Portishead Crime Rate January 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Portishead’s January 2025 crime rate of 5.0 per 1,000 residents marked a 29.6% deficit compared to the UK average of 7.1, reflecting a safer profile than national benchmarks. The most prevalent crime type was violence and sexual offences (60 incidents, 46.9% of total crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (19, 14.8%) and shoplifting (14, 10.9%). This distribution contrasts with the UK average, where violence and sexual offences account for 2.5 per 1,000 (4% below Portishead’s rate) and anti-social behaviour averages 1.0 per 1,000 (18% below). The area’s crime profile aligns with its coastal built-up character, where retail and tourism activity may influence patterns of anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. However, the seasonal context of January—post-holiday, reduced retail footfall, and shorter days—typically suppresses outdoor crime, making the 200% surge in robbery and other crime particularly striking. This spike, occurring despite the area’s generally low crime environment, may suggest localized factors such as increased transient activity or specific incidents. Meanwhile, property crimes overall remained 3% below the UK average for shoplifting and 18% below for other theft, indicating effective local measures in curbing such offences. The balance between violent and property crimes (60% vs 39%) also diverges from the UK average, where property crimes often dominate. These patterns suggest Portishead’s crime dynamics are shaped by its unique mix of residential and commercial spaces, with community policing and local initiatives likely contributing to its sustained safety record.

January 2025 saw sharp increases in robbery (+200%, 1 → 3), other crime (+200%, 1 → 3), and shoplifting (+133.3%, 6 → 14), marking the most unexpected shifts in the area’s crime profile. These rises contrast with significant decreases in burglary (-80%, 5 → 1), drugs (-66.7%, 3 → 1), and public order offences (-50%, 16 → 8). The surge in robbery and other crime—both tripling from December—defies typical January trends, which often see reduced outdoor crime due to shorter days and post-holiday lulls. This anomaly may partly explain the 4.1% monthly increase in the overall crime rate. Shoplifting’s jump to 14 incidents (10.9% of total crimes) highlights a shift in property crime dynamics, though it remains 3% below the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000. Violent crimes, which accounted for 46.9% of all incidents, were 4% below the UK average for violence and sexual offences (2.5 per 1,000), suggesting local factors may temper broader national trends.

Portishead’s crime rate in January 2025 rose 4.1% from 4.8 to 5.0 per 1,000 residents compared to December 2024.6% below the UK average of 7.1. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 199 residents, reflecting a relatively low level of monthly exposure compared to national trends. Daily crime figures show an average of four crimes per day in Portishead, a figure that contextualises the pace of incidents for local residents. This rate is consistent with the area’s character as a built-up coastal town within North Somerset, where lower population density and community cohesion may contribute to sustained safety. While the increase from the previous month is modest, it underscores the need to monitor seasonal fluctuations, particularly as January’s shorter days and post-holiday environment may influence patterns of activity and crime.