Ipswich, with a high crime rating, ranks 6th among nearby districts. In 2023, it recorded 15,696 crimes in a population of 139,642, resulting in a crime rate of 112.4 per 1,000 residents, an 11.32% decrease from the previous year.
The most frequent crimes in Ipswich are Violence and sexual offences (39.2%), Anti-social behaviour (13.7%), and Shoplifting (9.7%), with the least common being possession of weapons, theft from the person, and robbery.
Its 16 wards report the highest crime rates in Alexandra (Ipswich) (339.0), Gipping (175.2), and Westgate (Ipswich) (168.2), whereas St Margaret’s, Rushmere, and Castle Hill are the safest.
Looking at postcode districts within Ipswich, IP1 (131.3), IP2 (113.4), and IP4 (104.9) have the highest crime rates, in contrast to IP6, IP9, and IP10 being the safest.
In Ipswich, there has been an increase in Other theft, Public order, Shoplifting, and Violence and sexual offences, with violence notably rising in both 2020 and 2022. These trends underscore growing concerns around theft and violent crime. Positively, reductions in Anti-social behaviour, Bicycle theft, Public order, Shoplifting, Vehicle crime, and Violence and sexual offences in certain periods indicate effective measures against these crimes, especially the significant decrease in violence and shoplifting in 2023, pointing towards successful interventions.