Barford (South Norfolk) Crime Rate

Barford (South Norfolk) is a safe urban settlement with a safety score of 89 out of 100. The area's overall crime rate stands at 38.9 per 1,000 residents, which is considerably lower than the UK average of 93.1. The recent trend is stable, showing a marginal increase of 2.3% year-over-year. This suggests that Barford remains a low-crime environment with consistent safety levels. The property crime rate is particularly low at 9.7 per 1,000, compared to the UK average of 32.9. While personal safety offences make up a large portion of the local data, the overall frequency of crime remains low, providing a secure context for the community. The following analysis explores specific crime breakdowns, trends, and safety advice for Barford.

Crime Breakdown in Barford (South Norfolk)

Barford's crime landscape is heavily dominated by violence and sexual offences, which constitute 50.0% of all reported incidents. Criminal damage and arson follow at 11.4%, with anti-social behaviour accounting for 6.8%. For those concerned with property security, the overall property crime rate—encompassing burglary, theft, vehicle crime, and robbery—is 9.7 per 1,000 residents. This is notably lower than the UK average property crime rate of 32.9. Within this category, specific types like burglary, vehicle crime, and bicycle theft each represent a small fraction (2.3% each) of the total crime volume. Despite the relatively low property crime rate, the high proportion of violence-related reports suggests that personal safety and community relations are the primary areas of concern for local residents rather than large-scale theft or burglary.

Crime Trends in Barford (South Norfolk)

The crime trend in Barford is currently stable, with a slight 2.3% increase in year-over-year figures. Monthly data reveals that crime rates fluctuate within a narrow range. The highest rates were observed in February, April, and June 2025, each reaching 5.3 crimes per 1,000 people. Conversely, months such as September 2024 and October 2025 recorded significantly lower rates of 0.9 and 1.8 respectively. This pattern indicates that while there are occasional spikes in activity, the overall level of crime remains low and consistent. For residents, this stability is reassuring, as it suggests no major new crime trends are emerging in the village. Barford's ability to maintain a crime rate well below the national average, despite minor fluctuations, reinforces its status as a secure and desirable place to live in South Norfolk.

How To Keep Safe in Barford (South Norfolk)

The highest crime category in Barford is violence and sexual offences, representing half of all reported crime. While the total number of incidents is low, personal safety remains a priority.

1. Always be aware of your surroundings, especially when walking alone at night; stick to familiar, well-lit routes.
2. If you are involved in or witness a confrontation, do not escalate the situation; move to a safe, public place and contact the authorities.
3. Utilize personal safety apps on your smartphone that allow you to quickly alert emergency contacts of your location.
4. Ensure your home is secure even when you are inside; keeping doors locked and using a peephole or video doorbell can prevent unwanted interactions at your doorstep.
5. Participate in local neighbourhood watch schemes to stay informed about any unusual activity in the Barford area and to support community safety.

Crime in Barford follows specific temporal patterns. During the morning and afternoon, theft and "other" crimes are the primary concerns, each making up about 30% of activity. The evening period sees a sharp rise in miscellaneous offences, which account for 72% of reports between 6pm and 12am. Night-time (12am-6am) presents a different risk profile, with vehicle crime rising to 20% and burglary to 13% of incidents in that window. This suggests that while personal safety and general offences are more common during the day and evening, property and vehicle risks are most concentrated during the late-night hours when residents are likely to be asleep. Overall, the low volume of crime means these patterns reflect a small number of specific incidents rather than widespread issues.

In a regional context, Barford (38.9 crimes per 1,000) is a relatively safe choice. It is significantly more secure than Easton in Broadland, which has a crime rate of 94.2, and Hethersett, which stands at 51.2. However, it sits adjacent to exceptionally quiet areas like Colton and Honingham, both of which reported no crimes (0.0 per 1,000) during the same period. This highlights that while Barford is very safe by national standards, it is part of a local cluster where crime levels vary from very low to virtually non-existent. For those moving to the area, Barford offers a balance of safety and community activity within the South Norfolk district.

With a property crime rate of 9.7 per 1,000, Barford is statistically safer than most of the UK. however, the presence of criminal damage and occasional burglary means that property protection shouldn't be overlooked. Traditional security systems like Ring or Nest are often reactive, providing you with a video of a crime as it happens or after the fact. In a quiet community like Barford, the goal should be prevention. scOS provides a proactive security layer by using AI to monitor camera feeds in real-time. It can distinguish between a neighbour walking their dog and a potential intruder lingering at your boundary. By engaging autonomous responses—such as activating security lights or audible alerts—scOS stops the 60-second decision process of a criminal before they attempt a break-in. This proactive approach ensures that your home remains part of Barford's low-crime statistics rather than becoming a data point.