Great Notley Crime Rate December 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Great Notley's crime rate in December 2024 stood at 2.0 per 1,000 residents, placing it 71.8% below the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000. This stark contrast highlights the area's markedly lower exposure to crime compared to national trends. The most prevalent crime types were violence and sexual offences (26.7% of total crimes), criminal damage and arson (26.7%), and shoplifting (20.0%). These figures suggest a pattern influenced by seasonal factors, such as the Christmas shopping peak and extended dark evenings, which may partly explain the relative spike in shoplifting incidents. While violent crime remains a concern, its rate (0.5 per 1,000) is 80% below the UK average, consistent with the area's likely character as a small, low-density built-up area within Braintree. The low overall rate, combined with the absence of significant property crime, reflects a community where crime prevention efforts may be more effective or where the local environment naturally deters criminal activity. However, the seasonal context—such as the increased foot traffic during the holiday season—may contribute to the specific types of crime observed, particularly in retail spaces. This data underscores Great Notley's position as an outlier in the national crime profile, where the combination of geographic isolation, community cohesion, and limited commercial activity likely plays a role in maintaining such a low crime rate.

December 2024 saw a 100% increase in shoplifting compared to November, rising from zero to three incidents. This surge aligns with the Christmas shopping peak and the associated challenges of managing retail spaces during the holiday season. Conversely, anti-social behaviour, other theft, and other crime all declined sharply—by 66.7%, 66.7%, and 50.0% respectively—suggesting that targeted interventions or seasonal lulls in certain types of criminal activity may have contributed to these decreases. Violence and sexual offences, which accounted for 26.7% of total crimes, remained significantly below the UK average (2.6 per 1,000), an 80% deficit that highlights the area's relative safety in this category. The breakdown also reveals that criminal damage and arson, another major category, was 6% below the UK average, indicating that property-related crimes are not a dominant concern in Great Notley. These trends provide a nuanced picture of the local crime profile, where retail-focused crimes are more prevalent during festive periods, but overall violent crime remains exceptionally low compared to national benchmarks.

The crime rate in Great Notley fell by 57.1% from November 2024 (4.7 per 1,000) to December 2024 (2.0 per 1,000), marking a substantial decline over the course of the month. This reduction is reflected in the daily crime context, where 15 total crimes over 31 days equate to approximately 0 crimes per day—a figure that underscores the area's exceptionally low crime density compared to larger urban centres. On a monthly exposure basis, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 493 residents, a statistic that frames the risk in tangible terms for local residents. Given the area's population of 7,402, this translates to a community where the likelihood of encountering crime is significantly lower than the national average. The comparison to the UK's broader crime picture further emphasizes Great Notley's position as a relatively safe environment, particularly in categories such as anti-social behaviour (89% below UK average) and other theft (81% below UK average). These figures suggest that the area's demographic and geographic characteristics—such as its small size, limited commercial activity, and possibly strong community ties—play a critical role in maintaining this low crime profile. For residents, the data provides reassurance that daily life in Great Notley is largely unaffected by the types of crime that dominate in more densely populated regions.