Derbyshire Dales Crime Rate October 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Derbyshire Dales' crime rate in October 2023 stood at 5.0 per 1,000 residents, placing it 37.5% below the UK average of 8.0. This stark contrast to national trends highlights the area's unique profile as a largely rural district with limited urban density. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 38.7% of all reported crimes, followed by anti-social behaviour (16.0%) and public order offences (11.5%). The seasonal context of October—darker evenings, Halloween festivities, and the clocks going back—likely contributed to patterns in anti-social behaviour and public order incidents. While the overall crime rate remained stable compared to the previous month, the data suggests a combination of local demographics and seasonal rhythms. The relatively low levels of property crime, particularly vehicle crime (62% below UK average) and burglary (41% below), may reflect the area's rural character, where fewer vehicles are concentrated in high-risk zones and homes are more spread out. However, the sharp rise in robbery cases during the month demands closer examination of local factors that could have disrupted usual patterns of criminal activity.

October 2023 saw a 100% increase in robbery cases, jumping from zero to three incidents—a stark anomaly in an area typically low for such crimes. This surge coincided with a 66.7% rise in possession of weapons, moving from three to five reports. Meanwhile, criminal damage and arson fell by 46.3%, and burglary dropped by 31.3%, suggesting some seasonal deterrence effect. Violence and sexual offences, at 1.9 per 1,000 residents, remained 30% below the UK average, despite the rise in robbery. Anti-social behaviour (0.8 per 1,000) and other theft (0.4 per 1,000) also fell significantly below national rates, reinforcing Derbyshire Dales' position as a safer area. The drop in vehicle crime (62% below UK average) could be attributed to fewer parked vehicles in rural areas during October. Residents might find the 100% increase in robbery particularly concerning, as it represents a complete absence of such crimes in the previous month followed by three incidents within a short timeframe.

Derbyshire Dales maintained a stable crime rate of 5.0 per 1,000 residents in October 2023, matching the previous month's figure with a -0.4% change. On a daily basis, this equates to approximately 12 crimes per day, a figure that would translate to roughly one crime for every 201 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate, while low, underscores the area's consistently safer profile compared to the UK average. The population context—71,757 residents—means that even relatively small increases in crime can have disproportionate impacts on local communities. For example, the three robbery cases reported in October would affect just 0.004% of the population, yet such incidents are often highly visible and impactful. The UK-wide comparison reveals that Derbyshire Dales' overall crime rate is 37.5% below the national average, with several categories (violence, anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime) showing even greater disparities. This suggests that the area's rural nature, combined with lower population density, may inherently reduce opportunities for certain types of crime. However, the sudden rise in robbery cases highlights the need for targeted local analysis to understand why such an anomaly occurred in an otherwise stable environment.