Barnham (Arun) Crime Rate December 2025 | Monthly Statistics

December 2025 saw Barnham (Arun) maintain its position as one of the safest areas in the UK, with a crime rate of 2.8 per 1,000 residents—60% below the national average of 7.0. This stark contrast with the UK highlights the area’s consistent low-level crime profile, shaped by its compact built-up character and likely limited exposure to high-risk environments. Violence and sexual offences, which accounted for 26.1% of all reported crimes, remained the most frequent category, though their monthly exposure (one incident per 360 residents) suggests a manageable level of risk. Anti-social behaviour (21.7% share) and public order offences (13.0% share) followed, reflecting patterns typical of smaller communities where local tensions and social dynamics dominate. The seasonal context of December—characterised by dark evenings, holiday-related activity, and potentially empty homes—likely contributed to the persistent presence of these categories, though the overall rate remained stable compared to other months. While the UK experiences a surge in festive-related crimes such as theft and burglary, Barnham’s data shows no such spike, underscoring the area’s relative insulation from these trends. This could be attributed to its smaller population, lower retail density, and stronger community cohesion, all factors that may temper the typical seasonal fluctuations seen in larger urban centres.

The most dramatic month-on-month change occurred in violence and sexual offences, which fell by 68.4% from 19 incidents in November to 6 in December. This steep decline, despite the festive season’s usual pressure on local services, suggests either effective policing or a natural seasonal dip in such crimes. Conversely, burglary rose 100% from one to two incidents, a figure that, while modest, warrants attention given the area’s generally low crime profile. The increase in drugs-related offences—doubling from zero to one incident—marks an unusual spike, though it remains well below the UK average of 0.3 per 1,000. Possession of weapons in Barnham was 186% above the UK average, a stark contrast to other categories that consistently underperformed nationally. This anomaly may reflect underreporting, niche local factors, or a small but significant incident. The broader crime mix also shifted: anti-social behaviour fell by 50%, aligning with the UK’s 35% below average, while criminal damage and arson plummeted by 80%, suggesting a possible seasonal lull in property-related offences. These fluctuations, though minor in absolute terms, illustrate the dynamic nature of even low-crime areas and the importance of tracking specific categories for early intervention.

Barnham’s December 2025 crime rate of 2.8 per 1,000 represents a 52.1% decrease from November’s 5.8 per 1,000, a shift that places the area further below the UK average. This decline, when contextualised, means residents faced a monthly exposure of one crime for every 360 people—a figure that, while non-zero, is markedly lower than the UK’s typical 1-in-140 residents. On a daily basis, the area saw roughly one crime reported every 31 days, a rate that, compared to larger urban centres, highlights Barnham’s sparse population and limited crime-generating infrastructure. The population-scaled perspective is particularly revealing: with 8,276 residents, the area’s crime rate translates to just 23 incidents over the course of the month, a number that could be attributed to the built-up area’s compact size and likely limited commercial activity. This contrasts sharply with the UK’s broader trends, where December typically sees spikes in retail-related crimes due to Christmas shopping. Barnham’s data, however, shows no such pattern, with shoplifting and theft from the person both significantly below UK averages. This suggests that the area’s low retail density and possibly lower tourist footfall during the festive season may act as natural deterrents to certain types of crime. The comparison also underscores the effectiveness of local policing or community initiatives, though such causal claims remain hedged given the lack of explicit programmes in the data.