Sheerness Crime Rate February 2026 | Monthly Statistics

For residents of Sheerness, the crime rate in February 2026 translates to a daily risk that is starkly higher than the UK average. With 17.5 crimes reported per 1,000 residents, the built-up area within Swale experiences a rate 173.4% above the national average of 6.4 per 1,000. This means that over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 57 residents. The seasonal context of February—a winter month with low outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may partly explain the persistence of indoor-focused crimes. The most prevalent category was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 35.5% of all crimes, followed by anti-social behaviour (18.2%) and criminal damage and arson (14.3%). These figures suggest a pattern of interpersonal conflict and property-related incidents that may be influenced by the area's character as a mixed-use coastal town with industrial and residential zones. While seasonal factors like reduced daylight and colder temperatures could contribute to increased indoor gatherings, the high rates of anti-social behaviour and violence compared to the UK average may also reflect local social dynamics. The absence of a significant spike in outdoor crimes aligns with the winter context, but the elevated levels of indoor-related offences highlight ongoing challenges in community safety.

February 2026 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with theft from the person increasing by 100% (from 0 to 1 incident) and vehicle crime rising by 25% (from 4 to 5). These changes contrast with sharp declines in drugs-related offences (-76.5%, from 17 to 4) and burglary (-55.6%, from 9 to 4). The breakdown of crimes reveals a stark divergence from national trends: violence and sexual offences in Sheerness are 167% above the UK average, while anti-social behaviour is 252% above the national rate. This suggests that local factors—such as concentrated social interactions in public spaces or economic pressures—may be driving these disparities. The category of criminal damage and arson, which is 443% above the UK average, could be linked to the area's industrial heritage, where vandalism and arson might be more prevalent. Meanwhile, the single reported case of theft from the person, though small in number, represents a 17% increase from the UK average for that category, indicating a potential vulnerability in personal safety that warrants attention.

The crime rate in Sheerness for February 2026 (17.5 per 1,000) marked a 13.2% decrease from the previous month's rate of 20.2 per 1,000, reflecting a modest but notable downward trend. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 8 crimes per day, a figure that underscores the persistent presence of criminal activity in a relatively small population of 13,168 residents. When contextualised by population, this translates to a monthly exposure rate of 1-in-57 residents encountering a reported crime—a statistic that, while not uncommon in urban settings, remains significantly higher than the UK average. The drop in the overall rate may be attributed to seasonal factors, such as the post-Christmas lull in retail-related crimes or reduced foot traffic during colder weather. However, the high concentration of violence and anti-social behaviour compared to the UK average suggests that localised issues—such as community tensions or alcohol-related incidents—may require targeted interventions. Residents should be aware that while the rate has fallen from the previous month, the absolute number of crimes remains a concern, particularly given the area's small size and the proportion of violent offences in the crime mix.