is higher than the UK average of 32.9 per 1,000. The high rate is largely attributable to the high volume of Vehicle crime. Other property offences include Criminal damage (6.9%) and Burglary (3.4%). The concentration of violence, ASB, and vehicle crime suggests that residents must be highly vigilant regarding both public order and the security of their vehicles.

Toddington Crime Trend Analysis

Toddington is currently classified as having an increasing crime trend, marked by a year-over-year rise of 6.6%. This notable increase suggests a significant rise in the overall volume of reported incidents compared to the previous 12-month period, necessitating local attention.

Analysis of the monthly trend data shows consistent high volatility throughout the year. The rate was lowest in February (5.3 per 1,000). Activity saw sharp peaks in March (9.1 per 1,000), May (9.5 per 1,000), and reached its highest point in October (11.3 per 1,000). The sustained high volume and increasing peaks in the latter half of the year confirm the annual upward trend and suggest that crime prevention efforts need to be intensified to reverse this trajectory.

How To Keep Safe in Toddington

The most frequent crime type in Toddington is Violence and sexual offences, but Vehicle crime is the most prevalent property offence, accounting for nearly 20% of all crime. Focused attention on vehicle security is critical.

1. Extreme Vehicle Security: Given the very high rate of Vehicle crime, always park in secure, well-lit locations. Use multiple layers of physical security, such as mechanical locks, and ensure keyless entry fobs are protected in a Faraday bag to block signal relay attacks.
2. Report Disorder: Anti-social behaviour is the second most common crime. Promptly report instances of public nuisance to the police to help prevent escalation into violence and crime.
3. Home Perimeter Defence: Ensure all exterior lighting is functioning, particularly around driveways and garages, to deter vehicle and burglary offences, which are heightened in this area.
4. Personal Safety: Maintain vigilance in public spaces, especially during the evening, to mitigate the risk from Violence and public order offences. Stick to well-used routes.

Hourly Crime Patterns

Crime activity in Toddington is heavily dominated by Vehicle crime, particularly overnight. The night period (12am to 6am) is overwhelmingly skewed towards Vehicle crime, which accounts for 77% of all offences, indicating focused targeting of unattended cars overnight. The evening (6pm to 12am) also sees a very high proportion of Vehicle crime (51%), suggesting a continuation of this threat into the later hours. Daytime activity is focused on theft. The afternoon (12pm to 6pm) sees theft-related offences peak at 35%, while morning hours (6am to 12pm) are unique in that Vehicle crime is the majority offence (51%) even during the day, likely due to commuter parking.

Regional Crime Context

Toddington’s high crime rate of 99.7 per 1,000 places it among the higher-risk areas in Central Bedfordshire. It is significantly higher than its neighbour Harlington (50.9 per 1,000). The rate also stands in stark contrast to the nearby rural settlements of Tebworth, Chalton, and Hockliffe, which all report rates of 0.0 per 1,000. This comparison highlights the concentrated urban challenges faced by Toddington, positioning it as a distinct hotspot for crime activity relative to the surrounding, more rural parts of the local authority. Residents should be aware of this local context, particularly regarding vehicle crime risks.

Proactive Home Protection Strategies

Given Toddington’s high property crime rate of 36.0 per 1,000, driven largely by Vehicle crime, robust and preventative security is paramount. Traditional, reactive security, such as standard cameras, only provides recorded evidence of a theft or burglary after the event, failing to prevent the loss or intrusion.

To achieve superior protection, residents should consider proactive, AI-powered systems like scOS. These systems focus on detection at the property boundary, using multi-camera intelligence to monitor and identify threats in real-time. This allows for immediate deterrence through lights or audio engagement, disrupting the criminal before they can enter the property. The visible presence of professional-grade equipment signals serious protection, often making a potential intruder decide within the critical first 60 seconds to move on to an easier target, fundamentally preventing the crime.