# Bedford Security Guards, CCTV and Patrols | Go Security > Police.uk shows shoplifting near Bedford town centre up 309% on a year earlier, with 8,464 crimes in a mile. Retail guards, patrols and CCTV for Bedford. Source: https://gosecurity.uk/security-bedford.html --- [Home](https://gosecurity.uk/) / [Locations](https://gosecurity.uk/locations.html) / Bedford, Bedfordshire # Security Services in Bedford Shoplifting within a mile of central Bedford has climbed 309% on a year earlier, and overall recorded crime is up 27%, so retailers and late-night venues here face sharper pressure than they did twelve months ago. [Book a Free Audit](https://gosecurity.uk/security-audit.html)Get a Quote ✓ SIA-Licensed Officers✓ 24/7 Control Room✓ 100% PAYE Workforce✓ BS 7858 Vetted Trusted Protection in Bedford ## Why Bedford's figures matter to traders In the year to August 2026, Police.uk put the count of offences inside a one-mile radius of Bedford at 8,464. Violence and sexual offences led with 2,997, while 932 shoplifting offences sit behind that steep rise in retail theft. Bedfordshire Police are running Operation Regimen in the town centre to tackle ongoing problems there. For shops in the Harpur Centre or Howard Centre, and for bars along the night-time circuit, uniformed guards and well-placed CCTV are now practical necessities rather than extras. - Shoplifting up 309% on the previous year - 8,464 offences recorded within one mile - 10 SIA-active officers in our network nearby - 94 licensed bars, pubs and clubs inside 5km Get a Quote [View Bedford on OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Bedford%2C%20Bedfordshire) Bedford Business Profile ## Officer numbers and Bedford's business base Our network includes 15 security workers who live within 10 miles of Bedford, 10 of whom hold a current SIA licence and are active for shifts. Each has been vetted to BS 7858 and receives a PAYE salary. From that pool we staff retail guarding, door supervision and mobile patrols, and every assignment is tracked through GPS book-on and the 24/7 control room that manages bookings and incidents. Bedford's council area holds 7,280 registered businesses, led by construction on 1,125 and professional services on 1,095, with business services third on 575. The motor trade is above the national rate, 4.7% against 3.0%, which points to forecourt CCTV towers and overnight patrols for car sales sites. Utilities, at 0.8% against 0.6%, add a handful of critical sites suited to guarding and remote CCTV monitoring. 10 SIA-licensed officers within 10 miles 7,280 Registered businesses in Bedford 11 Active construction sites mapped within 5 km 94 Pubs, bars & nightclubs within 5 km ### Shopping centres, estates and venues nearby - **Industrial & business parks:** Manton Centre, T. C. Ginn Estate, Bedford Business Centre, Murdock Road Industrial Estate, Progress Park and G.Park Bedford - **Retail parks & shopping centres:** The Arcade, Harpur Centre, Howard Centre, Greyfriars Arcade, St Cuthberts Arcade and St Johns Retail Park - **Hospitals:** Bedford Health Village and The Manor - **Rail stations:** Bedford St Johns and Bedford ### Venues & Martyn's Law Late-night spots such as Astons and Six's, the Quarry Theatre and the Vue cinema all operate within 5km. Venues admitting 200 or more people will have to meet Martyn's Law after its duties begin, and we can help with stewarding and planning. [What Martyn's Law means for venues](https://gosecurity.uk/blog-martyns-law.html). Sources: Go Security officer network (counts rounded to the nearest 5); ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis; place data © [OpenStreetMap contributors](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Updated October 2026. Security Requirements in Bedford ## A river town with a busy core Bedford stands on the River Great Ouse and serves as the county town of Bedfordshire. Within 5km there are six shopping locations, among them Greyfriars Arcade, St Cuthberts Arcade and St Johns Retail Park, two rail stations, several hospital sites and industrial addresses such as Progress Park and Murdock Road Industrial Estate. Retail, healthcare, transport and industry overlap in a fairly tight area, and each brings its own security questions. With 94 licensed premises and 11 mapped construction sites in the same radius, the night-time economy and building activity both add to the mix. [Photo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shire-Hall-Bedford-20050921-003.jpg) by Gary Houston, CC0 Services in Bedford Choose from the services below for a Bedford shop, bar, industrial unit or construction project. [Security guarding](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#guards) · [Mobile patrols](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#mobile) · [Key holding](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#keyholding) · [Alarm response](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#alarm) · [Event security](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#event) · [K9 security](https://gosecurity.uk/security.html#canine) · [CCTV towers](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#tower) · [CCTV monitoring](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#monitoring) · [POD intruder alarms](https://gosecurity.uk/cctv.html#pod) Crime & Security Data ## Bedford crime by category Across the twelve months to August 2026, Police.uk mapped 8,464 crimes within a mile of Bedford. Violence and sexual offences made up 2,997, about 35% of the total. Anti-social behaviour reached 1,175, shoplifting 932, public order 654 and other theft 519. The latest three months were 27% above the same period a year earlier, and the shoplifting trend stood at 309%. Retailers carry the clearest exposure, but the public order and violence figures also matter for pubs, clubs and anyone running evening events in the centre. 8,464 Recorded crimes in 12 months 2,997 Violence & sexual offences 1,175 Anti-social behaviour 932 Shoplifting 654 Public order 519 Other theft Source: [Police.uk](https://www.police.uk) open data, street-level crime within ~1 mile, September 2025 to August 2026. Locations are approximate. Local Policing ## Bedfordshire Police in the centre The Queens Park and Castle team sets community priorities with ward councillors, and Operation Regimen combines enforcement and partnership work against persistent problems in Bedford town centre. Queens Park and Castle Bedfordshire Police **Current neighbourhood priorities:** - Community Priority for Castle ward. 01st October 2026 to 01st April 2027. - Community Priority for Bedford Town Centre - Operation Regimen Op Regimen seeks to combat on-going issues in Bedford Town Centre by using a combination of proactive and reactive Police enforcement tactics and… - Community Priority for Queens Park February 2026 to 01st August 2026. [View this team on Police.uk →](https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area/bedfordshire-police/queens-park-and-castle/?yourlocalpolicingteam=about-us) Source: Police.uk neighbourhoods, the policing team whose area covers Bedford. Areas We Cover Near Bedford ## Coverage around Bedford Our officers also cover Kempston, 2 miles from Bedford, Wixams at 3 miles and Ampthill at 7 miles. [Kempston](https://gosecurity.uk/security-kempston.html) [Wixams](https://gosecurity.uk/security-wixams.html) [Ampthill](https://gosecurity.uk/security-ampthill.html) [Sandy](https://gosecurity.uk/security-sandy.html) [Shefford](https://gosecurity.uk/security-shefford.html) [Flitwick](https://gosecurity.uk/security-flitwick.html) [Biggleswade](https://gosecurity.uk/security-biggleswade.html) [Olney](https://gosecurity.uk/security-olney.html) [St Neots](https://gosecurity.uk/security-st-neots.html) [Potton](https://gosecurity.uk/security-potton.html) [Newport Pagnell](https://gosecurity.uk/security-newport-pagnell.html) [Woburn Sands](https://gosecurity.uk/security-woburn-sands.html) Postcodes We Cover in Bedford ### Bedford postcode coverage The 5 postcode districts nearest central Bedford, covering parts of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Huntingdonshire. MK40MK42MK41MK43MK44 Nearest first. Source: ONS postcode data via postcodes.io. Need another postcode? [Check coverage](https://gosecurity.uk/coverage.html). Bedford Security FAQs ## Frequently asked questions ### Why has shoplifting risen so much in Bedford? Police.uk does not give causes, but the figures show a 309% shoplifting trend alongside 932 offences within a mile over the year. Whatever the reasons, retailers in the Harpur Centre, Howard Centre and arcades can deter theft with uniformed guards and monitored CCTV. ### Do you have officers based near Bedford? Fifteen people registered with us live within 10 miles, and 10 of them are SIA-licensed and active for shifts. All have passed BS 7858 vetting and are employed on PAYE, with assignments logged by our 24/7 control room. ### Can you provide door supervisors for Bedford venues? Yes. Bedford has 94 licensed premises inside 5km, Astons and Six's among them. We supply SIA-licensed door supervisors and event security, and can advise venues holding 200 or more people on Martyn's Law. ### How do you protect car dealerships here? The motor trade makes up 4.7% of Bedford businesses, above the 3.0% national figure. We usually suggest forecourt CCTV towers with remote monitoring, backed by overnight mobile patrols with GPS-logged visits. ### What is Operation Regimen? It is a Bedfordshire Police initiative for Bedford town centre, combining proactive and reactive enforcement with partnership work to tackle ongoing issues. Private guarding and CCTV can complement it by reporting incidents and deterring repeat offenders at your premises. Free, no-obligation quote ## Get a security quote in Bedford Tell us about your site and what you need. We'll price it and come back to you, normally within one working day. - SIA-licensed, BS 7858 vetted officers on PAYE - 24/7 control room for urgent cover - Prefer to talk? Call [0800 471 4792](tel:+448004714792), day or night ## Book your free Bedford security audit Phone 0800 471 4792 for a free on-site security audit worth £250, including our 25-point risk checklist, or ask for a quote. [Book a Free Audit](https://gosecurity.uk/security-audit.html)Get a Quote --- Go Security Ltd, Unit 2K1, Hastingwood Business Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR. Tel 0800 471 4792 (24/7 control room). Email control@gosecurity.uk. Registered in England & Wales no. 11722692. ICO registration ZB604756.