Southwick (Adur) Crime Rate May 2025 | Monthly Statistics

In May 2025, Southwick (Adur) recorded 72 crimes across its population of 12,617 residents, translating to a crime rate of 5.7 per 1,000 people. This figure is 29.6% below the UK average of 8.1, placing the area in a safer position relative to national trends. The most common crimes were violence and sexual offences (23 incidents, 31.9% of total), followed by shoplifting (9 incidents, 12.5%) and criminal damage and arson (9 incidents, 12.5%). These patterns reflect the area’s character as a built-up zone within Adur, where retail and community spaces may contribute to specific offence types. The seasonal context of May—marked by bank holidays and extended evening hours—likely influenced the rise in shoplifting and public order offences, as outdoor drinking and socialising increased. However, the significant drop in violence and sexual offences compared to April (a 41% decrease) suggests potential factors such as improved community engagement or targeted policing efforts. The area’s crime profile also reveals a marked underperformance of anti-social behaviour and burglary relative to UK averages, with the former being 58% below the national rate and the latter 29% below. These disparities may indicate a combination of local deterrents, such as community cohesion or environmental design, that reduce certain crime types. The overall crime rate, while low compared to the UK, remains a focal point for ongoing analysis, particularly as seasonal changes and community dynamics continue to shape incident patterns.

May 2025 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with shoplifting increasing by 80% compared to April, rising from 5 to 9 incidents. This surge aligns with the seasonal context of longer evenings and increased outdoor socialising, which may partly explain the uptick in retail-related offences. Conversely, violence and sexual offences dropped by 41%, reflecting a stark contrast to the previous month’s figures. This category, which accounted for 31.9% of all crimes, remains 36% below the UK average of 2.8 per 1,000, suggesting a persistent lower risk of violent crime in the area. Anti-social behaviour also fell by 27.3%, though vehicle crime decreased by a smaller margin (14.3%). Possession of weapons saw a 100% increase, with one incident reported in May compared to none in April, a figure that underscores the need for continued monitoring of this category.

Southwick (Adur) recorded 72 crimes in May 2025, a 19.0% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 7.1 per 1,000 residents. This brings the current rate to 5.7 per 1,000, which is 29.6% below the UK average of 8.1. On a daily basis, the area saw roughly 2 crimes reported each day over the 31-day period, a figure that contextualises the pace of incidents in a localised timeframe. When scaled to the population of 12,617, this equates to one reported crime for every 175 residents over the course of the month. Such a monthly exposure rate highlights the relatively low frequency of incidents compared to national benchmarks, though it remains a useful metric for residents to understand local crime trends. The shift from April to May also reflects a broader seasonal pattern, with longer evenings and increased outdoor activity potentially influencing crime dynamics in this built-up area.