Louth Crime Rate

Louth is a historic market town with an overall crime rate of 110.0 per 1,000 people. While this figure is above the UK average of 91.6, the town maintains a respectable safety score of 76/100. The property crime rate in Louth is 29.4 per 1,000, which is actually lower than the national average of 32.2, indicating that homes and belongings are statistically safer here than in many other parts of the country. The current crime trend is stable, showing a minor 3.4% increase over the past year. This analysis explores the specific types of crime occurring in Louth and provides insights into temporal patterns, helping residents and business owners make informed decisions about their security and personal safety.

In Louth, the crime profile is led by violence and sexual offences, which account for 34.7% of all recorded incidents (38.2 per 1,000 residents). Anti-social behaviour is also highly prevalent, representing 30.5% of the total crime volume, while shoplifting is the third most significant issue at 10.1%.

Property crime as a whole—which includes burglary, vehicle crime, theft, and criminal damage—occurs at a rate of 29.4 per 1,000 residents. Within this category, criminal damage and arson are notable, representing 7.4% of total crime. Other theft stands at 4.4%, while burglary and vehicle crime are relatively low at 2.0% and 2.3% respectively. For residents, this means that while the risk of traditional break-ins is lower than in many urban areas, there is a persistent risk of opportunistic theft and anti-social behaviour. Protecting retail businesses and ensuring that personal property is not left vulnerable in public or semi-public spaces are important considerations for maintaining security in the town.

The crime trend in Louth is currently stable, with a modest 3.4% increase in total offences compared to the previous year. A detailed look at the 2025 monthly data shows that crime rates varied throughout the year, with a notable peak of 11.5 per 1,000 in July and another high of 11.1 in April.

These peaks likely reflect seasonal increases in activity within the town. Following the July high, crime rates saw a general decline, reaching their lowest point of the year in November at 6.5 per 1,000. This downward trend towards the end of the year is a positive indicator for the community. For residents, the overall stability suggests that while there are monthly fluctuations, the town's safety profile remains consistent. The lack of a sharp upward trajectory indicates that local law enforcement and community safety measures are effectively managing crime levels in the area.

How To Keep Safe in Louth

The most prevalent crime type in Louth is violence and sexual offences, followed closely by anti-social behaviour. To enhance your personal safety and help maintain the town's community spirit, consider the following localized advice:

1. When visiting the town centre during the evening or on weekends, stay in well-lit areas and plan your route home. Louth's compact nature makes it easy to walk, but sticking to main thoroughfares is always safer.
2. If you are a business owner, particularly in the retail sector, be aware that shoplifting is a significant local issue. Ensure your premises are well-monitored and that staff are trained in identifying suspicious behaviour.
3. Anti-social behaviour often occurs in public spaces; reporting these incidents to the local police helps them to better understand and patrol known hotspots.
4. For vehicle owners, the higher incidence of vehicle crime during the night (28% of night-time offences) suggests that using a garage or well-lit driveway is particularly important in Louth.
5. Secure your home with high-quality locks and consider a proactive security system to deter opportunistic theft, which often occurs during the afternoon and night-time hours.

In Louth, crime exhibits distinct temporal patterns that align with the town's daily activities. The afternoon (12pm-6pm) and evening (6pm-12am) are the most active periods for recorded incidents. During the afternoon, theft-related offences, particularly shoplifting, are more common as the town's retail centre is at its busiest. As the day transitions into the evening, the focus shifts towards anti-social behaviour and 'other' crime types, which often correlate with socialising and nightlife.

The night-time period (12am-6am) sees a lower volume of crime overall, but a higher concentration of specific offences. Notably, vehicle crime is most prevalent during these hours, accounting for 28% of night-time incidents. Burglary also remains a risk during the night and afternoon. Morning hours (6am-12pm) are generally the quietest, though they still see a significant proportion of theft (40%) and 'other' crimes as businesses open and the town begins its daily routine. Understanding these cycles allows residents to be more vigilant during high-risk periods.

Louth serves as the primary urban hub for its immediate rural surroundings. When compared to nearby areas, Louth's crime rate of 110.0 per 1,000 is higher than its smaller neighbours. For instance, Manby has a lower rate of 60.6 per 1,000, while the villages of Legbourne, Alvingham, and Utterby all recorded no crimes (0.0 per 1,000) during the same period. This contrast is typical for a market town that attracts visitors and shoppers from the surrounding countryside, as the concentration of retail and social activity naturally leads to higher reported figures than in purely residential or agricultural villages. For those looking at the region, Louth offers the amenities of a town with a safety profile that remains manageable.

In Louth, where property crime sits at 29.4 per 1,000, residents should consider the benefits of proactive security over traditional reactive systems. Most standard security setups, such as basic CCTV or doorbell cameras, only record footage of a crime as it happens. This often leaves homeowners with nothing more than video of a burglary after the fact.

scOS represents a different approach, offering an AI-powered home security operating system that prioritises prevention. By using multi-camera intelligence to monitor your property boundaries, scOS can detect potential intruders before they even attempt a break-in. The system's ability to verify vehicles and recognise familiar routines means it only alerts you to genuine threats. When a threat is identified, scOS can autonomously trigger deterrents like lighting and audio responses, disrupting a criminal's decision-making process in those vital first 60 seconds. For Louth homeowners, this professional-grade technology offers a way to actively stop property crime and anti-social behaviour at the source, rather than simply documenting it.