Guildford’s crime rate is considered high, positioning it 8th among 25 neighboring districts in terms of crime prevalence. In the year 2023, the area witnessed 12,474 reported incidents of crime, with a population of 143,649. This results in a crime rate of 86.84 crimes per 1,000 residents, marking a 6.16% increase from the previous year.
The most prevalent crimes in Guildford include Violence and sexual offences (33.1%), Anti-social behaviour (14.8%), and Public order offences (10.2%). Crimes such as possession of weapons, theft from the person, and robbery are notably less common.
Within Guildford’s 22 wards, Friary and St Nicolas (351.1), Holy Trinity (169.1), and Stoke (Guildford) (117.6) have the highest crime rates. Conversely, the wards of Send, Pirbright, and Merrow are regarded as the safest.
In Guildford, there was a modest increase in Anti-social behaviour, Shoplifting, and Violence and sexual offences in 2020 and 2023. However, there has been a consistent decrease in anti-social behaviour, along with reductions in Burglary, Criminal damage and arson, Other theft in 2020, and a notable decrease in shoplifting the same year, indicating a complex but overall positive change in crime trends over these years.