Nottingham Crime Rate December 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Nottingham's crime profile in December 2023, accounting for 32.2% of all reported crimes. With a crime rate of 11.3 per 1,000 residents — 56.9% above the UK average — the city faces a significantly higher burden of crime compared to national benchmarks. This rate is driven by a combination of factors including the city's urban density, its status as a major university city with transient populations, and seasonal pressures during the Christmas shopping period. Anti-social behaviour (20.9% of total crimes) and shoplifting (8.8%) follow as the next most common categories, reflecting patterns typical of urban centres with high foot traffic and retail activity. The seasonal context of December — marked by extended evenings, increased alcohol consumption in public spaces, and the presence of both local and visiting shoppers — likely contributes to the elevated levels of violence and disorder. While shoplifting aligns with the retail calendar, the prominence of anti-social behaviour may be influenced by the city's nightlife culture and the transient nature of its student population. These patterns are consistent with other major UK cities where similar dynamics between urban infrastructure, population demographics, and seasonal rhythms shape crime trends.

December 2023 saw a notable decline in possession of weapons (-50.8% from 61 to 30 incidents) and theft from the person (-38.2% from 68 to 42 cases), suggesting potential impacts from increased police presence or seasonal deterrence factors. Vehicle crime also fell by 33.9% (239 to 158), possibly linked to reduced commuter traffic during the Christmas break. However, the city remains significantly above UK averages for several categories: violence and sexual offences (41% above), anti-social behaviour (158% above), and drugs-related crime (150% above). This stark divergence from national trends underscores the challenges faced by Nottingham's local policing and community services. The dominance of violence and sexual offences (3.7 per 1,000) over property crimes (1.0 per 1,000 for shoplifting) highlights a shift in the crime mix compared to other months, with interpersonal crimes outpacing theft and burglary. For residents, the 12.7% drop in the overall crime rate compared to November 2023 (from 12.7 to 11.3 per 1,000) offers a glimmer of progress, though the absolute numbers remain alarmingly high. The 104% excess of shoplifting cases over the UK average (1.0 vs 0.5 per 1,000) may indicate vulnerabilities in retail security or enforcement during the festive season.

Nottingham's crime rate of 11.3 per 1,000 residents in December 2023 represents a 10.6% decrease from November's 12.7 per 1,000, marking a modest but measurable improvement. However, this rate remains 56.9% above the UK average of 7.2 per 1,000, reflecting systemic challenges in the city's crime management. On a daily basis, the area experiences approximately 121 crimes per day — a figure that translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 88 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate (1-in-88) is higher than the UK average, which typically hovers around 1-in-130 for similar urban areas. When contextualised within Nottingham's population of 331,077, the 3,754 total crimes reported in December equate to a significant proportion of the city's residents being directly affected by criminal activity. The comparison to national data reveals that while some categories like burglary (14% below UK average) show relative strength, the city's struggles with violence, anti-social behaviour, and drugs-related crime place it in a more precarious position. These disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions in high-risk areas, particularly those with concentrated populations of students, transient workers, and vulnerable communities.