Ashbourne Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Ashbourne's crime rate in January 2024 stood at 5.1 per 1,000 residents, significantly lower than the UK average of 7.4 per 1,000. This places the built-up area within Derbyshire Dales 31.1% below the national benchmark, a gap that has persisted for several months. Violence and sexual offences dominated the crime profile, accounting for 47.9% of all incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour at 16.7%. These figures suggest a persistent challenge with personal safety and community disorder, even in a relatively small and rural setting. The seasonal context of January—a post-holiday period marked by shorter days and reduced retail footfall—may contribute to the lower overall crime rate, particularly for property crimes typically linked to shopping activity. However, the high proportion of violent offences is noteworthy, as it contrasts with the usual patterns observed in similar rural areas where property crimes often dominate. This imbalance could reflect local factors such as the nature of the built-up area's population or the presence of specific social dynamics. While the UK average for violent crimes is 2.6 per 1,000, Ashbourne's rate of 2.4 per 1,000 is 8% below, indicating a relatively safer environment for personal safety. The data also shows that shoplifting.4 per 1,000, remains a concern, particularly given its 300% increase from December. This spike, though small in absolute terms, may warrant closer attention to retail security measures in the area.

January 2024 saw a dramatic 300% increase in shoplifting, rising from 1 to 4 incidents. This sharp jump, though still below the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000, highlights a potential vulnerability in local retail environments. Burglary also surged by 200%, with incidents rising from 1 to 3, suggesting possible seasonal factors or changes in local security practices. Conversely, public order offences fell by 60%, from 5 to 2, and criminal damage and arson dropped by 50%, from 4 to 2. These declines could be attributed to the post-holiday lull in public activity and reduced outdoor opportunities for such crimes. The balance between property and violent crimes also shifted, with violent offences making up nearly half of all incidents—significantly higher than the UK average for this category. This trend is particularly striking in a built-up area within a rural district, where property crimes might traditionally be expected to dominate. The data further reveals that anti-social behaviour remains a persistent issue, with rates 9% below the UK average but still accounting for nearly one-fifth of all recorded crimes. For residents, the most immediate concern appears to be the rise in shoplifting, which could indicate a need for enhanced retail surveillance or community engagement to address the root causes of such activity.

Ashbourne's crime rate in January 2024 fell to 5.1 per 1,000 residents, a 4.2% decrease from the previous month's rate of 5.3. This decline, though modest, suggests a continuation of the area's generally low crime profile relative to the UK. On a daily basis, the built-up area experienced roughly 2 crimes per day over the 31-day period, a figure that appears relatively stable compared to other months. When scaled to the local population, the monthly exposure translates to one reported crime occurring for every 197 residents. This rate is lower than the UK average, which would be higher given the national figure of 7.4 per 1,000. The population context further underscores the area's safety: with 9,440 residents, the number of crimes—48 in total—represents a very low proportion of the population. This is particularly significant in a built-up area where higher population density might typically correlate with higher crime rates. The comparison to the previous month also reveals that while overall crime has decreased slightly, the distribution of crime types has shifted. Violent offences remain high compared to the UK average, while property crimes such as burglary and shoplifting show more variability. These patterns suggest that local factors—such as the nature of the built-up area's retail sector or the demographics of its population—play a key role in shaping the crime profile, even as the area remains generally safer than the national average.