Swansea Crime Rate October 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Swansea's crime rate in October 2023 stood at 8.3 per 1,000 residents, placing it 3.8% above the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000. This figure reflects a combination of seasonal factors and local dynamics, with the most striking anomaly being the sharp rise in possession of weapons, which surged by 45.5% from 11 to 16 incidents. The city's crime profile remains dominated by violence and sexual offences (34.9% of total crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (14.5%) and public order offences (12.1%). October, with its shorter days and Halloween festivities, likely contributed to increased tensions in public spaces. Swansea's coastal geography and vibrant nightlife may explain the elevated public order offences, which are 69% above the UK average. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour rates were 6% below the UK average, suggesting local initiatives or community engagement efforts may be tempering some aspects of disorder. The data also highlights a stark contrast in property crime trends: shoplifting rates are 55% above the UK average, linked to Swansea's retail hubs and high street activity, while burglary rates are 41% below the UK average, reflecting improved security measures in residential areas. This month's figures underscore the need for targeted interventions in public safety, particularly around weapon possession, while also acknowledging areas where Swansea performs better than the national average.

October 2023 saw a 45.5% increase in possession of weapons, rising from 11 to 16 incidents—a stark and unexpected surge that outpaced all other crime type changes. This spike, though still relatively low in absolute terms, raises questions about local factors such as increased knife crime in specific neighbourhoods or changes in policing strategies. Concurrently, vehicle crime rose by 32.4% (71 to 94), possibly linked to seasonal transitions and increased traffic in Swansea's industrial and commercial zones. In contrast, bicycle theft fell by 29.4% (17 to 12), which may reflect improved bike storage in university areas or the impact of October's shorter days reducing outdoor activity. The breakdown also reveals public order offences at 1.0 per 1,000—69% above the UK average—highlighting Swansea's distinct challenges in managing public spaces. Anti-social behaviour rates were 6% below the UK average, a finding that could indicate the effectiveness of local community programmes or the influence of Swansea's relatively lower population density. For residents, the most immediate takeaway is the sharp rise in weapon possession, which underscores the need for continued focus on knife crime prevention and youth engagement initiatives.

Swansea's crime rate in October 2023 remained stable compared to the previous month, with no significant change from the 8.3 per 1,000 figure recorded in September. This consistency suggests that broader trends, rather than transient factors, are shaping the city's crime profile. On a daily basis, Swansea experienced approximately 67 crimes per day in October, a figure that, while specific to the local area, provides a tangible sense of the pace of criminal activity. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 120 residents—a monthly exposure rate that, when contextualised against Swansea's population of 251,304, illustrates the scale of incidents relative to the community. This rate is higher than the UK average for public order offences, which are 69% above the national benchmark, but lower for categories like burglary (41% below UK average). The comparison with the UK average also reveals a mixed picture: while Swansea's violent crime rate is 7% above the UK average, its anti-social behaviour rate is 6% below, suggesting that local interventions may be having a measurable impact in certain areas. These figures, when viewed through the lens of Swansea's population size and geographic profile, offer a nuanced understanding of how the city's crime profile aligns—or diverges—from national patterns.