Lytham St Anne's Crime Rate September 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Lytham St Anne's recorded a crime rate of 6.1 per 1,000 residents in September 2023, marking a 23.8% reduction compared to the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000. This performance places the built-up area within Fylde among the safer urban regions in the country. The most prevalent category of crime was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 33.9% of all reported incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour at 33.5%. Anti-social behaviour in the area was 49% above the UK average, a striking divergence from the overall trend of lower crime rates. This anomaly may be partially explained by the area's character as a coastal resort with a mix of residential and commercial zones, which can foster social interactions that occasionally escalate into disorder. Seasonal factors also appear to influence the crime profile: September, a transitional month between summer and winter, coincides with the start of the academic year and the influx of university students, potentially contributing to increased anti-social behaviour. Despite this, property-related crimes such as shoplifting and vehicle crime were significantly below the UK average, with shoplifting at 29% below and vehicle crime at 38% below. This suggests that while the area may struggle with managing social disorder, its infrastructure and policing efforts appear effective in curbing theft and burglary. The overall crime rate remains consistent with Lytham St Anne's historical trend of relatively low criminal activity, though the spike in anti-social behaviour warrants further attention from local authorities.

September 2023 saw a stark contrast in crime trends, with robbery and theft from the person both increasing by 100% compared to August, rising from zero to one incident each. This marked shift underscores the need for heightened vigilance in public spaces, particularly during the early evening hours when university freshers and seasonal visitors are most active. Conversely, shoplifting rates fell by 34.8% (from 23 to 15 incidents), likely reflecting the impact of increased police patrols in retail areas during the busy back-to-school period. The crime mix also revealed a significant imbalance: violent crimes, though not the most frequent category, accounted for a larger proportion of total incidents (33.9%) than property crimes, which collectively made up 36.6% of reports. This suggests a shift in the nature of crime, with interpersonal conflicts and public disorder playing a more prominent role than theft. Anti-social behaviour, which was 49% above the UK average, remained a persistent concern, with its high rate potentially linked to the area's proximity to university campuses and the transient population that frequents the coastal resort. Residents may find the 38% reduction in vehicle crime (from 0.5 to 0.3 per 1,000) a welcome development, particularly given the town's reliance on car travel for commuting and tourism.

The crime rate in Lytham St Anne's fell by 11.7% from 6.9 per 1,000 in August to 6.1 per 1,000 in September 2023, reflecting a sustained decline that has positioned the area well below the UK average. On a daily basis, the area recorded roughly nine crimes per day during the month, a figure that, while not negligible, is lower than the national average. When scaled to the population, the monthly exposure rate of 1 reported crime for every 165 residents illustrates the relative safety of the built-up area. This statistic, when considered alongside the 23.8% gap from the UK average, reinforces the effectiveness of local policing and community initiatives in mitigating criminal activity. The population context further highlights the significance of these numbers: in a town of 42,874 residents, the relatively low crime rate suggests that the majority of residents experience minimal direct exposure to crime. However, the spike in anti-social behaviour, which remains 49% above the UK average, indicates that certain pockets of the area—perhaps those near educational institutions or high-traffic zones—require targeted interventions. The comparison with the previous month also reveals a seasonal pattern: as the summer tourist season wanes and the academic year begins, the crime profile shifts from property-related incidents to those involving social disorder, a trend consistent with the area's coastal and educational characteristics.