Bentley (Doncaster) Crime Rate December 2024 | Monthly Statistics

The December 2024 crime mix in Bentley (Doncaster) reveals a starkly different profile compared to the UK average, with violent and property crimes dominating the landscape. Of the 114 total crimes recorded, 31.6% were violence and sexual offences, significantly outpacing the UK average of 29% for the same category. This imbalance may be partly explained by the area’s built-up nature and the seasonal context of December, which saw dark evenings and empty homes over holidays—conditions that can heighten opportunities for violent incidents and property crimes. Criminal damage and arson accounted for 20.2% of all crimes, a figure 296% above the UK average of 0.5 per 1,000. This extreme deviation suggests a need for targeted local interventions, possibly linked to the area’s industrial heritage or specific vulnerabilities in infrastructure. Public order offences (7.9%) also exceeded the UK average by 78%, reflecting the pressures of the festive season and increased social gatherings. In contrast, anti-social behaviour (6.1%) was 36% below the UK average, which may indicate that community efforts or seasonal dynamics are temporarily mitigating such incidents. The overall crime rate of 10.4 per 1,000 residents places Bentley 46.5% above the UK average of 7.1, highlighting the area’s unique challenges. This profile aligns with the characteristics of a built-up area within a larger urban borough, where density and transient populations can influence crime patterns. The seasonal context of December—marked by Christmas shopping peaks, party season, and prolonged darkness—likely contributes to the higher rates of property crime and public order issues, though the exact causal links remain complex. The data underscores the importance of contextualising crime statistics within both local geography and temporal factors, rather than relying solely on numerical comparisons.

December 2024 saw notable shifts in Bentley’s crime profile, with theft from the person surging by 100% (from 0 to 2 incidents) and possession of weapons doubling from 1 to 2. These increases, though small in absolute terms, highlight vulnerabilities in personal safety during the festive season. Conversely, shoplifting dropped sharply by 71.4% (from 14 to 4), potentially linked to reduced foot traffic in retail areas during Christmas closures or increased police visibility. The area’s violent crime rate (3.3 per 1,000) remains 29% above the UK average, while criminal damage and arson (2.1 per 1,000) are 296% above national figures. This stark divergence from the UK norm underscores the need for targeted interventions in property crime prevention. Anti-social behaviour also fell by 53.3%, possibly due to holiday-related community cohesion efforts or temporary displacement of usual offenders. Residents may find the 100% increase in theft from the person particularly concerning, as it reflects a sharp rise in incidents typically associated with crowded public spaces or unsecured personal items during the festive period.

Bentley’s December 2024 crime rate of 10.4 per 1,000 residents marks a 15.5% decline from the previous month’s rate of 12.3, indicating a slight easing in reported incidents. This reduction contrasts with the broader seasonal context of Christmas shopping and party season, which typically heighten activity in urban areas. On a daily basis, the area experienced an average of 4 crimes per day, translating to one reported crime for every 96 residents over the course of the month. While this monthly exposure figure is consistent with the area’s built-up nature, the drop from November may reflect seasonal patterns, such as the waning of holiday-related events or the closure of some retail premises over the festive period. The population-scaled perspective reveals that Bentley’s crime rate remains significantly higher than the UK average, but the month-on-month decrease suggests some localised factors may be influencing the trend. The comparison to the previous month’s data underscores the importance of monitoring fluctuations in crime patterns, particularly in areas where transient factors like seasonal shifts or temporary changes in community activity can impact reporting rates.