Crime in Preston
Police.uk reported crime in Preston, Lancashire. Category breakdown, 24-month trend, and postcode-district hot and cold spots within the town.
Crime in Preston by category
Last 12 months, all 14 Police.uk categories. Bars are scaled to the largest category in Preston.
| Category | Incidents | % of mix | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,214 | 28.4% |
|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,203 | 28.3% |
|
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,524 | 8.3% |
|
| Other theft | 1,160 | 6.3% |
|
| Public order | 1,055 | 5.8% |
|
| Vehicle crime | 912 | 5.0% |
|
| Burglary | 750 | 4.1% |
|
| Shoplifting | 666 | 3.6% |
|
| Other crime | 546 | 3.0% |
|
| Drugs | 526 | 2.9% |
|
| Possession of weapons | 259 | 1.4% |
|
| Bicycle theft | 230 | 1.3% |
|
| Robbery | 212 | 1.2% |
|
| Theft from the person | 102 | 0.6% |
|
Where Preston's crime mix differs from the UK
Top 5 categories where Preston's 12-month share differs most from the national average. Percentage-point delta. Positive means more concentrated in Preston than the UK as a whole.
| Category | Preston | UK | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 28.4% | 16.3% | +12.1 pp |
| Violence and sexual offences | 28.3% | 31.7% | -3.3 pp |
| Public order | 5.8% | 7.9% | -2.1 pp |
| Vehicle crime | 5.0% | 6.5% | -1.5 pp |
| Other theft | 6.3% | 7.8% | -1.5 pp |
Monthly incident volume
Nov 2023 to Oct 2025. Police.uk publishes ~2 months in arrears.
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| 2023-11 | 1460 |
| 2023-12 | 1473 |
| 2024-01 | 1495 |
| 2024-02 | 1415 |
| 2024-03 | 1541 |
| 2024-04 | 1597 |
| 2024-05 | 1737 |
| 2024-06 | 1634 |
| 2024-07 | 1681 |
| 2024-08 | 1753 |
| 2024-09 | 1632 |
| 2024-10 | 1535 |
| 2024-11 | 1424 |
| 2024-12 | 1403 |
| 2025-01 | 1365 |
| 2025-02 | 1271 |
| 2025-03 | 1613 |
| 2025-04 | 1555 |
| 2025-05 | 1727 |
| 2025-06 | 1632 |
| 2025-07 | 1735 |
| 2025-08 | 1579 |
| 2025-09 | 1506 |
| 2025-10 | 1549 |
Hottest postcode districts in Preston
- PR1 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR2 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR3 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR4 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR5 18,359 incidents (12m)
Quietest postcode districts in Preston
- 18,335 incidents (12m)
- PR1 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR2 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR3 18,359 incidents (12m)
- PR4 18,359 incidents (12m)
Postcode-district counts use the bounding box of every address in the district, so they're approximate. Treat them as a relative ranking within Preston rather than an absolute count.
What Preston crime data isn't
- Reported, not actual. Many crimes go unreported. The data reflects what reached Police.uk, not the underlying incidence rate.
- Locations are obfuscated. Each incident is mapped to a snap point within roughly 250 metres of the true location to protect victim privacy.
- Force-by-force inconsistency. Different police forces classify and record borderline incidents differently. Comparing two areas covered by different forces needs care.
- Patrol-density bias. Areas with heavier patrol presence record more incidents, partly because more crime is observed and reported.
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