Crap Towns / Kelso / Crime

How much crime is there in Kelso?

The police recorded 32.8 crimes per 1,000 people a year in Kelso from January 2023 to December 2025, 40% lower than the typical Scottish town's 54.4. The most common was violence and sexual offences, at 12.4. In the 12 months to December 2025 it was 31.6, up from 31.4 in the 12 months to December 2023.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical Scottish town
January 2023 to December 2023	31.4	53.2
January 2024 to December 2024	35.5	52.2
January 2025 to December 2025	31.6	55.9

**By type**
Crime	Here	Typical Scottish town
Violence and sexual offences	12.4	15.1
Criminal damage and arson	5.4	7.2
Other crime	4.7	8.0
Shoplifting	3.0	6.8
Drugs	2.7	3.9
Other theft	2.1	4.3
Burglary	0.9	1.8
Possession of weapons	0.8	2.0
Vehicle crime	0.8	1.6
Robbery	0.1	0.3
Bicycle theft	0.1	0.2
Public order	–	–
Theft from the person	–	–

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Crimes per 1,000 people a year
Galashiels	23.5 km	70.7
Hawick	29.6 km	55.6
Tranent	50.3 km	55.5
Mayfield	49.2 km	46.2
Gorebridge	47.3 km	38.9
Haddington	45.4 km	35.7
Kelso	–	32.8
Dunbar	44.7 km	27.8
Peebles	47.8 km	26.3
The typical Scottish town	–	54.4