Total Crime Rate

65.5 per 1,000 6/10 · Average

All offences · May 2025 - Apr 2026

Violent Crime Rate

48.0 per 1,000 8/10 · High

May 2025 - Apr 2026
Latest update: 06.06.2026 Crime figures are sourced from data.police.uk and are typically published with a 3-month delay.
Crime rate per 1000 residents
  • All crimes 65.5 6/10
  • Violent crimes 48.0 8/10
  • Violence and sexual offences 30.6 7/10
  • Public order 17.5 9/10
  • Criminal damage and arson 13.1 8/10
  • Other theft 4.4 4/10
  • Anti-social behaviour 0.0 1/10
  • Bicycle theft 0.0 1/10
  • Burglary 0.0 1/10
  • Drugs 0.0 1/10
  • Other crime 0.0 1/10
  • Possession of weapons 0.0 1/10
  • Robbery 0.0 1/10
  • Shoplifting 0.0 1/10
  • Theft from the person 0.0 1/10
  • Vehicle crime 0.0 1/10
Values shown per 1,000 residents · May 2025 - Apr 2026 · Rating compares this oa to UK peers of the same type.
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Crime overview

Central Avenue area has the 8th highest crime rate of 28 local areas in Shortstown , and the 233rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

This postcode forms a relatively safe pocket compared with the surrounding streets. Neighbouring areas record much higher crime levels, even though this postcode itself remains comparatively low-crime.

The overall crime rate in the area around Central Avenue (MK42 0UE) in the last 12 months was 65.5 per 1,000 residents and was 22.4% lower than the Shortstown average (84.4 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this area’s most reported crimes were Violence and sexual offences with 7 offences recorded. The least common crime was Other theft with 1 case , unchanged from 2025. The fastest-growing crime category was Criminal damage and arson ( 50.0% YoY). The sharpest decline was Violence and sexual offences ( -46.2% YoY).

Violent crimes totalled 11 (≈ 48.0 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were falling ( -31.3% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has falling ( -59.1% comparing early vs recent averages) .

In the area around Central Avenue (MK42 0UE), the highest concentration of overall crime is near Horace Close, where police recorded 95 incidents. Violent and public-order offences occur most often near De Havilland Avenue (12 offences). Both locations lie within roughly 0.3 miles of this postcode area.

View Crime In Shortstown

Crime Over Time in Central Avenue area

Showing crimes within 0.3 miles (14/14)
Month:
MonthCrimeLocation*Last Outcome
Apr 2026Burglary Lincoln Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Shoplifting Garland Court Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Blackburn Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Shoplifting Horace Close Awaiting court outcome
Apr 2026Drugs Horace Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Public order The Highway Under investigation
Apr 2026Burglary Compass Drive Under investigation
Apr 2026Bicycle theft Oswald Close Unable to prosecute suspect
Apr 2026Burglary Central Avenue Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Concorde Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Concorde Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Shorts Avenue Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Lincoln Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Bell'S Close Unable to prosecute suspect
* on or near this location Page 1 • Showing 14 of 14

Data Sources

StreetScan crime figures are based on official UK open data:

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.

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