Southwick (Adur) Crime Rate September 2023 | Monthly Statistics

The crime mix in Southwick (Adur) during September 2023 reveals a balance between violent and property crimes that diverges from the UK average. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 37.7% of all crimes, the highest single category, yet this rate (2.3 per 1,000) was 16% below the UK average of 2.7 per 1,000. Anti-social behaviour followed closely at 16.9%, with a rate of 1.0 per 1,000, 25% below the national average. This suggests a localised effectiveness in addressing such incidents, possibly through community policing or targeted interventions. Public order offences, however, stood out as an exception, with a rate of 1.0 per 1,000—61% higher than the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000. This contrast may reflect the area’s characteristics, such as its proximity to educational institutions or social hubs that attract larger gatherings. The seasonal context of September, with the return of students and the start of the academic year, likely contributes to this dynamic. While violent crime rates remain lower than the UK average, the higher incidence of public order offences could signal challenges in managing crowd-related disturbances. Property crimes, including shoplifting and other theft, were also significantly below the UK average, with shoplifting at 0.3 per 1,000 (46% below the national rate) and other theft at 0.3 per 1,000 (50% below). This may be attributed to the area’s built-up nature within Adur, where retail and commercial activity might be less concentrated than in larger urban centres, reducing opportunities for such crimes. The overall crime rate of 6.1 per 1,000, 23.8% below the UK average, underscores Southwick’s relatively safer profile, though the variation in specific crime types indicates the need for tailored approaches to crime prevention.

September 2023 saw a dramatic 100% increase in drugs-related crimes, with incidents doubling from 1 to 2. This spike, though small in absolute terms, may partly explain the 61% rise in public order offences, which were 61% above the UK average. Anti-social behaviour, which accounted for 16.9% of all crimes, remained below the UK average, suggesting a localised suppression of such incidents. Meanwhile, shoplifting and other theft both fell by over 50% compared to the previous month, potentially linked to seasonal factors such as the return to school and university freshers. The sharp decline in shoplifting—down 85.7% from 28 to 4—may reflect reduced foot traffic in retail areas during the month. Vehicle crime also rose by 100%, from 0 to 2 incidents, indicating a possible shift in criminal activity toward transportation-related targets. These fluctuations highlight the dynamic nature of local crime patterns, with some categories showing stark divergence from the UK average.

Southwick (Adur) recorded a crime rate of 6.1 per 1,000 in September 2023, a 39.4% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 10.1 per 1,000. This decline suggests a notable shift in local crime dynamics. On a daily basis, the area saw approximately 3 crimes reported each day in September, translating to a local monthly exposure of 1 reported crime for every 164 residents. This figure provides context for residents, illustrating the relative frequency of incidents within the community. When scaled to the area’s population of 12,617, the crime rate remains significantly below the UK average, which is 8.0 per 1,000. However, the distribution of crime types reveals a nuanced picture: while violent crimes are lower than the UK average, public order offences stand out as an exception, being 61% higher. This contrast highlights the importance of local conditions in shaping crime patterns. The monthly exposure metric, while useful for residents, should be considered alongside other factors such as community engagement and local initiatives, which may influence crime trends independently of raw statistics.