Benson Crime Rate March 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Benson's crime rate in March 2025 stood at 1.9 per 1,000 residents, a figure that is 75.6% below the UK average of 7.8 per 1,000. This low rate is consistent with Benson's profile as a built-up area within South Oxfordshire, where infrastructure and community dynamics may contribute to reduced criminal activity. The top crime categories were property-related, with burglary accounting for 33.3% of all incidents (4 cases) and shoplifting making up 25.0% (3 cases). These property crimes contrast with the UK average, where burglary is 0.3 per 1,000, 114% below Benson's rate. The seasonal transition to spring, with longer evenings and the clocks changing, may have influenced patterns. Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage were lower than UK averages, suggesting a generally orderly environment. The low overall crime rate, combined with the dominance of property crimes, illustrates an area where personal safety is relatively assured, but property security remains a focal point. This balance between low overall crime and specific vulnerabilities underscores the need for targeted community measures, such as enhanced lighting in residential areas or increased retail security, to address the spikes in burglary and shoplifting.

March 2025 saw a dramatic 300% increase in burglary, jumping from 1 to 4 incidents. This spike is the most significant month-on-month shift, likely linked to seasonal factors such as lengthening evenings and post-holiday activity. Shoplifting also rose sharply by 200%, with 3 reported cases compared to 1 in February, a trend that may reflect increased foot traffic in local retail areas. Burglary in Benson is 114% above the UK average of 0.3 per 1,000, a stark contrast to other categories like shoplifting, which is 26% below the UK rate. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour fell by two-thirds, and criminal damage and arson dropped by half, suggesting a temporary decline in disorder-related incidents. For residents, the burglary surge is a critical data point, as it represents the largest single category in the monthly breakdown and is significantly higher than national averages.

Benson's crime rate remained stable at 1.9 per 1,000 residents in March 2025, matching the rate from the previous month. This consistency suggests no significant short-term shifts in overall criminal activity. Locally, the daily crime count averaged just 0.38 incidents per day, a figure that underscores the rarity of reported crimes in this built-up area. When scaled to the population of 6,483, the monthly exposure translates to one reported crime for every 540 residents—a statistic that places Benson among the lowest-risk areas nationally. While the UK average sees 7.8 crimes per 1,000 people, Benson's rate is 75.6% below that benchmark, a gap that highlights the area's unique safety profile. This disparity may reflect Benson's character as a low-density, possibly commuter-oriented built-up area within South Oxfordshire, where infrastructure and community dynamics likely contribute to lower crime levels. Residents can take comfort in these figures, though the sharp rise in burglary—a category 114% above the UK average—deserves closer attention.