Westward Ho! Crime Rate August 2024 | Monthly Statistics

August 2024 in Westward Ho! saw a crime rate of 3.0 per 1,000 residents, a 23.4% increase from the previous month but still 63.4% below the UK average of 8.2 per 1,000. The area’s crime profile remains characterised by a dominance of violent crimes, which accounted for 62.5% of all reported incidents—10 cases of violence and sexual offences. This contrasts with the UK average, where such crimes constitute 29% of the total, suggesting a local focus on addressing personal safety concerns. Property crimes, including burglary and shoplifting, made up the remaining 37.5% of incidents, though these rates remain significantly lower than national averages. The seasonal context of August—a peak holiday month—likely contributes to the fluctuation, with tourism-related factors potentially increasing opportunities for burglary in empty homes. However, the area’s overall safety, as evidenced by its low crime rate compared to the UK, indicates that Westward Ho!’s built-up coastal environment may have structural advantages, such as community cohesion or limited high-risk zones, that mitigate criminal activity. The low levels of anti-social behaviour (0.2 per 1,000) and shoplifting (0.2 per 1,000) further reinforce this, with both categories 72% and 86% below UK averages, respectively.

August 2024 marked a sharp increase in criminal damage and arson, which tripled from one to three incidents—a 200% rise. Burglary and anti-social behaviour also doubled, each rising from zero to one. These shifts suggest a temporary spike in property-related crimes, possibly linked to August’s peak holiday season and the associated increase in empty homes. Despite this, the area’s overall crime rate remains 63.4% below the UK average, with violent crimes at 1.9 per 1,000—29% lower than the UK’s 2.7 per 1,000. The breakdown also reveals that anti-social behaviour, at 0.2 per 1,000, is 86% below the UK average of 1.4 per 1,000, highlighting the area’s relatively low levels of disruptive incidents. Residents may find the 62.5% share of violent crimes in the total tally particularly noteworthy, as it underscores the current focus of local policing efforts.

August 2024 saw a 23.4% rise in the area’s crime rate, from 2.4 to 3.0 per 1,000 residents. This increase, though notable, remains far below the UK average of 8.2 per 1,000. On a daily basis, the area recorded roughly one crime per day over the month, a figure that contextualises the low frequency of incidents for local residents. When scaled to the population, the monthly exposure translates to one reported crime for every 333 residents—a statistic that underscores the relatively safe environment despite the uptick. The population of 5,321 means that even with the 16 total crimes recorded, the absolute numbers remain minimal, reinforcing that the area’s crime profile is still markedly safer than the national average. This contrast highlights the unique dynamics of a coastal built-up area, where tourism and seasonal patterns may influence crime trends differently than in larger urban centres.