Bishop's Stortford Crime Rate October 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Bishop's Stortford's crime rate in October 2024 stood at 6.0 per 1,000 residents, marking a 25.9% reduction compared to the UK average of 8.1 per 1,000. This places the built-up area well below the national benchmark, though the data reveals an unexpected spike in one crime category that defies seasonal expectations. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 37.1% of all crimes (98 incidents), followed by anti-social behaviour (23.1%, 61 cases) and burglary (6.8%, 18 cases). The seasonal context of October—shorter daylight hours, the clocks going back, and Halloween—typically correlates with increased anti-social behaviour and property crime, yet the most pronounced shift this month was the 125% rise in burglary cases compared to September. This anomaly contrasts with the usual pattern of seasonal crime fluctuations, where burglary tends to peak in summer months due to increased outdoor activity and holiday travel. The sharp increase in burglaries, however, may be linked to specific local factors such as targeted property vulnerabilities or a shift in criminal activity patterns during the autumn period. Meanwhile, shoplifting remained significantly below the UK average (44% lower) at 0.4 per 1,000, a trend consistent with Bishop's Stortford's retail landscape, which is more focused on high-street shops than large supermarkets or malls. The overall crime profile suggests a community with lower levels of violent crime than the national average, though the spike in burglary raises questions about potential changes in local security practices or criminal targeting strategies. This data underscores the need for ongoing monitoring of property crime trends, particularly as October's darker evenings and seasonal events create new opportunities for opportunistic offenders.

The most striking month-on-month change was the 125% increase in burglary cases, rising from 8 to 18 incidents. This jump, which far outpaced the 18.1% rise in violence and sexual offences (from 83 to 98 cases), suggests a sudden shift in criminal activity that may not align with typical seasonal patterns. Anti-social behaviour also rose by 28.6% (7 to 9 cases), though this remains a minor proportion of overall crime. Conversely, drug-related offences fell sharply by 62.5% (from 8 to 3 cases), a drop that could reflect temporary enforcement actions or seasonal factors affecting drug trade dynamics. Theft from the person also decreased by 50% (from 2 to 1 case), due to heightened awareness during Halloween or increased police visibility in public spaces. Bishop's Stortford's shoplifting rate of 0.4 per 1,000 was 44% below the UK average (0.7 per 1,000), a consistent trend that may be attributed to the town's retail mix, which includes fewer large supermarkets than other areas. The data also reveals that violent crime, while higher than some categories, remains 18% below the UK average (2.2 vs 2.7 per 1,000), a contrast to the 9% above average for anti-social behaviour (1.4 vs 1.3 per 1,000). For residents, the most immediately relevant insight is the sharp rise in burglary, which could prompt targeted security measures in high-risk areas such as the town centre or residential estates.

Bishop's Stortford's crime rate in October 2024 (6.0 per 1,000) was 1.5% higher than the previous month's rate of 5.9 per 1,000, indicating a stable overall trend despite the sharp increase in burglary. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 9 crimes per day in October, a figure that translates to one reported crime for every 167 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate is significantly lower than the UK average, though the 1-in-167 figure is a local benchmark and not directly comparable to national statistics. When considering the population context, Bishop's Stortford's 44,015 residents mean that each resident is statistically less likely to be directly affected by crime than the average UK resident. The town's overall safety profile is further reinforced by its consistently low rates of theft from the person (0.0 per 1,000) and drugs-related crime (0.1 per 1,000), both of which are far below the UK averages. However, the 21% above-average burglary rate (0.4 vs 0.3 per 1,000) and 9% above-average anti-social behaviour rate (1.4 vs 1.3 per 1,000) highlight areas where local crime patterns deviate from the national norm. These discrepancies may reflect Bishop's Stortford's specific demographic or geographic characteristics, such as its status as a commuter town with a mix of residential and commercial properties that could present unique opportunities for certain types of crime.