Totton Crime Rate February 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Totton's built-up area within the New Forest recorded a crime rate of 5.4 per 1,000 residents in February 2024, placing it 23.9% below the UK average of 7.1. This position reflects a combination of local characteristics and seasonal patterns. The area's relatively low crime rate may partly explain its status as a rural-adjacent community with limited urban density, though the presence of a town centre and residential zones contributes to specific crime types. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 32.4% of all reported crimes, significantly below the UK average of 2.5 per 1,000 (a 32% gap), suggesting a lower prevalence of violent incidents compared to national trends. Other theft (14.4% of total crimes) and public order offences (9.4%) followed, aligning with patterns seen in mixed-use areas where retail and community spaces coexist. The winter month of February, marked by reduced outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull, may have contributed to the lower-than-expected rates for property crimes, though this remains consistent with the area's generally lower crime profile. The absence of major industrial or commercial hubs likely limits exposure to crimes typically associated with high-traffic zones, such as vehicle theft or large-scale burglary. This data underscores Totton's position as a relatively safe area within a broader regional context, though localised factors such as seasonal transitions and community dynamics continue to shape the crime picture.

February 2024 saw sharp increases in specific categories, including drugs offences (+300%), possession of weapons (+150%), and robbery (+100%), which may reflect shifts in local activity patterns or enforcement focus. Conversely, other crime (such as unclassified incidents) fell by 83.3%, while criminal damage and arson decreased by 38.5%, and anti-social behaviour dropped by 23.1%. These fluctuations highlight the dynamic nature of crime reporting, with certain categories rising sharply despite an overall decline in the area's crime rate. Violence and sexual offences remained significantly below the UK average (1.7 vs 2.5 per 1,000), a gap that may be attributable to Totton's lower population density and community-oriented policing efforts. Other theft, however, exceeded the UK average by 45% (0.8 vs 0.6 per 1,000), indicating a potential vulnerability in retail or residential areas. This contrast between categories underscores the need for targeted interventions, such as enhanced surveillance in high-risk zones or community engagement to address emerging issues like drug-related activities. Residents may find the 18% reduction in anti-social behaviour (from 13 to 10 incidents) particularly relevant, as it suggests progress in managing disruptive incidents in public spaces.

Totton's February 2024 crime rate of 5.4 per 1,000 residents represents an 8.5% decrease from the previous month's rate of 5.9, illustrating a downward trend that may be linked to seasonal factors such as reduced outdoor activity during winter. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 5 crimes per day in February, a figure that contextualises the monthly total of 139 incidents into a manageable daily context. When scaled to the population of 25,840 residents, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 186 residents over the course of the month—a rate that remains well below the UK average. This monthly exposure metric provides a tangible reference point for residents, showing that the likelihood of experiencing a crime in Totton is comparatively low. The population-scaled perspective also highlights the area's effectiveness in managing crime relative to its size, though localised pockets of higher-risk activity (such as drug-related incidents) suggest that targeted strategies may still be necessary. These figures, when viewed alongside the UK-wide context, reinforce Totton's status as a safer community, though the disparity in specific categories (e.g. drugs offences being 186% above the UK average) indicates areas for further scrutiny.