Gillingham Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Gillingham (Dorset) experienced a crime rate of 3.8 per 1,000 residents in January 2024, placing it 48.6% below the UK average of 7.4 per 1,000. This performance, while strong, reveals a complex picture shaped by both local factors and seasonal influences. The most prevalent crime category was violence and sexual offences (21 incidents, 48.8% of total), a rate of 1.9 per 1,000 that was 27% below the UK average. This suggests a combination of local policing strategies and community engagement efforts, though the relatively high rate of drug-related offences—43% above the UK average—indicates a specific challenge. The town's low exposure to anti-social behaviour (0.3 per 1,000, 70% below the UK average) and shoplifting (0.2 per 1,000, 65% below) may reflect the impact of seasonal factors, such as reduced foot traffic and the post-holiday lull in retail activity. These patterns are consistent with Gillingham's character as a built-up area within a rural county, where community cohesion and limited urban density may contribute to lower rates of certain crimes. However, the spike in criminal damage and arson, though still below the UK average, raises questions about potential localised pressures or environmental factors that warrant further analysis. The area's overall safety profile, particularly its low rates of property crimes and public order offences, contrasts with the UK's higher average, suggesting that local initiatives or environmental conditions play a role in crime prevention. The seasonal context of January—shorter daylight hours, post-holiday lulls, and reduced retail activity—likely contributes to the observed trends, though the specific drivers of the drug-related offence increase remain unclear.

January 2024 saw a 150% increase in criminal damage and arson, rising from 2 to 5 incidents. This spike, though still below the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000, suggests potential seasonal factors or localised pressures. Conversely, public order offences dropped by two-thirds, from 3 to 1, possibly linked to reduced foot traffic during the post-holiday period. The drugs category emerged as a significant outlier, with a 43% increase above the UK average (0.2 vs 0.3 per 1,000). This contrast with the 70% UK deficit in anti-social behaviour (1.0 vs 0.3 per 1,000) highlights divergent patterns across crime types. The 21 violent crimes recorded—48.8% of total incidents—were 27% below the UK average for this category. Residents might find the 100% rise in possession of weapons (0 to 2 incidents) particularly noteworthy, though the small sample size means this figure should be interpreted cautiously. The drop in shoplifting by one-third (3 to 2 incidents) may reflect the seasonal slowdown in retail activity, which is common in January. These shifts underscore the dynamic nature of local crime patterns and the influence of month-specific factors on different offence categories.

Gillingham's crime rate in January 2024 stood at 3.8 per 1,000 residents, a 4.3% decrease from December's 4.0 per 1,000. This decline aligns with typical January patterns in similar rural-urban areas, where post-holiday activity and shorter daylight hours reduce opportunities for certain crimes. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately one crime per day, a figure that contextualises the pace of incidents in a community of 11,325 residents. Over the course of January, one crime was reported for every 263 residents, a monthly exposure rate that underscores the relatively low frequency of incidents compared to the UK average. This statistic is particularly meaningful for residents, as it translates to a manageable level of risk that contrasts with the UK's higher overall crime profile. The population-scaled perspective further highlights that Gillingham's security measures and community dynamics appear to be effective in mitigating crime, even during periods of seasonal transition. The area's low rate of anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, both 70% and 65% below the UK average respectively, suggests that local initiatives or environmental factors may be playing a role in reducing these types of incidents. However, the spike in criminal damage and arson, though still below the UK average, raises questions about potential localised pressures or seasonal influences that require further observation.