Lancing and Sompting Crime Rate

Lancing and Sompting, an urban settlement within the Adur district, presents a generally safe environment with an overall crime rate of 76.1 per 1,000 people. This rate is well below the UK national average of 93.1, contributing to a high safety score of 84/100. However, the area has seen an increasing crime trend, with a 7.9% rise in total offences over the last year. While the safety score remains high, this upward trajectory indicates a need for heightened local awareness. Lancing and Sompting offers a secure coastal lifestyle, but like many urban areas, it faces specific challenges related to retail theft and anti-social behaviour. The following data provides a detailed look at the crime types and timing to help you stay safe.

Crime Breakdown in Lancing and Sompting

Lancing and Sompting’s crime statistics are led by violence and sexual offences, which make up 29.4% of all recorded incidents (632 crimes). However, the area also experiences a notably high level of shoplifting, which accounts for 19.8% of total crime, followed by anti-social behaviour at 16.4%. The prevalence of shoplifting suggests that the local retail centres are significant hotspots for criminal activity.

Property crime in Lancing and Sompting is a key concern for the community, with a property crime rate of 29.4 per 1,000 people. This includes 427 shoplifting offences, 144 cases of criminal damage and arson, and 52 vehicle crimes. Burglary accounts for 2.0% of the total with 44 incidents. For residents and business owners, this indicates that while personal safety is a top priority, the risk of theft and damage to property is substantial. Protecting commercial premises and ensuring residential security is essential to mitigate the impact of these high-frequency property crimes, which collectively represent a large portion of the area's total recorded offences.

Crime Trends in Lancing and Sompting

The crime trend in Lancing and Sompting is currently increasing, with a 7.9% rise in total recorded offences over the past year. This is a notable shift compared to the wider Adur district's stable trend. Monthly data from the past year shows considerable volatility; for example, the crime rate per 1,000 residents dropped to a low of 4.2 in January 2025 but surged to a peak of 7.9 in May 2025.

These fluctuations suggest that certain times of the year, particularly the late spring and summer months, experience a higher volume of reported incidents. The overall increase over the 12-month period indicates that residents and business owners should be more proactive about their security. While the area remains statistically safe, the upward trend serves as a reminder to stay informed about local safety initiatives and to ensure that home and business security measures are robust enough to deter opportunistic crime.

How To Keep Safe in Lancing and Sompting

The highest crime category in Lancing and Sompting is violence and sexual offences, which accounts for nearly 30% of all reports. To maintain your personal safety, it is advisable to be aware of your surroundings when walking in public, especially during the evening and night-time hours. Plan your routes to stay on well-lit main roads and avoid shortcuts through less populated areas or unlit coastal paths.

Given that shoplifting is also a major issue (19.8%), residents should be particularly vigilant in retail areas. Keep your personal belongings secure and be mindful of your surroundings in crowded shops. For homeowners, the rise in crime suggests that ensuring your property is well-protected is more important than ever. Simple steps like installing motion-activated lighting and ensuring all entry points are secure can go a long way. By combining personal awareness with proactive home security, you can significantly reduce your risk of encountering the most common crimes in the area.

Crime Timing in Lancing and Sompting

Crime in Lancing and Sompting follows distinct temporal patterns, with the nature of offences shifting significantly throughout the day. The afternoon period (12pm - 6pm) is the most active for theft, accounting for 53% of these offences, largely driven by shoplifting in commercial areas. During the morning hours, theft remains high at 49%, showing that the majority of property-related crimes occur during standard business hours when retail footfall is at its peak.

As the day transitions into the evening and night, the focus of criminal activity shifts. Night-time (12am - 6am) sees a significant peak in vehicle crime, which accounts for 30% of offences during this period. Burglary also peaks during the night (16%) and afternoon (12%). This suggests that criminals target vehicles under the cover of darkness and properties when they are likely to be unoccupied or residents are asleep. Understanding these patterns allows residents to be more vigilant during high-risk periods, such as ensuring vehicles are secured overnight and retail staff are alert during the busy afternoon hours.

Lancing and Sompting sits in a cluster of coastal settlements with varying crime profiles. Its crime rate of 76.1 per 1,000 is very similar to Shoreham-by-Sea (74.2), suggesting a consistent safety level across these neighbouring areas. It is significantly safer than the larger town of Worthing, which has a rate of 91.7. Conversely, the more rural Upper Beeding is much quieter with a rate of only 26.9. The 0.0 rate for Sompting likely reflects a data reporting overlap with the wider Lancing area. For those considering the region, Lancing and Sompting offers a balanced profile: more active than the rural fringes but noticeably safer than the major nearby urban centres.

Protecting Your Property in Lancing and Sompting

With a property crime rate of 29.4 per 1,000 people, residents of Lancing and Sompting should consider the limitations of traditional security. Standard CCTV and doorbell cameras are reactive; they record a crime as it happens and alert you after the intruder has already breached your property. In an area where shoplifting and opportunistic theft are common, a more robust, preventative solution is required.

The scOS AI-powered security system provides proactive protection by detecting threats at the property boundary. Using multi-camera intelligence, it can identify suspicious behaviour—such as someone loitering near your vehicle or testing door handles—and intervene before a crime is committed. By activating lights or audio deterrents autonomously, scOS destroys the element of surprise that burglars rely on. This proactive approach is particularly valuable in Lancing and Sompting, where property crime makes up a significant portion of local offences. Investing in AI-driven prevention rather than just recording ensures that your home or business remains secure in an evolving crime landscape.