Malton Crime Rate

Malton, an urban settlement in the Ryedale local authority, is one of the safer towns in the region with an overall crime rate of 59.4 per 1,000 residents. This is significantly lower than the UK national average of 93.1. Reflecting this, Malton holds an excellent safety score of 88/100, far exceeding the UK average of 78. The town's crime trend is also moving in a positive direction, with an 8.1% decrease year-over-year. While Malton is statistically very safe, residents should still be aware of the local crime breakdown, which is currently topped by violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour, and shoplifting. These figures suggest that while major crime is low, town centre activity drives most local incidents.

Crime Breakdown in Malton

Malton is a notably safe town, with an overall crime rate of 59.4 per 1,000 residents. The most frequent reports concern violence and sexual offences (30.1%), followed by anti-social behaviour (24.2%) and shoplifting (19.8%). These top three categories account for nearly three-quarters of all local incidents. The high percentage of shoplifting is often linked to the town's active commercial centre and market activity.

The property crime rate in Malton is 21.4 per 1,000 people, which is considerably lower than the UK average of 32.9. This includes burglary, which makes up only 2.4% of total crimes, and vehicle crime, which is exceptionally low at just 0.7%. Other categories like criminal damage and arson (8.1%) and other theft (4.2%) also feature in the local statistics. For residents, this suggests that while Malton is very safe by national standards, the relatively high rate of shoplifting and ASB in the town centre means that basic situational awareness and standard home security remain important.

Crime Trends in Malton

The crime trend in Malton is positive, with an 8.1% year-over-year decrease in total reported incidents. Monthly data shows that the town experienced a notable spike in the spring of 2025, with the crime rate per 1,000 residents reaching 7.2 in April and 8.2 in May. However, this was followed by a steady decline throughout the summer and autumn. By October 2025, the crime rate had dropped to a low of 3.0, the lowest point in the 12-month period. This downward trend toward the end of the year is highly encouraging for residents and suggests that Malton is maintaining its status as a high-safety area despite occasional seasonal fluctuations.

How To Keep Safe in Malton

The most common crime type in Malton is violence and sexual offences, followed closely by anti-social behaviour. Staying safe involves both personal awareness and property security.

1. Town Centre Awareness: Be mindful when in the town centre during peak market days or evening hours. Stay in well-lit areas and avoid escalating any anti-social behaviour you may encounter.
2. Secure Your Retail Business: With shoplifting being the third highest crime, local business owners should ensure they have clear sightlines, good lighting, and active monitoring to deter opportunistic thieves.
3. Overnight Property Security: Although burglary is low, 24% occurs at night. Ensure all garden gates are locked and consider motion-activated lighting for the rear of your property.
4. Report ASB Promptly: Reporting anti-social behaviour helps local police identify "hotspots" and allocate patrols more effectively, keeping Malton's public spaces pleasant for everyone.
5. Protect Your Vehicle: Even though vehicle crime is rare, always ensure your car is locked and no valuables are visible, especially when parked in public car parks for extended periods.

Malton's crime patterns show a strong daytime bias. During the morning (6am - 12pm) and afternoon (12pm - 6pm), theft-related offences are most common, making up 47% and 48% of reports respectively. This is largely attributed to shoplifting in the town centre. As the day ends, the nature of crime changes; the night period (12am - 6am) sees a significant rise in the proportion of burglaries (24%) and vehicle crimes (11%). While the total number of incidents at night is low, the statistical likelihood of property crime increases during these hours, suggesting that overnight security should be a priority for residents.

When comparing Malton to its immediate neighbours, it sits comfortably as a safe market town hub. Its crime rate of 59.4 is slightly higher than Norton-on-Derwent (51.6) but lower than Swinton (69.0). Not surprisingly, it has a much higher crime profile than the very small, rural villages of Amotherby and Settrington, both of which recorded no crimes. For anyone looking at the Ryedale area, Malton offers a balanced environment with more activity than the smallest villages but a lower crime rate than some of the larger nearby settlements, all while maintaining a high safety score.

Despite Malton's low property crime rate of 21.4 per 1,000 residents, the psychological impact of a break-in remains significant. Traditional security systems often provide a false sense of security; they are reactive, meaning they record a burglary as it happens but do little to stop it. In Malton, where 24% of burglaries happen in the dead of night, a proactive approach is much more effective.

scOS uses AI-powered multi-camera intelligence to detect threats at the property boundary. Instead of just giving you footage of a crime, scOS intervenes in real-time by activating lights or audio alerts when an intruder is detected. This autonomous response can stop a crime before a window is even broken. For homeowners in Malton, moving to proactive AI protection ensures that your property is actively defended, not just passively recorded.