Scayne's Hill Crime Rate

Scayne's Hill is one of the safest urban settlements in the Mid Sussex local authority, boasting an impressive safety score of 95/100. The overall crime rate is remarkably low at 23.8 per 1,000 residents, which is far below the UK average of 91.6. Even more encouraging is the recent trend; crime in the area has decreased by 36.7% year-over-year. For its population of 1,594, Scayne's Hill offers a highly secure environment where criminal activity is the exception rather than the rule. This report provides a detailed look at the crime types, monthly trends, and time patterns that define the safety of this village.

Scayne's Hill enjoys a very low crime rate, with violence and sexual offences being the most reported category at 28.9%, representing 11 crimes per year or 6.9 per 1,000 people. This is followed by 'other theft' and anti-social behaviour, which both account for 23.7% of total crime.

Property-related crime in the village is notably low, with an overall rate of 10.0 per 1,000 residents. This category includes burglary (7.9%), shoplifting (7.9%), and criminal damage (2.6%). Interestingly, there were no reported vehicle crimes or bicycle thefts in the latest data period. For homeowners and residents, these figures translate to a very secure environment. The primary concerns are opportunistic theft and anti-social behaviour, which combined make up nearly half of all incidents. While the volume of crime is minimal, the presence of burglary, even at a low rate of 1.9 per 1,000, suggests that standard home security remains a sensible precaution in this otherwise peaceful settlement.

Scayne's Hill is experiencing a very positive safety trend, with an overall crime reduction of 36.7% compared to the previous year. The monthly data for 2025 shows that crime rates stayed consistently low, often dipping below 1 incident per 1,000 residents.

The year saw minor peaks in June and October, both reaching a rate of 4.4 per 1,000. However, for six months of the year—February, May, August, November, and December—the rate was a negligible 0.6. This suggests that crime in Scayne's Hill is rare and sporadic. The significant year-over-year decrease indicates that the area is becoming even safer over time. For residents, this trend is highly reassuring, suggesting that the community's safety measures and local policing are effectively keeping crime to an absolute minimum. The consistency of these low figures month-on-month points to a stable and secure environment.

How To Keep Safe in Scayne's Hill

The most common crime in Scayne's Hill is violence and sexual offences, though the actual number of incidents is very low. Maintaining the village's high safety standards involves a mix of personal awareness and community cooperation.

1. Daytime Vigilance: With theft being most common during the morning and afternoon, ensure that outbuildings and vehicles are locked even when you are at home.
2. Community Awareness: Engage with local social media groups or neighbourhood watch schemes to stay informed about any rare but important safety alerts.
3. Secure Your Perimeter: Even with low crime rates, ensuring your garden and entry points are well-defined and lit can deter the 'other theft' category, which makes up 23.7% of local crime.
4. Report Minor Issues: Reporting even small instances of anti-social behaviour helps maintain the village's high safety score and ensures police are aware of any emerging patterns.
5. Personal Safety: When walking in quieter areas, carry a charged mobile phone and let someone know your expected return time, especially during the evening.

Crime timing in Scayne's Hill is heavily skewed towards the daylight hours. Between 6am and 6pm, theft-related offences dominate, accounting for a staggering 94% of morning crimes and 95% of afternoon crimes. This indicates that almost all criminal activity in the village is opportunistic and occurs when residents are active or away from their homes during the day.

The evening (6pm to 12am) and night (12am to 6am) periods remain predominantly theft-focused, though 'other' crime types begin to represent a larger share of the small total (19% and 24% respectively). Notably, there were no reported burglaries or vehicle crimes during any of these time periods in the recent data. This pattern suggests that Scayne's Hill is exceptionally quiet at night, with the primary risk being daytime theft. Residents should focus their security efforts on securing property during the day to mitigate the most common threats.

In the local regional context, Scayne's Hill stands out as a high-safety choice. It is significantly safer than the nearby town of Haywards Heath, which has a crime rate of 55.6 per 1,000, and is also more secure than North Chailey at 42.1. While it doesn't quite match the reported zero-crime rates of Wivelsfield and Wivelsfield Green, it remains one of the most secure settlements in the area. For those looking for a balance between village life and safety, Scayne's Hill offers a compelling profile that compares favourably to almost all surrounding urban settlements.

Despite Scayne's Hill's excellent safety score of 95/100 and its property crime rate of only 10.0 per 1,000, homeowners should not be complacent. In low-crime areas, residents often rely on reactive security like standard CCTV or doorbell cameras. However, these systems only record a crime after it has occurred. For those who want to maintain the village's high safety standards for their own property, a proactive approach is superior. scOS (Security Operating System) provides AI-driven protection that detects potential threats at the boundary of your property. By identifying unknown visitors or suspicious patterns in real-time, scOS can trigger autonomous deterrents before a break-in even begins. In a village where theft and burglary are rare, the sight of a professional, proactive security system is often enough to make an opportunistic criminal move elsewhere. Investing in prevention rather than just recording is the best way to ensure your home remains part of Scayne's Hill's positive safety statistics.