Bearsted Crime Rate November 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Bearsted's crime profile in November 2023, contributing 30% of total reported crimes. This category, at 0.4 per 1,000 residents, sits 85% below the UK average of 2.6 per 1,000, illustrating a stark contrast to national trends. The area's overall crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 residents—84% below the UK average of 7.5—suggests a community with significantly lower exposure to criminal activity than the national norm. This anomaly may partly explain itself through Bearsted's character as a built-up area within Maidstone, where proximity to larger urban centres could dilute local crime pressures while maintaining a distinct microclimate of lower incidents. Seasonal factors in November, including the transition to darker evenings and the timing of Bonfire Night, may influence patterns of public order offences, which rose to 20% of total crimes. The low level of property crimes—only 40% of total incidents—contrasts with UK trends where property crimes often dominate, suggesting Bearsted's built-up character may feature lower retail density or more effective community policing. The absence of significant spikes in shoplifting or vehicle crime, despite Black Friday shopping activity, could indicate robust local retail security measures or a smaller footfall in commercial areas during the month. These patterns reflect a community where violent crime remains the primary concern, even as overall crime levels remain remarkably low compared to national benchmarks.

November 2023 saw a 100% increase in public order offences, rising from 1 to 2 incidents, a shift that may reflect heightened community activity during Bonfire Night or the early stages of Black Friday shopping. Burglary and shoplifting both doubled from zero to one incident each, suggesting isolated incidents rather than emerging trends. Conversely, anti-social behaviour dropped by two-thirds (from 3 to 1), potentially linked to seasonal changes in community engagement or improved local interventions. Violence and sexual offences fell by 50% (from 6 to 3), though this category remains 85% below the UK average. Public order offences in Bearsted (0.2 per 1,000) are 62% below the UK average of 0.5 per 1,000, indicating a community where disorderly conduct is comparatively rare. The absence of significant property crime spikes despite Black Friday shopping may suggest that Bearsted's retail environment either lacks the density to generate large-scale theft opportunities or has implemented effective security measures. These month-on-month shifts highlight the volatility of small-area crime statistics, where single incidents can drive percentage changes, yet the overall profile remains consistently low compared to national rates.

Bearsted's November 2023 crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 residents represents a 33.3% decrease from the previous month's rate of 1.8 per 1,000, illustrating a downward trend in local crime levels. Daily crime context shows only 0.33 crimes per day on average in November, a figure that translates to a local monthly exposure of 1 crime per 836 residents. This equates to a 1-in-836 chance of being directly affected by crime over the course of the month—a statistic that places Bearsted among the safest built-up areas in the UK. When scaled to Bearsted's population of 8,356, the 10 total crimes reported represent an exceptionally low rate of 0.12% of the population being directly involved in a crime. This contrasts sharply with the UK average of 7.5 per 1,000, where the equivalent figure would be 62.5 crimes for Bearsted's population. The month-on-month decline may reflect seasonal factors, such as the end of university term time in nearby areas or reduced foot traffic during darker evenings. However, the low overall rate suggests that Bearsted's built-up character within Maidstone may benefit from a unique combination of community cohesion, effective local policing, and lower exposure to the high-crime environments typical of larger urban centres.