Test Valley Crime Rate October 2023 | Monthly Statistics

For a population of 135,201, Test Valley recorded 743 crimes in October 2023, translating to a crime rate of 5.5 per 1,000 residents. This figure is 31.2% below the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000, reflecting a consistently lower crime profile compared to national trends. The most prevalent crimes were violence and sexual offences (293 cases, 39.4% of total), followed by anti-social behaviour (96 cases, 12.9%) and burglary (75 cases, 10.1%). These patterns align with October's seasonal context: darker evenings and Halloween events may have contributed to higher rates of anti-social behaviour and public order offences. month-on-month decline. Violence and sexual offences remained the dominant category, with a rate of 2.2 per 1,000—19% below the UK average. The area's lower-than-average rates for shoplifting (48% below UK) and public order offences (32% below UK) suggest effective local measures or demographic factors, though these could also reflect the area's character as a mixed rural-urban district with strong community engagement. The crime rate's stability compared to the UK average indicates a consistent approach to policing or community safety initiatives, though further analysis of local demographics and infrastructure would provide deeper insights.

October 2023 saw dramatic fluctuations in specific crime categories, with drug-related offences surging by 225% (12 to 39 cases) compared to September—a sharp increase that may reflect seasonal shifts in illicit activity or heightened police focus. Theft from the person also doubled (2 to 4 cases), though this remains a minor component of the overall crime picture. Robbery increased by 33.3% (6 to 8 cases), suggesting targeted or opportunistic activity. Conversely, possession of weapons fell by 50% (12 to 6 cases), possibly due to enhanced enforcement or community interventions. Criminal damage and arson decreased by 42.1% (57 to 33 cases), a notable drop that may correlate with the end of the summer season or reduced public gatherings. Anti-social behaviour, while still the second most common crime type, remained 45% below the UK average (0.7 vs 1.3 per 1,000). Burglary, however, was 76% above the UK average (0.6 vs 0.3 per 1,000), indicating a specific vulnerability in property security that deserves closer attention. These shifts highlight the need for targeted strategies to address drug-related crime while maintaining efforts to sustain the area's lower-than-average rates for violent and public order offences.

Test Valley's crime rate in October 2023 (5.5 per 1,000) was stable compared to the previous month (5.6 per 1,000), reflecting a -1.3% decrease—a negligible change that suggests overall consistency in local crime trends. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 24 crimes per day, a figure that provides context for residents to gauge the frequency of incidents in their communities. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 182 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is significantly lower than the UK average (which would be 1-in-125 residents if the national rate of 8.0 per 1,000 were applied). This disparity underscores Test Valley's status as a relatively safer area, though the 76% above-average burglary rate highlights specific vulnerabilities. The population-scaled perspective reveals that while the area's overall crime profile is favourable compared to the UK, targeted interventions are needed to address the overrepresentation of burglary and drug-related crimes. These findings suggest that local policing strategies may be effectively managing broader crime trends, but focused efforts are required to address the few categories where Test Valley deviates from the national norm.