Westward Ho! Crime Rate March 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Westward Ho!’s crime rate in March 2025 stood at 4.7 per 1,000, significantly below the UK average of 7.8 per 1,000—a gap of 39.7%. This places the area among the safer communities in the UK, though local patterns reveal a nuanced picture. Anti-social behaviour dominated the crime profile, accounting for 36% of all incidents, followed by violence and sexual offences (32%) and burglary (8%). The seasonal shift to spring, with longer evenings and the clocks changing, likely contributed to the prominence of anti-social behaviour, which may be influenced by increased social activity in public spaces. Meanwhile, the relatively low rate of violent crime—45% below the UK average—suggests that the area’s built-up character and community dynamics may mitigate such incidents. Property crime, though less prevalent than violent crime, remains a concern, with burglary and other theft increasing sharply in March. The area’s small population and coastal proximity may also shape crime patterns, as rural isolation and tourism can influence both property and public order offences. These factors, combined with the transition to spring, create a crime profile that is both stable and subject to seasonal variation.

March 2025 marked a dramatic rise in anti-social behaviour, which increased by 800% from one incident to nine, becoming the most common crime type at 36% of the total. This spike, though unexplained by the data, may be linked to the transition to spring and longer evenings, which can alter community interactions. Conversely, violence and sexual offences fell by 27.3% to eight incidents, a shift that aligns with the UK average being 45% below the national rate for this category. Other notable changes include a 100% increase in burglary and other theft, suggesting potential vulnerabilities in property security. Meanwhile, criminal damage and arson dropped by 71.4%, possibly reflecting seasonal factors or reduced outdoor activity during colder weather. These fluctuations highlight the area’s crime profile as one where community-specific factors—such as local events or weather—can drive short-term variations in incident types.

Westward Ho!’s crime rate in March 2025 rose 8.8% from the previous month’s 4.3 per 1,000 to 4.7 per 1,000, reflecting a modest upward trend. This monthly figure translates to approximately one reported crime for every 213 residents over the course of the month, a measure that contextualises the scale of incidents for local residents. On a daily basis, the area saw roughly one crime per day, a figure that, while low, highlights the persistence of occasional incidents in a small built-up area. When compared to the UK average, the area’s overall rate remains 39.7% below the national figure, underscoring its relative safety despite the month-on-month increase. The population context further illustrates that even with a small population of 5,321, the community’s crime profile is shaped by its unique local dynamics, such as seasonal transitions and proximity to rural areas, which may influence reporting patterns or incident types.