Benson Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Benson's crime profile in January 2024 demonstrates a stark divergence from the UK average, with a rate of 2.5 per 1,000 residents—66.2% below the national figure of 7.4 per 1,000. This marked disparity positions Benson as an outlier in the UK crime profile, likely shaped by its status as a small built-up area within South Oxfordshire. The most prevalent crimes were property-related, with shoplifting (18.8% of total incidents) and vehicle crime (18.8%) accounting for nearly a third of all reported offences. This emphasis on property crime aligns with the area's limited commercial density, which may concentrate opportunities for theft in specific locations such as retail outlets and vehicle storage areas. Violent crimes, though fewer in number (25% of total incidents), remained significantly below the UK average for this category (77% below). The seasonal context of January—a post-holiday period with reduced retail activity and shorter daylight hours—likely contributes to the lower overall crime rate, as both foot traffic and opportunities for outdoor crimes are diminished. This pattern is consistent with broader trends in rural and semi-rural areas, where crime tends to cluster in specific micro-locations rather than being evenly distributed across the population.

January saw a marked 55.6% decrease in violence and sexual offences, falling from nine incidents in December to four in January. This drop may partly explain the overall reduction in crime rates for the month. Conversely, anti-social behaviour and other theft both rose by 100% compared to December, reflecting a shift in the crime mix. Shoplifting also increased by 50%, rising from two to three incidents—a trend that, while modest, suggests persistent challenges in retail security. Benson's rate for violence and sexual offences (0.6 per 1,000) was 77% below the UK average of 2.6 per 1,000, underscoring the area's relative safety in this category. The absence of vehicle crime increases, despite the UK average remaining stable, indicates that local measures may be effectively mitigating this type of incident.

Benson's crime rate in January 2024 stood at 2.5 per 1,000 residents, a 15.7% decrease from the previous month's 2.9 per 1,000. This decline aligns with the post-holiday period, when retail footfall and outdoor activity typically wane. On a daily basis, the area saw approximately one crime reported per day over the 31-day month, a figure that reflects the sparse nature of incidents in a small built-up area. When scaled to the population, this equated to one reported crime for every 405 residents over the course of the month—a stark contrast to the UK average, where the equivalent figure would be significantly higher. The low crime density suggests that Benson's compact geography and limited commercial activity may naturally constrain opportunities for certain types of crime, though this remains consistent with broader rural-urban differences in criminal activity patterns.