Sough Crime Rate

Sough is a notably safe settlement, featuring an overall crime rate of 49.8 per 1,000 people per year. This is substantially lower than the UK national average of 93.1, resulting in an impressive safety score of 88/100. Compared to the national safety benchmark of 78, Sough offers a high degree of security for its residents. However, the area has seen a 35.3% increase in reported crimes over the past year. This increasing trend, while starting from a low base, indicates a need for continued community awareness. The detailed analysis below explores the types of crime most prevalent in the area and how they vary by time of day, providing a comprehensive view of the local safety landscape.

Crime Breakdown in Sough

In Sough, the crime landscape is led by violence and sexual offences (40.6%) and anti-social behaviour (30.4%), with burglary being the third most common type at 7.2%. For residents, property-related crime is a significant consideration. The overall property crime rate in Sough—which includes burglary, vehicle crime, and various forms of theft—is 10.8 per 1,000 people. This is remarkably low compared to the UK average of 32.9, suggesting that Sough is very safe in terms of property theft and damage. Burglary specifically accounts for 7.2% of total crime, while vehicle crime stands at 5.8%. These percentages are higher than in some other local areas, indicating that property-related offences are a key concern for the community. Residents should maintain robust security measures to protect their homes and cars.

Crime Trends in Sough

The crime rate in Sough has shown a 35.3% increase over the past year. Monthly data reveals a somewhat irregular pattern with some notable peaks. The highest crime rates were recorded in November 2024 and February 2025 at 6.5 per 1,000 residents, with April 2025 also seeing a high rate of 5.8. The lowest rate occurred in December 2024 at 1.4. This pattern suggests that crime in Sough was higher in the winter and spring months, with a notable decline as the year progressed towards the following autumn. The overall upward trend, while starting from a low base, indicates that residents should remain proactive about their security measures and stay informed about local safety developments.

How To Keep Safe in Sough

Violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour are the most common crime types in Sough, followed by burglary. Maintaining safety in this quiet village involves a few key practices.

1. Secure Your Property: With burglary being a top three crime type, ensure all doors and windows are fitted with high-quality locks and are kept secure even when you are at home.
2. Vehicle Vigilance: With vehicle crime accounting for 46% of night-time incidents, always park in secure, well-lit areas and ensure no valuables are left on display.
3. Property Maintenance: Use motion-activated lighting and high-quality locks on all entry points to discourage criminal damage and loitering near your home.
4. Community Engagement: Join local Neighbourhood Watch schemes or community groups to stay informed about recent incidents and share safety tips with your neighbours.
5. Vigilance in Public: When walking through the village, especially during the evening, stay in well-lit areas and be aware of your surroundings to avoid anti-social behaviour.

Crime in Sough follows a distinct temporal pattern. Theft-related offences are most common during the day, accounting for 31% of morning crimes and 31% of afternoon incidents. As the day transitions into evening and night, the nature of crime shifts. Anti-social behaviour and other offences become more prominent in the evening, while the relative percentage of burglary and vehicle crime peaks during the night-time hours (12am - 6am). Burglary is particularly high in the afternoon (45%) and at night (39%), while vehicle crime reaches its highest frequency at night, accounting for 46% of incidents. These patterns indicate that while daytime requires vigilance against theft and burglary, the night-time hours are when vehicles and residential properties are most at risk.

In the context of the surrounding Pendle area, Sough is one of the safer towns. Its crime rate of 49.8 per 1,000 is lower than its larger neighbour Barnoldswick (68.5) and Earby (56.2), and it is significantly safer than the major urban centres of Colne (147.2) and Nelson (125.7). It also records more incidents than the exceptionally quiet village of Thornton-in-Craven (0.0). This positioning shows that Sough offers a secure residential environment that is far removed from the higher crime densities of the larger nearby towns while remaining a desirable and well-connected community.

Sough’s property crime rate of 10.8 per 1,000 is enviable, yet the 35.3% year-over-year increase in total crime suggests that residents should not be complacent. Traditional security systems, like basic alarms or standard CCTV, are primarily reactive—they alert you or provide evidence only after a crime has been committed. scOS changes this dynamic by offering a proactive, AI-powered operating system that focuses on prevention. By monitoring all camera feeds simultaneously with intelligent boundary detection, scOS can identify a potential intruder the moment they step onto your property. This is particularly effective given that most burglars make a decision about a target in under a minute. scOS can autonomously activate lights or speakers, destroying the element of surprise and deterring the threat before any damage is done. For those in Sough who value their peace of mind, scOS offers a professional-grade alternative to DIY systems that merely record the crime.