Weston-super-Mare Crime Rate September 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences in Weston-super-Mare during September 2023 were 53% above the UK average, marking the most significant outlier in the area's crime profile. This category alone accounted for 38.6% of all reported crimes, far exceeding the share of violent crimes in the UK average. The overall crime rate stood at 11.0 per 1,000 residents, 37.5% higher than the UK's 8.0 per 1,000. This disparity is consistent with the area's character as a coastal resort town with a vibrant nightlife and seasonal tourism influx. September, a transitional month between summer and autumn, saw increased foot traffic in the town centre due to back-to-school activities and university freshers' week, which may partly explain the elevated levels of violence and anti-social behaviour. Property crimes, while lower in proportion (21.2% of total), still reflected local patterns—shoplifting and criminal damage were both 96% and 83% above UK averages respectively, suggesting a correlation with retail activity and transient populations. The seasonal context of shorter evenings and the start of term-time routines likely contributed to shifts in crime patterns, though the exact causal links remain speculative. These figures highlight the need for targeted interventions during peak periods of tourism and student activity, which are known to influence local crime dynamics in coastal towns.

September 2023 saw a 128.6% increase in bicycle theft, rising from 7 to 16 incidents, a stark contrast to the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000. This surge aligns with the area's status as a coastal town with high levels of cycling infrastructure and transient populations. Meanwhile, robbery incidents rose by 57.1% (7 to 11), reflecting patterns often associated with late-night retail areas. Conversely, shoplifting fell by 26.2% (from 126 to 93), possibly due to increased policing during the busy tourist season. Anti-social behaviour and public order offences remained 34% and 94% above UK averages respectively, with public order offences—such as noise disputes and alcohol-related incidents—dominating the category. The sharp decline in theft from the person (from 6 to 1) was notable, though this may be an anomaly rather than a sustained trend. For residents, the 96% above UK average for shoplifting underscores the need for vigilance in retail zones, particularly during peak hours. The data also reveals a paradox: while property crimes were relatively low as a proportion of total crimes, their per capita rates were significantly higher than national averages, suggesting a combination of local demographics and crime hotspots.

The crime rate in September 2023 (11.0 per 1,000) marked a 4% increase from the previous month's rate of 10.6 per 1,000, a modest but measurable uptick. On a daily basis, the area experienced an average of 32 crimes per day—a figure that, while seemingly high, must be contextualised within the town's population of 87,022. This translates to one reported crime for roughly every 91 residents over the course of the month, a rate that, while elevated, does not fully capture the nuance of local crime patterns. The comparison to the previous month reveals a shift in the crime mix: violent crimes increased by 3.4% (369 vs 357 in August), while property crimes grew by 2.1% (303 vs 297). This suggests a seasonal drift towards more interpersonal crime as the summer tourist season waned. The daily crime context is particularly relevant for residents, as it highlights the density of incidents in a relatively compact built-up area. While the 37.5% gap between Weston-super-Mare's rate and the UK average remains substantial, the month-on-month change indicates that local factors—such as the timing of festivals or police resource allocation—may have a more immediate impact on crime trends than broader national patterns.