Bridgend Crime Rate November 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Bridgend’s crime profile in November 2024 reveals a clear dominance of violent crime over property-related incidents, a pattern that may reflect seasonal pressures and local demographics. With 375 violent crimes reported — accounting for 41.7% of total crimes — the area’s rate of 2.5 per 1,000 for violence is 3% below the UK average of 2.6 per 1,000. This contrasts with property crimes, which numbered 226 (25.1% of total) and maintained a similarly low rate of 1.5 per 1,000, 21.7% below the UK average for similar offences. The balance suggests a community where interpersonal conflicts and public order issues may exert greater influence than economic crime, linked to Bridgend’s status as a mid-sized town with a mix of residential and commercial zones. Seasonal factors, including the darkening evenings of November and the commercial activity around Black Friday, may have amplified tensions in high-traffic areas, though no direct correlation is confirmed by the data. Anti-social behaviour, at 146 incidents (16.2% of total), remained the second most common category, consistent with patterns seen in other Welsh towns where community cohesion efforts often target such issues. The overall crime rate of 6.1 per 1,000 places Bridgend 19.7% below the UK average, a gap that may be attributed to effective local policing strategies or the town’s relatively low population density compared to larger urban centres. However, the exact reasons for this disparity, as no specific initiatives are documented in the provided statistics.

November 2024 saw sharp divergences in crime trends, with robbery and bicycle theft rising while vehicle crime and criminal damage fell. Robbery rates doubled from zero to one incident, a 100% increase, potentially linked to the shorter daylight hours and increased foot traffic during Bonfire Night events. Bicycle theft rose by 50% to three incidents, possibly reflecting seasonal demand for cycling during darker evenings or increased theft opportunities in public spaces. Conversely, vehicle crime plummeted by 62.2% to 14 incidents, a drop that may be attributed to colder weather deterring outdoor activity or targeted enforcement around parking areas. Criminal damage and arson also fell by 27.7% to 68 incidents, though this decline does not appear to be mirrored in other damage-related categories like burglary, which dropped 26.9% to 19 incidents. The violent crime category, while still the most common, remained 3% below the UK average for violence and sexual offences, suggesting local interventions may be effective in this area. However, public order offences rose 18% above the UK average to 92 incidents, highlighting a potential challenge in managing public spaces during late-night hours. For residents, the increase in robbery — though minimal in absolute terms — may signal a need for heightened vigilance in high-traffic areas during the holiday season.

Bridgend’s crime rate in November 2024 dropped 15.4% to 6.1 per 1,000 residents from 7.2 per 1,000 in October, a decline that may reflect the seasonal slowdown in retail activity or the impact of police resources during the autumn period. On a daily basis, the area recorded an average of 30 crimes per day — a figure that, while relatively low, still requires attention given the town’s population of 147,530. Over the course of November, one reported crime occurred for every 164 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is lower than the UK average of 1-in-130 residents for the same period (based on the 7.6 per 1,000 UK rate). This suggests Bridgend’s residents face a marginally lower risk of crime compared to the national average. The population-scaled perspective also reveals that violent crimes, at 2.5 per 1,000, account for a high share of total incidents compared to property crimes, which hover at 1.5 per 1,000. This imbalance may be partially explained by the town’s layout, with higher concentrations of retail and leisure spaces contributing to violence and anti-social behaviour. While specific policing strategies, the sustained below-average rates for burglary and vehicle crime — at 0.1 and 0.1 per 1,000 respectively — suggest that targeted measures in these areas may be yielding results.