Tunbridge Wells Crime Rate November 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Tunbridge Wells' November 2024 crime profile reveals a marked imbalance between property and violent crime, with property-related incidents accounting for 42.8% of all reported crimes—significantly higher than the 32.3% share of violent crimes. This divergence may reflect the area's character as a market town with a strong retail presence, particularly around the High Street and shopping centres, which likely contributes to the prominence of shoplifting (15.3% of total crimes). The overall crime rate of 5.6 per 1,000 residents places the area 26.3% below the UK average, a gap that aligns with Tunbridge Wells' historical role as a relatively safe, low-density settlement with robust community engagement. Seasonal factors such as Bonfire Night and Black Friday shopping appear to have influenced patterns, with shoplifting surging during the latter. However, the town's violent crime rate—particularly for violence and sexual offences (1.8 per 1,000)—remains lower than the UK average (2.6 per 1,000), a trend that may be reinforced by local policing strategies and the absence of high-risk nightlife areas. Anti-social behaviour (13.2% of crimes) also remains well below the UK average (1.1 per 1,000), suggesting effective management of public order issues. While the dominance of property crime highlights vulnerabilities in retail security, the overall low crime rate indicates that Tunbridge Wells continues to maintain a safer profile compared to many other UK areas.

The crime mix in November shows a clear dominance of property crimes (42.8% of total) over violent crimes (32.3%), a shift consistent with seasonal retail activity. Shoplifting rose sharply by 54.5% (66 → 102), likely tied to Black Friday promotions. Conversely, violent crimes fell by 12.6% (247 → 216), with violence and sexual offences (1.8 per 1,000) remaining 30% below the UK average—a trend that may reflect the town's lower population density and community policing efforts. Robbery increased by 66.7% (3 → 5), a concerning outlier that could signal targeted activity in specific areas. Vehicle crime dropped by 14.3% (28 → 24), due to reduced commuter traffic during the holiday season.

Tunbridge Wells' crime rate in November 2024 (5.6 per 1,000 residents) marks a 3.3% increase from October's 5.4 per 1,000, reflecting a slight upward trend. Daily crime activity averages 22 incidents, translating to one reported crime for every 179 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure figure, while low, underscores the area's consistently lower crime profile compared to the UK average. With a population of 119,694, the local context suggests that even modest increases in crime are closely monitored. The town's historical market town character, combined with its proximity to London, may influence patterns such as retail-related crime during peak shopping periods. However, the 26.3% gap between Tunbridge Wells' rate and the UK average remains significant, indicating a broader systemic factor—potentially linked to community engagement or policing strategies—contributing to sustained lower crime levels.