Almost 10,000 reports of antisocial behaviour were recorded in Ipswich in six years, figures have revealed.
A total of 9,993 incidents were recorded across Ipswich West, Central and East during between 2020 and 2025, figures released by Suffolk Constabulary have shown.
Ipswich West, which includes areas like Stoke Park and Sprites, Whitehouse and Whitton and Castle Hill, had the highest number, with 4,010 reports in this period, followed by Ipswich Central, which includes Alexandra and Westgate & St Margaret's with 3,229 and Ipswich East, which includes areas like Priory Heath, with 2,754.
Nuisance antisocial behaviour was by far the most frequently recorded category across all three areas.
This is behaviour that causes trouble, annoyance or inconvenience to the wider community, such as noisy or rowdy behaviour, street drinking and groups causing a disturbance.
Police categorised other reports into “personal” crimes (meaning behaviour directed at a particular individual or group, such as intimidation, harassment, or threatening behaviour) and “environmental”, crimes such as graffiti, flyposting, abandoned vehicles and other behaviour that damages or degrades public spaces.
The figures also reveal considerable changes from year to year.
In Ipswich West, reports reached 804 in 2023, the highest annual figure in the data, before dropping to 451 in 2024 and rising to 539 in 2025.
Ipswich Central peaked a year earlier, with 746 reports in 2022.
This fell to 610 in 2023 and 307 in 2024, before increasing to 386 last year.
Ipswich East recorded 564 incidents in 2023, falling to 326 in 2024 before also increasing to 386 in 2025.
Priory Heath councillor Ruman Muhith said the almost 10,000 reports “deserve serious attention”.
He said: “Behind those reports are people whose peace of mind and enjoyment of their neighbourhood may have been affected.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and to have their concerns taken seriously.”
Councillor Ruman Muhith said that "everyone deserves to feel safe and to have their concerns taken seriously". (Image: Ruman Muhith)
Inspector Josh Ives said it was positive that antisocial behaviour had fallen compared with the long-term average, while stressing that patterns could change from year to year.
He said: “We will continue to monitor criminal activity alongside the information we receive from our communities to target hotspots and those responsible.”
Inspector Ives said targeted operations, including the Spotlight initiative and dedicated town teams, were being used to tackle offending.
He added: “These are not victimless crimes.
"Whether it’s a business owner paying for repairs after criminal damage, residents unable to sleep due to anti-social driving, or all of us footing the bill for council clean-ups after anti-social behaviour connected with the night-time economy, there is always someone that suffers.”
Mr Muhith added: "Ipswich has a strong community spirit. Our shared priority should be to build on that, with residents, police, the council and community organisations working together on prevention, support and appropriate enforcement."
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