Pembrokeshire Crime Rate December 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Pembrokeshire's December 2023 crime rate of 6.4 per 1,000 residents places it 11.1% below the UK average of 7.2 per 1,000. This performance reflects a combination of seasonal factors and local characteristics. Violence and sexual offences dominated the crime profile, accounting for 46.8% of all reported incidents, a rate 15% above the UK average. This category's prominence is consistent with Pembrokeshire's coastal and semi-rural profile, where community-focused policing and limited nightlife may not fully mitigate interpersonal tensions. Criminal damage and arson followed at 11.6% of total crimes, with a rate 43% above the UK average. This could be attributed to the area's mix of tourist infrastructure and seasonal events, which may increase opportunities for property-related offences. Anti-social behaviour, at 10.5% of total crimes, was 25% below the UK average, suggesting that community engagement initiatives or the transient nature of some populations may contribute to this lower rate. The month's context—Christmas shopping, dark evenings, and empty homes—likely influenced these patterns. While festive activities typically drive retail crime, the data shows no significant increase in shoplifting or theft from the person, which were 39% and 100% below the UK average respectively. This deviation may indicate effective local crime prevention strategies or the absence of high-footfall retail areas during the holiday season. The overall crime rate, though slightly up from November, remains firmly within a safer-than-average range for the UK, illustrating the combination of local geography, policing, and seasonal dynamics.

December 2023 saw a dramatic 400% increase in possession of weapons offences, rising from 2 to 10 cases. This spike, though small in absolute terms, signals a significant shift in reported crime types during the festive period. Concurrently, burglary and theft from the person both doubled compared to November, with 30 burglaries and 2 thefts reported. These increases align with seasonal factors such as empty homes during holidays and heightened security concerns. In contrast, anti-social behaviour and other theft offences decreased by 15% and 13.1% respectively, suggesting a mixed impact of Christmas-related dynamics. Violence and sexual offences remained the most common crime type, accounting for 46.8% of all incidents, a rate 15% above the UK average. The stark contrast between rising weapon-related offences and falling anti-social behaviour highlights the unpredictable nature of crime patterns in Pembrokeshire during December.

Pembrokeshire's crime rate in December 2023 rose 4.0% compared to November, moving from 6.2 to 6.4 per 1,000 residents. This increase, though modest, reflects a shift in crime patterns during the festive season. On average, 26 crimes were reported daily in December, a figure that includes both violent and property-related incidents. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 155 residents, a monthly aggregate that contextualises the frequency of incidents within the local population. This rate is lower than the UK average, which stands at 7.2 per 1,000. The population-scaled perspective highlights that Pembrokeshire remains a relatively safer area compared to the national average, despite the seasonal fluctuations. The combination of holiday-related factors and local characteristics likely contributes to the observed trends. The data underscores that while crime rates may rise temporarily, the overall profile of Pembrokeshire remains distinct from broader UK patterns.