Bideford Crime Rate September 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Bideford’s September 2024 crime rate of 6.7 per 1,000 residents places it 13% below the UK average, a figure that underscores the area’s relatively safer profile compared to national benchmarks. The most prevalent crime type was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 41.4% of all reported incidents, a rate of 2.8 per 1,000 residents that is 7% above the UK average. This suggests that Bideford, while generally safer than the national average, faces particular challenges in addressing violent crime. Anti-social behaviour, the second most common category, occurred at a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 residents, 15% below the UK average, reflecting a community that may be more proactive in managing disruptive conduct. The seasonal context of September—marked by the return of students to local schools and universities—may contribute to increased tensions and incidents of violence. Meanwhile, criminal damage and arson, which occurred at 0.8 per 1,000 residents, were 43% above the UK average, pointing to a specific vulnerability in property-related crime. This pattern may be influenced by Bideford’s built-up area characteristics, where urban infrastructure and community spaces could be more susceptible to vandalism. The overall crime profile, while showing a downward trend compared to the previous month, highlights the need for targeted interventions in violent and property crimes to maintain the area’s current safety levels.

The most striking month-on-month change was a 100% increase in reported cases of possession of weapons, rising from 0 to 5 incidents. This spike, though small in absolute terms, signals a significant shift in local criminal activity and may warrant closer attention from community leaders and law enforcement. Concurrently, robbery and theft from the person both increased from 0 to 1 and 0 to 2 respectively, indicating a potential rise in targeted crimes. These increases contrast sharply with notable declines in other categories, such as anti-social behaviour, which fell by 40.6% (from 32 to 19 cases), and public order offences, which dropped by 33.3% (from 9 to 6). The area’s violent crime rate of 2.8 per 1,000 residents (7% above the UK average) highlights a specific vulnerability in Bideford, while anti-social behaviour remains significantly below the national average (15% lower). For residents, the sharp rise in weapon possession may serve as a key indicator of emerging trends that could influence community safety strategies.

Bideford’s September 2024 crime rate of 6.7 per 1,000 residents marked a 14.1% decrease from the previous month’s 7.8 per 1,000, reflecting a downward trend in overall criminal activity. This shift aligns with the transition from summer to autumn, a period typically associated with reduced outdoor activity and fewer seasonal events that might drive crime. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 4 reported crimes per day, a figure that contextualises the pace of criminal activity in Bideford’s built-up area. When considering the monthly exposure, one crime occurred for roughly every 149 residents over the course of September, a statistic that provides a tangible sense of the likelihood of encountering crime in the community. This rate is lower than the previous month, suggesting that local policing efforts or seasonal factors may have contributed to a temporary reduction in incidents. However, the population-scaled perspective underscores the importance of maintaining vigilance, particularly given the specific increases in certain crime categories observed this month.