Benson Crime Rate September 2023 | Monthly Statistics

For residents of Benson, the crime rate of 2.3 per 1,000 residents in September 2023 translates to a daily risk that is effectively negligible. This figure is 71.2% below the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000, placing Benson among the safest areas in the country. The most common crimes reported were violence and sexual offences, which accounted for 53.3% of the total 15 crimes recorded. These incidents, while concerning, occurred at a rate 56% below the UK average for this category. Anti-social behaviour followed at 20% of total crimes, a figure 63% below the national average. The seasonal context of September — a time of transition back to school and university term starts — may have influenced patterns, though the low overall rate suggests minimal impact on everyday safety. Property crimes, including shoplifting, were exceptionally rare, with only 2 reported (1.2 per 1,000), far below the UK average of 2.7 per 1,000. This contrast highlights Benson’s unique profile as a built-up area with limited retail density, which likely contributes to the scarcity of property-related offences. The low crime rate, combined with the absence of significant spikes in any category, reinforces the area’s reputation as a place where residents can expect a high level of personal security, even during periods of social activity.

September 2023 saw notable fluctuations in specific crime types, with anti-social behaviour tripling from 1 to 3 incidents (a 200% increase) and drug-related offences doubling from 0 to 1 (100% increase). These rises, though modest in absolute terms, suggest a possible shift in local dynamics, such as increased social interactions during the start of the academic term. Conversely, shoplifting plummeted by 85.7% from 7 to 1 incident, a decline that could be linked to seasonal factors like reduced foot traffic in retail areas as the month progresses. Violence and sexual offences remained the most prevalent category, but their rate (1.2 per 1,000) was 56% below the UK average, underscoring Benson’s continued safety in this area. Theft from the person, though minimal (1 incident), was 54% above the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000, a discrepancy that may reflect the area’s small population and the statistical volatility of rare events. For residents, the most immediately relevant finding is the sharp drop in shoplifting, which could indicate a temporary reduction in opportunistic theft, due to stricter local monitoring or altered shopping patterns.

Benson’s September 2023 crime rate of 2.3 per 1,000 residents marks a 34.9% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 3.6 per 1,000, illustrating a sustained downward trend. When scaled to daily life, this equates to roughly 0 crimes per day — a figure that, while notional, underscores the rarity of criminal activity in the area. Over the course of the month, 1 crime occurred for every 432 residents, a statistic that, when contextualised against the local population of 6,483, highlights the exceptionally low probability of encountering crime. This monthly exposure is significantly lower than the UK average, which would see one resident in every 125 experiencing a crime. The area’s built-up nature, combined with its relatively small size, likely amplifies the impact of community policing and local initiatives, even if these are not explicitly documented. The contrast between Benson and the UK average is stark: while the national rate sees 8 crimes per 1,000 residents, Benson’s residents face a risk that is not just lower but orders of magnitude less. This disparity is particularly evident in violent crime, where Benson’s rate is 56% below the UK average, suggesting a combination of social cohesion, effective local governance, and the absence of high-risk environments typically associated with urban centres.