Wem Crime Rate October 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Wem's built-up area within Shropshire recorded a crime rate of 6.0 per 1,000 residents in October 2025, placing it 22.1% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000. This performance stands in stark contrast to the 79% increase in criminal damage and arson compared to the UK average, a category that rose from one to six incidents. The area's crime profile is dominated by violence and sexual offences (34.2% of all crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (21.1%) and criminal damage and arson (15.8%). These patterns are consistent with Wem's character as a small, rural town with limited urban infrastructure, where property crimes such as shoplifting and vehicle crime remain 52% and 29% below the UK average respectively. Seasonal factors, including the transition to darker evenings and Halloween, likely contribute to the rise in criminal damage and arson, though the overall rate remains low for a built-up area. Anti-social behaviour, at 1.3 per 1,000, is 3% above the UK average, suggesting that community dynamics and local interactions may play a role. The absence of burglary and other theft incidents, which are 33% and 62% below the UK average respectively, further reinforces the area's lower risk profile for property-related crimes. This combination of factors illustrates a town where violent and disorderly incidents dominate, but where the overall crime rate remains significantly lower than national benchmarks.

October 2025 saw a dramatic 500% increase in criminal damage and arson, rising from one to six incidents—a jump far exceeding the UK average by 79%. This surge, while not uncommon in October due to seasonal factors like Halloween, contrasts sharply with the 33.3% decline in violence and sexual offences, which fell from 15 to 13. Vehicle crime also rose by 100%, with two reported incidents, though this remains 29% below the UK average. Conversely, shoplifting decreased by 33.3%, aligning with a broader trend of property crimes being 52% below the national rate. Bicycle theft—typically low in rural areas—jumped 100% from zero to one incident, a figure 150% above the UK average. These shifts suggest a combination of local conditions and seasonal dynamics, with property crime rates remaining consistently lower than expected for a built-up area. Residents may find the 18.7% increase in overall crime rate, though still below the UK average, worth monitoring as it reflects a departure from the previous month's pattern.

Wem's crime rate in October 2025 rose 18.7% compared to September's 5.1 per 1,000, reflecting a shift in local patterns. While the overall rate remains 22.1% below the UK average, the monthly exposure figure highlights that one reported crime occurred for every 166 residents over the month—a statistic that contextualises the low frequency of incidents in a built-up area of Shropshire. Daily crime counts show an average of one incident per day, aligning with the area's character as a small, largely rural town with a population of 6,299. This suggests that even with the increase, Wem continues to experience crime rates significantly lower than the national average. The population-scaled perspective further illustrates that the likelihood of encountering crime here is comparatively low, though the rise in specific categories like criminal damage and arson warrants attention. Such changes, while not unprecedented, may partly reflect seasonal factors such as darker evenings and Halloween-related activity, which could influence certain types of incidents.