Braintree Crime Rate November 2023 | Monthly Statistics

For a population of 164,304, Braintree’s 886 reported crimes in November 2023 equate to a crime rate of 5.4 per 1,000 residents—28% below the UK average of 7.5 per 1,000. This figure translates to roughly 0.54 crimes per resident, a rate that reflects the area’s broader safety profile. The top three crime categories—violence and sexual offences (38.9% of total), criminal damage and arson (9.5%), and shoplifting (9.4%)—illustrate a mix of violent and property-related incidents. Violence and sexual offences, at 2.1 per 1,000, were 19% below the UK average, consistent with Braintree’s generally lower violent crime trends. Seasonal factors in November, including dark evenings and the Black Friday shopping period, likely influenced shoplifting rates, though the area still performed better than the national average. Criminal damage and arson, at 0.5 per 1,000, were 15% below the UK rate, potentially reflecting effective local initiatives in preventing vandalism. The overall crime rate, while influenced by the area’s character as a commuter-focused district with mixed urban and rural elements, remains a testament to community efforts in maintaining safety. These patterns suggest that Braintree’s crime profile is shaped by a combination of geographic features, seasonal rhythms, and targeted policing strategies that have helped sustain lower rates compared to the UK as a whole.

November 2023 saw a 100% increase in bicycle theft, the most significant spike across all crime categories. This surge, from zero to three incidents, may reflect seasonal factors such as increased cycling during darker evenings or specific local events. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour fell by 38.6%, the largest monthly decline, potentially linked to reduced social gatherings as the holiday season approached. Drug-related offences stood at 50% above the UK average, a stark contrast to other categories that remained well below national rates. This divergence highlights the need for targeted interventions in drug-related crime, which accounted for 4.6% of all incidents in Braintree. The 27.7% rise in shoplifting, though still 9% below the UK average, suggests ongoing challenges in retail security, exacerbated by Black Friday shopping patterns. These shifts illustrate a dynamic crime profile where some categories improve while others demand renewed focus.

Braintree's crime rate in November 2023 fell by 5.4% compared to October's rate of 5.7 per 1,000 residents, marking a continued downward trend. This decline aligns with a monthly exposure of one reported crime for roughly every 185 residents, a figure that contextualises the impact of crime on the local population. On a daily basis, Braintree recorded an average of 30 crimes per day, a rate that remains significantly lower than the UK average when scaled to the area’s population. The population-scaled perspective reveals that Braintree’s 886 crimes represent a manageable burden for a community of over 164,000 people, with crime distribution across categories far below the national average in most areas. This contrast highlights the area’s relatively safer profile compared to the UK as a whole, though specific categories like drug-related offences show notable deviations. The data underscores that while overall crime is low, targeted issues such as drug activity require attention within a broader context of effective local policing and community engagement.