Ashtead Crime Rate December 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Ashtead's December 2024 crime rate of 2.5 per 1,000 residents stands at 64.8% below the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000, highlighting the area's consistently lower crime profile compared to national trends. This built-up area within Mole Valley, known for its mix of residential and rural landscapes, recorded 38 total crimes in the month, with violence and sexual offences accounting for 39.5% of all incidents, followed by other theft (10.5%) and public order offences (10.5%). These figures align with patterns often seen in commuter towns and suburban areas where property crimes are typically lower due to higher levels of community engagement and local policing efforts. Seasonal factors may partly explain the distribution of crimes: the peak of Christmas shopping, extended dark evenings, and the temporary absence of residents during the holiday season could contribute to increased opportunities for certain offences. However, the overall crime rate remains markedly lower than the UK average, suggesting that Ashtead's social and geographic characteristics—such as its proximity to London and relatively stable demographics—likely play a role in maintaining this safety record. The dominance of violent crimes over property crimes is notable, as it contrasts with the UK trend where property offences often outnumber violent ones, reflecting a combination of local policing priorities and community dynamics in Ashtead.

December 2024 saw significant month-on-month changes in specific crime categories, with robbery incidents surging by 100% compared to November, marking a shift in the crime mix towards more direct confrontations. This increase, from zero to one incident, may be linked to seasonal factors such as the heightened presence of out-of-town visitors during the festive period. Concurrently, criminal damage and arson also rose by 100%, moving from zero to three incidents—a stark contrast to the UK average of 0.5 per 1,000, where Ashtead's rate of 0.2 per 1,000 is 62% below. This suggests that while property-related crimes remain low, targeted acts of vandalism may be influenced by local conditions, such as the distribution of empty homes during the holiday season. On the other hand, other theft increased by 100%, rising from two to four incidents, though this category still remains 44% below the UK average. The category of 'other crime' decreased by 50%, dropping from two to one incident, a trend that may reflect the effectiveness of local initiatives in addressing non-specific criminal activity. These shifts underscore the importance of contextual factors—such as the timing of Christmas shopping, the impact of dark winter evenings, and the potential influence of temporary population movements—on the local crime profile.

Ashtead's crime rate in December 2024 (2.5 per 1,000) represents a 35.8% increase compared to the previous month's rate of 1.9 per 1,000, though it remains significantly below the UK average. Over the course of the month, there were roughly 1 reported crime per day, a figure that, while modest, reflects the area's relatively low exposure to criminal activity. When scaled to the local population of 14,966 residents, this equates to one reported crime occurring for every 394 residents over the month—a rate that is lower than the UK's broader context. This monthly exposure provides a tangible sense of safety for residents, as the likelihood of experiencing a crime is far less than in many other parts of the country. The comparison to the UK average also highlights Ashtead's unique position: while the UK as a whole sees 7.1 crimes per 1,000 residents, Ashtead's rate is over two-thirds lower, suggesting that the area's characteristics—such as its proximity to natural spaces, lower population density within the built-up area, and potentially stronger community ties—may contribute to its lower crime profile. These figures, when viewed in the context of the local environment, offer reassurance to residents and underscore the effectiveness of local crime prevention strategies, even as small fluctuations in specific categories like robbery are observed.