Fordingbridge Crime Rate October 2023 | Monthly Statistics

A sharp rise in possession of weapons — a category that had no recorded incidents in September — emerged as the most unexpected development in Fordingbridge’s October 2023 crime profile. This jump from zero to one incident, which places the local rate 186% above the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000, contrasts starkly with declines in shoplifting and burglary. The overall crime rate of 5.1 per 1,000 residents marked a 36.3% reduction compared to the UK average of 8.0, a gap that reflects Fordingbridge’s position as a low-crime area within the New Forest. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 37% of all crimes, followed by public order (14.8%) and criminal damage and arson (14.8%), though the latter two categories exceeded UK averages by 36% and 27% respectively. October’s seasonal context — shorter days, Halloween, and the start of the festive season — may have influenced public order issues, though the data shows no direct correlation with anti-social behaviour, which fell by 85.7%. The area’s character as a rural built-up district, with limited urban density, likely contributes to its consistently low crime rates, though the sudden spike in weapons possession remains unexplained by available data.

Possession of weapons saw a 100% increase in October, rising from zero to one incident — a category that had not previously appeared in Fordingbridge’s monthly crime reports. This marked the only increase among all categories, while shoplifting fell by 50%, from four to two incidents, and burglary dropped by 75% despite the UK average for burglary remaining 0.3 per 1,000. Public order offences and criminal damage and arson both exceeded UK averages by over a third, with public order offences (0.8 per 1,000) 36% above the UK average of 0.6. Violence and sexual offences, at 1.9 per 1,000, remained 30% below the UK rate of 2.7, a consistent trend in Fordingbridge. The most significant decline was in anti-social behaviour, which fell by 85.7% from seven to one incident — a drop that may reflect seasonal factors or local initiatives. Residents may find the 50% reduction in shoplifting particularly notable, suggesting potential improvements in retail security or a shift in local shopping patterns.

Fordingbridge’s crime rate in October 2023 (5.1 per 1,000) represented a 30.8% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 7.4, a decline that aligns with broader seasonal trends in rural areas where crime often drops in autumn. On a daily basis, the area recorded roughly one crime per day over the 31-day period, a figure that is likely influenced by its small population of 5,249 residents. Monthly exposure to crime placed residents at a 1-in-194 risk of being affected by a reported incident, a statistic that contextualises the low overall rate against the UK average. This monthly aggregate highlights the relatively low frequency of crime in Fordingbridge compared to the UK, where the average resident faces a 1-in-125 risk (based on the UK rate of 8.0 per 1,000). The population-scaled perspective underscores how Fordingbridge’s built-up area, despite its proximity to the New Forest’s natural spaces, maintains a crime profile significantly below national benchmarks. However, the anomaly in possession of weapons — a category that had no prior incidents — remains unexplained within this comparative framework, suggesting the need for further local analysis.