Saltburn-by-the-Sea Crime Rate January 2026 | Monthly Statistics

Saltburn-by-the-Sea's crime profile in January 2026 revealed an unexpected surge in shoplifting, a category that rose by 1200% compared to December 2025. This anomaly stands in stark contrast to the area's usual seasonal patterns, where post-holiday periods typically see reduced retail footfall and lower property crime rates. The overall crime rate of 7.2 per 1,000 residents placed the area 5.9% above the UK average, highlighting a deviation from typical trends for a coastal town with a mix of residential and tourism-driven activity. Shoplifting accounted for 31% of all recorded crimes, far exceeding the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000 (286% above). Violence and sexual offences, at 2.1 per 1,000, were 16% below the UK average, suggesting a relative stability in violent crime despite the sharp rise in property-related incidents. Public order offences also spiked, with a 67% increase over UK averages, potentially linked to the area's proximity to coastal attractions and transient populations. The seasonal context of January—shorter days, reduced retail activity, and a post-holiday lull—may partly explain some trends, but the shoplifting surge remains unexplained by standard seasonal factors. This suggests a possible shift in criminal behaviour or unaddressed vulnerabilities in local retail security measures that warrant further attention.

The most striking month-on-month change was the 1200% increase in shoplifting, with 13 incidents reported in January 2026 compared to just one in December 2025. This leap far outpaces other categories, including the 100% rise in possession of weapons and other theft, both of which doubled from their previous-month totals. Meanwhile, burglary and violence and sexual offences both declined—burglary fell by 66.7% (from 3 to 1) and violent crimes dropped by 14.3% (from 14 to 12)—though these decreases remain modest against the backdrop of the shoplifting spike. The breakdown of crime types reveals a stark contrast between Saltburn-by-the-Sea and UK averages: shoplifting is 286% above the national rate, while violent crime is 16% below. Anti-social behaviour, at 0.7 per 1,000, is 25% below the UK average, indicating a relatively stable community environment despite the sharp rise in property crime. For residents, the daily crime rate of approximately one incident per day (42 crimes over 31 days) provides a concrete measure of local exposure, though the spike in shoplifting raises questions about targeted retail vulnerabilities that may require specific interventions.

Saltburn-by-the-Sea's crime rate in January 2026 (7.2 per 1,000) marked a 39.8% increase from December 2025's rate of 5.1 per 1,000, reflecting a significant upward trend over the course of the month. On a daily basis, this translated to roughly one crime per day, a figure that, while low in absolute terms, underscores the disproportionate impact of shoplifting on the area's crime profile. Over the course of January, one reported crime occurred for every 140 residents, a monthly aggregate that provides context for residents assessing their personal risk exposure. This rate is higher than the UK average of 6.8 per 1,000, though the population of Saltburn-by-the-Sea (5,864 residents) means that the absolute number of crimes remains relatively small. The sharp rise in shoplifting, which accounted for 31% of all crimes, contrasts with the UK average of 0.6 per 1,000 (286% below Saltburn's rate), suggesting a unique challenge in local retail security. Meanwhile, the area's violent crime rate (2.1 per 1,000) is 16% below the UK average, a difference that may reflect the town's character as a largely residential coastal community with limited nightlife infrastructure compared to larger urban centres. These comparisons highlight both the specific vulnerabilities of Saltburn-by-the-Sea and the broader patterns that align—or diverge—from national trends.