Locks Heath Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

For an area of 35,722 residents, Locks Heath recorded 128 crimes in January 2024, translating to a crime rate of 3.6 per 1,000 people. This figure is 51.4% below the UK average of 7.4 per 1,000, marking one of the lowest rates in the country for this built-up area within Fareham. The most common crime category was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 39.8% of total incidents, followed by shoplifting (12.5%) and public order offences (10.2%). These figures align with seasonal patterns typical of January, a post-holiday month characterised by reduced retail footfall and shorter daylight hours, which may partly explain the lower levels of shoplifting and outdoor crimes compared to busier periods. The balance between violent and property crimes is particularly notable, with both categories contributing equally to the total (51 incidents each), suggesting a combination of local factors such as community dynamics and policing strategies. While the overall rate remains low, the prominence of violent offences highlights the need for targeted interventions in areas where such incidents occur most frequently, such as public spaces or residential zones with higher concentrations of vulnerable individuals. This data provides a snapshot of Locks Heath’s crime profile, contextualised within both local conditions and national benchmarks, offering a foundation for further analysis of trends and potential areas for improvement.

January 2024 saw significant fluctuations in specific crime categories, with three types experiencing dramatic increases: 'other crime' rose by 200% (from 1 to 3 incidents), 'drugs' doubled (from 1 to 2), and 'bicycle theft' jumped from 0 to 1. These spikes, while small in absolute terms, suggest emerging patterns that could warrant closer attention, particularly in the context of new local initiatives or shifts in community behaviour. Conversely, anti-social behaviour fell by 57.9% (from 19 to 8), and theft from the person decreased by 50% (from 2 to 1), indicating potential success in recent policing efforts or changes in local activity levels. The balance between violent and property crimes remained equal (51 each), a notable contrast to many UK areas where property crime typically dominates. This parity may reflect Locks Heath’s unique characteristics, such as its proximity to Fareham’s urban centre or the influence of local community engagement programmes. The category of 'violence and sexual offences' stood out as 46% below the UK average (1.4 vs 2.6 per 1,000), a figure that residents might find reassuring but which also raises questions about the underlying factors contributing to this disparity, such as the area’s demographic profile or the effectiveness of local prevention strategies.

Locks Heath’s crime rate in January 2024 (3.6 per 1,000) marked a 9.4% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 4.0 per 1,000, reflecting a sustained trend of declining crime in the area. On a daily basis, 4 crimes were reported per day in January, a figure that, while modest, provides a tangible sense of the scale of criminal activity relative to the local population. Over the course of the month, 1 reported crime occurred for roughly every 279 residents, a monthly exposure rate that places Locks Heath among the safer built-up areas in the UK. When scaled to the population of 35,722, this means that the average resident had a 1-in-279 chance of being directly affected by crime during January, a statistic that contrasts sharply with the UK average of 1-in-135. The area’s low crime rate is further underscored by the fact that multiple categories—such as criminal damage and arson (65% below the UK average), anti-social behaviour (80% below), and vehicle crime (80% below)—showed marked underperformance relative to national benchmarks. These figures, when contextualised within Locks Heath’s built-up environment, suggest that factors such as effective community policing, strong local governance, or the absence of high-risk areas like major transport hubs may contribute to its consistently low crime profile.