East Wittering Crime Rate July 2023 | Monthly Statistics

East Wittering's crime rate in July 2023 stood at 4.3 per 1,000 residents, placing it 48.2% below the UK average of 8.3. This marked a continuation of the area’s consistently low crime profile, which has been a defining feature for years. The most prevalent crime type was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 40% of all reported incidents. This was followed by anti-social behaviour (26.7%) and shoplifting (10%). The seasonal context of July—characterised by peak tourism, school holidays, and summer festivals—likely contributed to the pattern of crimes observed. For instance, the prominence of violence and sexual offences may reflect increased foot traffic and social gatherings in the area during this period. Anti-social behaviour, while lower than the UK average, could be tied to the high volume of transient visitors and the associated pressures on local infrastructure. The relatively low shoplifting rate compared to the UK average (33% below) suggests that retail areas in East Wittering may have effective security measures or lower foot traffic compared to other regions. The overall crime rate, though modest, shows a slight upward trend compared to previous months, a shift that will be explored in more detail in the highlights section.

July 2023 saw notable month-on-month changes in specific crime categories, with some areas of the crime mix shifting significantly. Other thefts rose by 100% from zero to one incident, while shoplifting, which had not been reported in June, surged to three incidents—a 100% increase. Anti-social behaviour also climbed by 60%, rising from five to eight incidents. This shift in the crime mix may indicate seasonal pressures, such as increased visitor numbers and associated social activity during the summer months. Conversely, public order offences dropped by two-thirds (from three to one), and criminal damage and arson fell by 60% (from five to two). These declines might be linked to the higher police presence typically seen during peak tourist seasons or the absence of specific events that could have prompted such incidents in previous months. The area’s violence and sexual offences rate (1.7 per 1,000) was 39% below the UK average, a consistent trend that highlights the effectiveness of local policing or the nature of the community. Residents may find the specific data on shoplifting increases useful, as it could inform targeted awareness efforts in retail areas during the summer months.

The crime rate in July 2023 (4.3 per 1,000) marked a 15.5% increase compared to June’s rate of 3.7, reflecting a slight upward trend over the past month. However, this remains well below the UK average, which stood at 8.3 per 1,000. On a daily basis, East Wittering recorded an average of one crime per day in July, a figure that, while modest, underscores the area’s generally low crime environment. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 232 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is significantly lower than many comparable areas. This statistic provides residents with a concrete sense of the likelihood of encountering crime in their daily lives. When contextualised with the local population of 6,948, the numbers illustrate that the area’s crime profile is characterised by infrequent incidents rather than frequent occurrences. The combination of a low overall rate and the absence of major spikes in specific categories suggests that the slight month-on-month increase is unlikely to signal a broader trend. Instead, it may be attributable to the transient nature of summer-related activities, which can lead to isolated incidents rather than sustained criminal patterns.