Wallingford Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Wallingford’s crime profile in January 2024 reveals a striking balance between property and violent crime, with property crimes (13 incidents) narrowly outpacing violent crimes (11 incidents). This 3.8 per 1,000 resident rate—48.6% below the UK average—suggests a relatively safe built-up area within South Oxfordshire. The dominant crime type was violence and sexual offences (33.3% of total crimes), followed by public order (12.1%) and other theft (12.1%). This distribution may reflect the area’s character as a commuter-focused town with limited nightlife, where interpersonal disputes and low-level public order issues predominate over more typical urban crime patterns. Seasonal factors in January, such as post-holiday reduced retail footfall and shorter daylight hours, likely contribute to lower outdoor crime rates. However, the presence of violence and sexual offences at 1.3 per 1,000—50% below the UK average—indicates that local community dynamics or policing efforts may be playing a role in mitigating severe violence. The overall crime rate remains significantly lower than national benchmarks, aligning with Wallingford’s status as a historically low-crime area. This suggests a combination of geographic isolation, community cohesion, and effective local policing strategies, though the absence of detailed demographic data means these interpretations remain cautious.

January 2024 saw a 300% increase in other theft (from 1 to 4 incidents), a stark rise that may reflect seasonal shifts in criminal activity or changes in reporting patterns. Conversely, burglary fell by 83.3% (from 6 to 1 incident), potentially linked to heightened awareness during the post-holiday period or improved security measures in residential areas. The balance between property and violent crime shifted slightly, with violent crimes accounting for 33.3% of total incidents—slightly below the 40% threshold that would make them the dominant category. This suggests that while interpersonal crime remains a concern, property-related issues continue to shape the local crime picture. Anti-social behaviour (0.2 per 1,000) was 80% below the UK average, a figure that may indicate strong community engagement or effective local interventions. For residents, the sharp rise in other theft—a category encompassing fraud and unclassified theft—could signal a need for vigilance in areas such as online transactions or unsecured premises.

Wallingford’s January 2024 crime rate of 3.8 per 1,000 residents marked a 40.1% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 6.4 per 1,000, a decline that may be attributed to seasonal factors such as reduced foot traffic during the post-holiday period. On a daily basis, the area experienced roughly one crime per day, a frequency that places it well below the UK average for built-up areas. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for every 261 residents—a figure that, when contextualised against Wallingford’s population of 8,606, illustrates a low level of exposure to crime compared to both national benchmarks and other urban centres. This monthly exposure rate is particularly noteworthy when contrasted with the UK’s average, which typically sees higher frequencies in densely populated regions. While the overall rate remains stable, the sharp rise in other theft highlights the importance of population-scale metrics: even small increases in specific categories can have significant local impacts. For instance, the 300% jump in other theft—though numerically small (from 1 to 4 incidents)—represents a 3.0% increase in the area’s overall crime rate, underscoring the need for targeted local monitoring.