Otford and Kemsing Crime Rate September 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Otford and Kemsing's crime rate of 2.0 per 1,000 residents in September 2025 remains 73% below the UK average of 7.4, illustrating a consistently low crime profile for this built-up area within Sevenoaks. The most prevalent crime category was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 26.7% of the 15 total incidents reported. This was followed by burglary and criminal damage and arson, each contributing 20.0% to the overall tally. The seasonal context of September — marked by the start of the academic year and shorter evenings — may influence patterns, though the area's low overall rate suggests resilience against typical seasonal fluctuations. Violence and sexual offences, at 0.5 per 1,000, are 81% below the UK average, consistent with the area's character as a relatively quiet commuter suburb. However, the balance between property and violent crime reveals a nuanced picture: while violent crime remains exceptionally low, property crime — particularly burglary — is slightly higher than the UK average. This contrast may reflect local factors such as the distribution of housing stock or community engagement strategies from the data alone. The overall crime rate, though modest, highlights the importance of maintaining targeted measures to address specific vulnerabilities, such as the 200% month-on-month rise in burglary.

Burglary saw a 200% month-on-month increase, jumping from one to three incidents in September 2025. This surge, though still low in absolute terms, contrasts with a 75% drop in other theft, which fell from four to one case. The violence and sexual offences category, accounting for 26.7% of total crimes, decreased by 20% compared to the previous month — a trend consistent with the broader seasonal context of back-to-school transitions. Meanwhile, shoplifting and vehicle crime both doubled from zero to one incident each, suggesting potential vulnerabilities in retail or transport security. These shifts highlight a combination of local factors and national crime patterns, with burglary being the only category in the breakdown exceeding the UK average by 43% (0.4 vs 0.3 per 1,000). Residents may want to note this increase in property crime as a priority for local awareness.

Otford and Kemsing's crime rate rose 7.0% from 1.9 to 2.0 per 1,000 residents in September 2025, marking the first increase in three months. Daily crime statistics show an average of 0.5 crimes per day over the month, a figure that aligns with the area's consistently low crime profile. When scaled to the population of 7,545, the monthly exposure translates to one reported crime for every 503 residents — a ratio that underscores the rarity of incidents in this built-up area. This contrast is stark against the UK average of 7.4 per 1,000, where residents face over 16 times more risk. The population-scaled perspective reveals that local crime patterns remain outliers compared to national trends, with no category in the breakdown exceeding the UK average except burglary. This suggests that while the area's overall safety remains exceptional, targeted vulnerabilities — such as property crime — require continued attention.