King's Lynn Crime Rate

King's Lynn Crime Statistics

King's Lynn, the primary urban hub of West Norfolk, has an overall crime rate of 109.8 per 1,000 people. While this is higher than the UK national average of 91.6, the town maintains a safety score of 74/100, indicating a relatively secure environment for a major settlement. Encouragingly, the crime trend is currently decreasing, with a 5.5% year-over-year reduction in total offences. This downward trajectory suggests that King's Lynn is becoming safer for its 49,941 residents. The town's status as a commercial and transport centre influences these figures, particularly in categories like shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. The following data explores these patterns in detail, providing insights into when and where crimes are most likely to occur.

Crime Breakdown in King's Lynn

King's Lynn experiences a varied crime profile, with violence and sexual offences being the most frequent, making up 42.0% of all reports with 2,305 incidents. Shoplifting is also a significant concern in the urban centre, accounting for 11.6% of crimes, followed closely by anti-social behaviour at 11.0%. For those concerned with property security, the overall property crime rate in King's Lynn is 34.2 per 1,000 people. This includes 95 burglaries, 110 vehicle crimes, and 274 incidents of 'other theft.' While the urban nature of the area leads to a higher property crime rate than the surrounding rural districts, it is only slightly above the UK average of 32.2. This highlights the importance of robust security measures for local residents and business owners to protect against opportunistic theft and criminal damage.

Crime Trends in King's Lynn

The crime rate in King's Lynn is on a downward trajectory, with total offences decreasing by 5.5% year-over-year. A month-by-month analysis of 2025 shows that the crime rate peaked in March and May, both reaching 10.2 per 1,000 people. These busier periods were followed by a relatively stable summer, with rates fluctuating between 9.2 and 9.6. The year ended on a positive note, with December recording the lowest rate of the year at 7.8. This consistent reduction towards the end of the year, combined with the overall annual decrease, suggests that local safety initiatives and community policing are effectively reducing the volume of crime in the town. For residents, this trend provides a reassuring outlook for the future safety of the area.

How To Keep Safe in King's Lynn

With violence and sexual offences being the most prevalent crime type in King's Lynn, personal awareness is key to staying safe in the town. While the overall trend is decreasing, the following practical steps can help you stay secure:

1. When navigating the town centre or transport hubs, especially during evening hours, stay in well-lit areas and keep to main footpaths where there is more public activity.
2. Be mindful of your belongings in busy retail areas. Shoplifting and theft are higher in the afternoons, so ensure bags are zipped and valuables are not easily accessible.
3. If you are using public transport or taxis late at night, plan your journey in advance and let someone know when you expect to arrive home.
4. For vehicle owners, always use secure or well-lit parking. With vehicle crime accounting for 22% of night-time offences, never leave tools or electronics on display in your car.
5. Report any instances of anti-social behaviour to the local authorities. Early reporting helps the police allocate resources to the areas that need them most.

Crime Timing in King's Lynn

Crime patterns in King's Lynn show distinct variations throughout the day. The afternoon (12pm-6pm) is the busiest period for theft-related offences, which make up 47% of crimes during these hours, largely driven by the town's retail activity. As the day transitions into the evening (6pm-12am), there is a shift toward 'other' crimes, including anti-social behaviour and public order issues, which comprise 63% of reports. The night-time hours (12am-6am) see a notable spike in vehicle crime, which accounts for 22% of offences in this period, and burglary at 13%. This suggests that while personal theft is a daytime concern in commercial areas, property and vehicle security become the primary risks during the hours of darkness. understanding these cycles allows residents to take more targeted precautions, such as ensuring vehicles are secured overnight.

Local Comparison

When compared to its immediate neighbours, King's Lynn exhibits the higher crime rate typical of a regional centre. Nearby Clenchwarton (31.5 per 1,000) and West Winch (25.8 per 1,000) have significantly lower rates, reflecting their more residential and suburban nature. Middleton also shows a lower rate of 39.4, while North Runcton reports a rate of 0.0, highlighting the sharp contrast between the urban core and the surrounding rural parishes. For residents or businesses, King's Lynn offers the advantages of a major town but requires a higher level of security awareness than these quieter outlying areas. This regional context helps put the town's 109.8 crime rate into perspective as a concentrated hub of activity.

Home Security in King's Lynn

The property crime rate in King's Lynn stands at 34.2 per 1,000 people, which is slightly above the UK average. This makes effective home security a priority for local residents. Traditional security systems, such as standard CCTV or DIY doorbell cameras, are often reactive—they provide footage of a crime only after it has taken place. In an urban environment like King's Lynn, where 13% of night-time crime is burglary, proactive prevention is a much more effective strategy.

The scOS AI-powered operating system represents a shift from recording crime to preventing it. By using multi-camera intelligence to monitor your property's boundaries, scOS can detect a threat the moment it appears. Instead of just sending a notification to your phone while a break-in is occurring, scOS can autonomously trigger lights and speakers to deter the intruder. This immediate response destroys the element of surprise that most burglars rely on. For King's Lynn homeowners, investing in proactive AI protection means stopping an incident before it becomes a recorded statistic.