Honley Crime Rate July 2023 | Monthly Statistics

In July 2023, Honley’s crime rate stood at 3.3 per 1,000 residents, placing it 60.2% below the UK average of 8.3 per 1,000. This stark contrast highlights the area’s relative safety, though the breakdown of crime types reveals a notable imbalance: violent crimes, including violence and sexual offences, constituted 51.6% of all reported incidents, nearly double the share of property crimes (19 out of 62 total). This dominance of violent crime over property crime is unusual for a built-up area within Kirklees, which typically sees higher property-related offences due to its retail and industrial character. The seasonal context of July—peak summer, school holidays, and a surge in tourism—may partly explain the higher proportion of violent crime, as outdoor events and increased foot traffic in public spaces can heighten opportunities for confrontations. However, the overall low crime rate suggests effective policing or community initiatives, though no specific programmes are referenced in the data. Property crimes, while fewer in number, still accounted for nearly a third of incidents, with shoplifting and public order offences emerging as key concerns. These trends align with Honley’s status as a mixed-use area, where retail centres and local amenities coexist with residential zones, creating environments where both property and violent crimes can occur, albeit at much lower rates than the national average.

July 2023 saw significant month-on-month shifts in crime patterns, with violent crimes maintaining their dominance while property-related incidents remained subdued. Possession of weapons increased by 100% (from 0 to 2 incidents), a sharp rise that could indicate a localised issue requiring further attention. Burglary also rose by 50%, though it remained below the UK average of 0.3 per 1,000. Conversely, other crime fell by 75% (from 4 to 1), and anti-social behaviour dropped by 57.1%, suggesting some success in addressing these issues. Violent crime, at 51.6% of total incidents, was 39% below the UK average of 2.8 per 1,000, a figure that underscores Honley’s relatively low levels of severe violence despite the seasonal factors. The UK comparison for shoplifting (50% below average) and public order offences (52% below average) further reinforces the area’s safety profile, though the 25% increase in possession of weapons compared to the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000 raises questions about local enforcement or reporting practices. For residents, the most immediate concern may be the spike in weapons-related incidents, which, while still rare, warrants awareness and vigilance.

Honley’s July 2023 crime rate of 3.3 per 1,000 represents a 3.2% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 3.4, indicating a slight but measurable decline in overall criminal activity. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 2 crimes per day, a figure that translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 301 residents over the course of the month. When contextualised against the population of 18,652, this suggests that the likelihood of any given resident being directly affected by crime remains very low, consistent with Honley’s status as a safer-than-average area. The comparison to the UK average further highlights this disparity, as the national rate of 8.3 per 1,000 is nearly double Honley’s figure. This gap is particularly pronounced in categories like anti-social behaviour (86% below UK average) and other theft (70% below UK average), where local conditions—possibly including stronger community cohesion or effective local policing—appear to play a role. However, the slight increase in weapons possession compared to the UK average (25% above) suggests that certain challenges persist, even in areas with otherwise low crime rates. These figures collectively illustrate an area that, while generally secure, requires targeted attention to emerging trends like weapons-related incidents.