Chorley Crime Rate February 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Chorley's overall crime rate for February 2025 stood at 5.7 per 1,000 residents, marking a 14.9% reduction compared to the UK average of 6.7 per 1,000. This performance positions the area as one of the safer local authority districts in England. The most prevalent crime types were violence and sexual offences (36.3% of all crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (32.0%) and criminal damage and arson (6.0%). These figures align with patterns typical of mixed-terrain areas where urban centres coexist with more residential zones. The winter season, with its reduced outdoor activity and pre-spring lull, likely contributed to the lower-than-UK-average rates for vehicle crime, shoplifting, and public order offences. However, the prominence of anti-social behaviour suggests ongoing challenges in community engagement and social cohesion, which may require targeted local initiatives. Violence and sexual offences in Chorley were 11% below the UK average, a statistic consistent with the area's lower population density and potentially more stable household structures. The seasonal context of February—characterised by colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours—may have curtailed opportunities for outdoor crimes while amplifying indoor disputes. These dynamics underscore the importance of contextual factors in shaping crime profiles, even within broadly similar geographical and demographic frameworks.

February 2025 saw marked reductions in several crime categories, including a 67.5% decrease in vehicle crime (from 40 to 13 incidents) and a 23.3% drop in other theft (from 43 to 33 cases). These declines may reflect the seasonal lull in outdoor activity and increased vehicle storage during winter months. Conversely, possession of weapons rose by 133.3% (from 3 to 7 cases), a sharp increase that could indicate emerging local tensions or unmet needs for conflict resolution. Theft from the person also doubled (from 1 to 2 cases), highlighting vulnerabilities in personal safety that may warrant enhanced public awareness campaigns. While violence and sexual offences remained 11% below the UK average, anti-social behaviour was 86% above the national figure, a stark contrast that suggests localised pressures on community infrastructure or social services. This disparity underscores the need for targeted interventions in areas where anti-social behaviour is concentrated, such as high-traffic residential zones or near public amenities. The significant gap between Chorley's performance and the UK average in specific categories illustrates both the successes and challenges of local policing strategies, with opportunities to build on the downward trends while addressing persistent issues.

Chorley's crime rate of 5.7 per 1,000 residents in February 2025 represented an 8.7% decrease from the previous month's rate of 6.2 per 1,000, a shift that may reflect the seasonal transition into winter and its associated behavioural patterns. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 24 crimes per day, a figure that, while lower than the UK average, requires contextualisation within Chorley's specific population dynamics. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 177 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is lower than the UK average of approximately one in 150 residents. This statistic, when scaled to Chorley's population of 120,839, translates to a relatively low frequency of criminal incidents per capita, suggesting a community that may benefit from sustained public safety initiatives. However, the sharp increase in possession of weapons and the elevated levels of anti-social behaviour indicate areas where targeted interventions could yield significant improvements. The comparison with the previous month's figures highlights both the volatility of certain crime types and the stability of others, offering a nuanced picture of local crime trends that must be interpreted alongside broader socioeconomic factors. Residents may find the daily crime count and monthly exposure rate useful for understanding the relative safety of their area in comparison to national benchmarks.