Blackwood Crime Rate November 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Blackwood’s crime profile in November 2023, accounting for nearly a third of all reported incidents. With a crime rate of 14.0 per 1,000 residents—86.7% above the UK average of 7.5—the area’s crime picture starkly contrasts national trends. Anti-social behaviour and public order offences further amplify the local challenge, contributing 20.8% and 12.0% of total crimes respectively. These figures align with seasonal patterns typical of November, when extended evenings and events like Bonfire Night may heighten tensions in communal spaces. The dominance of violent crime suggests a combination of local demographics and environmental factors. Blackwood’s built-up character, with its mix of residential and commercial zones, likely exacerbates incidents tied to public areas. While the UK average for violence and sexual offences stands at 2.6 per 1,000, Blackwood’s rate of 5.0 per 1,000 is 93% higher, underscoring a significant local disparity. This spike may reflect the area’s proximity to nightlife hubs or transient populations during the holiday season. The seasonal context of November—marked by Black Friday shopping and darker evenings—may also contribute to increased anti-social behaviour, as commercial activity intensifies and visibility declines. However, direct links to these factors, and further analysis would be needed to isolate specific causes. The overall crime rate, though elevated, shows a slight decrease from the previous month’s 15.2 per 1,000, indicating potential early signs of mitigation efforts or natural fluctuations in criminal activity.

November 2023 saw a sharp 133.3% increase in drug-related offences, rising from 3 to 7 incidents. This surge, coupled with a 100% rise in possession of weapons (from 0 to 6 cases), highlights a concerning shift in the crime mix. These increases contrast with declines in vehicle crime (-62.5%) and burglary (-33.3%), suggesting a possible reallocation of criminal activity toward more immediate, low-threshold offences. The drug category’s jump to 7 cases—200% above the UK average of 0.2 per 1,000—raises questions about local supply chains or demand dynamics. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour remains high, with 33 incidents (2.9 per 1,000) compared to the UK average of 1.1 per 1,000. This 176% disparity may reflect the built-up nature of Blackwood, where concentrated populations and limited public space could amplify such incidents. The public order category also shows an extreme deviation, at 221% above the UK average. Residents might find the 5.0 per 1,000 rate for violence and sexual offences particularly noteworthy, as it exceeds the UK average by nearly double. This figure, combined with the absence of significant reductions in violent crime despite the overall rate decline, suggests that targeted interventions may be necessary to address the root causes of these incidents.

Blackwood’s crime rate in November 2023 (14.0 per 1,000) represents a 7.5% decrease from the previous month’s 15.2 per 1,000, indicating a modest but measurable decline. However, this rate remains far above the UK average, with the area’s violent crime rate alone surpassing the national benchmark by 93%. On a daily basis, 5 crimes were reported each day in November—a figure that, while not unusual for a built-up area, underscores the persistent nature of local challenges. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 71 residents, a monthly exposure rate that, when contextualised against the UK average, illustrates the area’s elevated risk profile. With a population of 11,328, Blackwood’s scale means that even small fluctuations in crime rates can have tangible impacts on community safety. The 1-in-71 monthly exposure figure, while not alarmingly high in absolute terms, may feel more significant to residents due to the concentration of incidents in specific areas or times. The comparison to the UK average also highlights systemic differences: while the national average for anti-social behaviour is 1.1 per 1,000, Blackwood’s 2.9 per 1,000 suggests a need for targeted local strategies. These figures, when combined with the month-on-month trends, indicate that while some categories are showing improvement, the overall picture remains one of sustained elevated risk.