Downham Market Crime Rate February 2024 | Monthly Statistics

February 2024 marked a continuation of Downham Market’s historically low crime rates, with an overall rate of 3.8 per 1,000 residents—46.5% below the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000. This figure underscores the built-up area’s status as a relatively safe community within King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, where crime remains significantly lower than the national benchmark. The breakdown of crimes reveals that violence and sexual offences dominated the landscape, accounting for 51.9% of all incidents. This category’s rate of 2.0 per 1,000 is 20% below the UK average, a discrepancy that may be partly explained by the area’s small population and limited opportunities for large-scale violent incidents. Anti-social behaviour followed closely, contributing 11.5% of total crimes, with a rate of 0.4 per 1,000—62% below the UK average. This suggests that local efforts to manage community tensions or enforce anti-social behaviour laws may be effective. Other theft and property crimes, while lower in volume, also showed rates well below national averages, with anti-social behaviour and other theft each falling 27% and 67% below UK levels, respectively. The seasonal context of February—characterised by low outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may have contributed to the lower prevalence of property-related crimes, as reduced foot traffic and retail activity could limit opportunities for theft. However, the increase in violent offences highlights the need for continued vigilance in addressing local factors that may contribute to such incidents, such as socioeconomic dynamics or the impact of local events.

February 2024 saw notable increases in burglary, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, all rising by 100% compared to the previous month. This surge in burglaries—from zero to two incidents—may be linked to seasonal factors such as reduced outdoor activity during winter, potentially leaving properties more vulnerable. Anti-social behaviour, which rose from three to six incidents, aligns with patterns observed in built-up areas during colder months when community interactions may be more confined to smaller spaces. Conversely, crimes such as drugs, criminal damage, and public order offences all saw significant decreases, with drugs dropping by 75% and criminal damage by 71.4%. These reductions may reflect the impact of pre-spring lull conditions, where lower outdoor engagement could reduce opportunities for such crimes. Bicycle theft is the only crime type in Downham Market that exceeds the UK average, with a rate of 0.1 per 1,000 compared to the UK’s 0.1 per 1,000—though this slight edge is balanced by other categories that are substantially below the national benchmark.

The crime rate in Downham Market for February 2024 remained stable at 3.8 per 1,000 residents, a 1.9% increase from the previous month’s rate of 3.7. This minimal fluctuation suggests continuity in local crime patterns despite seasonal shifts. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 2 reported crimes per day over the 29-day period, a figure that reflects the town’s generally low-crime profile. When scaled to the population of 13,836, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 266 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate is lower than the UK average, which is not provided for direct comparison here. The stability in crime rates, combined with the town’s consistently low figures, reinforces the area’s status as a relatively safe built-up region within Norfolk. The population-scaled perspective further contextualises the impact of crime on daily life, showing that most residents are unlikely to be directly affected by criminal activity in any given month.