Ross-on-Wye Crime Rate August 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Ross-on-Wye's crime profile in August 2025, accounting for 41.8% of all reported crimes. This category, at 3.0 per 1,000 residents, is 5% above the UK average of 2.9 per 1,000. The overall crime rate of 7.2 per 1,000 residents places the area 11.1% below the UK average of 8.1, reflecting a consistently lower crime burden compared to national trends. Anti-social behaviour follows as the second most common category (15.2% of total crimes), yet it remains 25% below the UK average, suggesting local factors may suppress such incidents. Seasonal patterns in August—peak holiday season and increased tourism—likely contribute to the prominence of violence and sexual offences, though the area's compact built-up nature may limit opportunities for more dispersed crimes. Shoplifting (11.4% of total crimes) and public order offences (10.1%) also show elevated rates compared to the UK average, linked to the area's retail and leisure offerings attracting transient populations. The low burglary rate (0.1 per 1,000) contrasts with the UK average, due to the town's smaller size and increased foot traffic during August, which may deter property crimes. These patterns illustrate a combination of local geography, seasonal activity, and policing effectiveness in maintaining lower-than-average crime rates despite certain categories showing above-average trends.

Public order offences in August 2025 saw a 100% increase compared to July, rising from 4 to 8 incidents. This surge, coupled with a 71.4% rise in anti-social behaviour (from 7 to 12 cases), suggests heightened tensions during the summer tourist season. Meanwhile, burglary rates dropped 66.7% (from 3 to 1), possibly reflecting the seasonal presence of more visitors in residential areas, which may act as a natural deterrent to property crimes. Violent crimes, though remaining the most frequent category, are 5% above the UK average, a contrast to the overall rate being 11.1% below national levels. The sharp 100% increase in possession of weapons offences—jumping from 0 to 1 case—requires contextual analysis, though can be inferred from the data alone. Residents may find the 27% above-average rate for shoplifting (9 incidents) noteworthy, as this could signal targeted retail crime during the busy tourist period. These shifts underscore the dynamic nature of crime patterns in a small built-up area during peak holiday months.

The crime rate in August 2025 (7.2 per 1,000 residents) remained stable compared to July's 7.1 per 1,000, indicating no significant month-on-month change. Over the 31 days of August, Ross-on-Wye recorded 3 crimes per day on average—a figure that, while locally specific, provides a tangible measure of daily crime exposure. When scaled to the area's population of 10,996, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 139 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate is lower than the UK average, though the comparison is not quantified in the data. The stability in overall crime rates contrasts with the sharp increases in public order and anti-social behaviour, highlighting the need to examine local factors such as tourism-related pressures. The population-scaled perspective also reveals that, despite the area's small size, crime remains proportionally lower than the UK average, though certain categories like violence and sexual offences exceed national norms. This duality suggests that Ross-on-Wye's built-up character and policing strategies may be effective in curbing broader crime trends while specific challenges persist in managing seasonal spikes in certain offence types.