Braunton Crime Rate May 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Braunton's crime profile in May 2024 reveals a marked contrast between violent and property crimes, with the former accounting for nearly half of all incidents. At 3.8 crimes per 1,000 residents, the area's rate is 54.8% below the UK average, a figure that underscores the effectiveness of local policing or the area's inherently lower risk profile. Violent crimes—primarily violence and sexual offences—dominated the breakdown, comprising 48.4% of total incidents, while property crimes such as burglary and anti-social behaviour lagged behind. This imbalance may reflect the area's seasonal context: May, with its longer evenings and increased outdoor socialising, likely contributes to a higher incidence of interpersonal conflicts. The relatively low rate of property crime, particularly burglary (0.5 per 1,000), is consistent with Braunton's character as a small, rural built-up area where community cohesion and limited commercial density may deter such offences. Anti-social behaviour, though lower than the UK average, rose by 100% month-on-month, suggesting that transient factors—such as increased foot traffic during holiday periods—could be influencing local dynamics. The UK average for violence and sexual offences (2.8 per 1,000) is itself 37% below Braunton's rate, highlighting the complexity of local crime drivers. While the area's low overall crime rate aligns with its rural nature, the persistence of violent crime suggests a need for targeted interventions, particularly in spaces where alcohol consumption and social interactions are common. This data, when contextualised against seasonal trends, illustrates the interplay between geography, population density, and the rhythms of local life in shaping crime patterns.

May 2024 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with drugs-related offences doubling from zero to one incident, public order offences increasing by 100%, and burglary rising from two to four cases—a 100% increase. These spikes, particularly in drugs and burglary, contrast with a 40% decline in criminal damage and arson, which fell from five to three incidents. The dominance of violent crimes—accounting for 15 of the 31 total reported incidents—highlights a stark imbalance compared to property crimes, which numbered nine. This mix is further distinguished by Braunton's performance against UK averages: while violent crimes remain 37% below the national rate, burglary is 61% above, indicating a unique local challenge. For residents, the 100% rise in public order offences—a category often linked to alcohol-fuelled incidents in social hubs—may signal heightened activity during May's longer evenings and bank holidays, a seasonal pattern consistent with the area's coastal character.

Braunton's crime rate in May 2024 rose by 29.3% compared to the previous month, moving from 2.9 to 3.8 crimes per 1,000 residents. This upward trend, though still well below the UK average, reflects a shift in local dynamics. On a daily basis, the area saw approximately one reported crime each day in May, a figure that, while low, underscores the visibility of crime in a small community. When scaled to the population, the monthly exposure rate indicates that roughly one in every 267 residents experienced a crime over the course of the month—a statistic that, when contextualised against Braunton's population of 8,265, suggests crime remains a rare but notable occurrence. This rate is particularly striking when compared to the UK's broader context, where the average resident faces significantly higher exposure. The relatively low crime rate, despite the increase, may partly reflect the area's rural character and the limited density of public spaces that typically correlate with higher crime rates in urban centres.