Blaenau Gwent Crime Rate August 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominated the crime picture in Blaenau Gwent during August 2023, accounting for 36.5% of all reported crimes. This category alone registered 239 incidents, translating to a rate of 3.5 per 1,000 residents — 33% above the UK average of 2.6 per 1,000. The area’s overall crime rate of 9.6 per 1,000 placed it 18.5% above the UK average, highlighting a stark divergence from national trends. Anti-social behaviour and public order offences followed closely, contributing 26.0% and 12.4% respectively. These figures align with the area’s seasonal context: August, a peak holiday month, often sees increased tourism and temporary population shifts. While empty homes might theoretically heighten burglary risk, the local rate for burglary (0.1 per 1,000) was 71% below the UK average, suggesting other factors may mitigate this risk. The prominence of violent crime may reflect local demographics or social dynamics. Shoplifting and bicycle theft — typically associated with retail hubs or student populations — were both below UK averages, indicating a different crime profile compared to urban centres. This data illustrates a district where interpersonal conflict and disorder drive much of the reported crime, contrasting with the theft-focused patterns seen in more commercialised or student-heavy areas.

August 2023 saw sharp increases in robbery (+300%), burglary (+133.3%), and other theft (+42.9%) compared to July, with robbery rising from 1 to 4 incidents alone. These spikes contrast with declines in bicycle theft (-83.3%) and theft from the person (-66.7%), which fell to 1 incident each — a stark reduction from 6 and 3 respectively in July. The violent crime category remained high, with rates for violence and sexual offences 33% above the UK average, and anti-social behaviour 74% above. Public order offences also surged, exceeding the UK average by 100%, suggesting heightened tensions in public spaces. Residents may find the 3.5 per 1,000 rate for violence and sexual offences particularly concerning, as it outpaces similar categories in most other areas. While other theft and vehicle crime rates were broadly in line with or slightly below UK averages, the sharp divergence in violent crime categories underscores a need for targeted local interventions. The data also reveals an anomaly in burglary, which, despite the seasonal context of empty homes, remained 71% below the UK average — a contrast that may reflect effective local prevention efforts or unique demographic patterns.

The crime rate in Blaenau Gwent for August 2023 rose to 9.6 per 1,000, marking a 3.3% increase from the previous month’s rate of 9.3 per 1,000. This translates to approximately 21 crimes per day on average — a figure that, while local to Blaenau Gwent, provides a tangible sense of daily exposure to crime. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 104 residents, a monthly aggregate that highlights the scale of criminal activity relative to the area’s population of 67,873. When compared to the UK average of 8.1 per 1,000, Blaenau Gwent’s rate remains higher, though this disparity is not uniform across crime categories. The local population context also reveals that while the overall rate is elevated, the distribution of crime types diverges from national patterns: violent crime is high, while property-related crimes like burglary are significantly lower. This suggests a unique crime profile shaped by local factors rather than a blanket overrepresentation of all crime types. The 3.3% month-on-month increase, though modest, indicates a directional shift that may warrant closer monitoring, particularly given the spikes in robbery and burglary. These figures, when contextualised against the area’s population size, illustrate both the challenge of maintaining public safety and the potential for targeted strategies to address specific crime hotspots.