Hailsham Crime Rate

Hailsham maintains a good level of safety with an overall crime rate of 72.9 per 1,000 residents. This is notably lower than the UK average of 91.7, contributing to a solid safety score of 83/100. However, the area has experienced an upward trend, with an 18.1% increase in reported incidents year-over-year. This rise suggests that residents and business owners should be more proactive about their security. The following analysis provides a detailed breakdown of the types of crime occurring, with a focus on violence and anti-social behaviour, and insights into the times of day when different offences are most likely to happen, helping the community stay secure in this active market town.

Crime in Hailsham

Violence and sexual offences are the most frequent crime type in Hailsham, accounting for 36.3% of all reported incidents. Anti-social behaviour follows at 23.6%, with criminal damage and arson making up 8.5%. When looking at property crime as a whole—which includes burglary, vehicle crime, and all categories of theft—the rate is 20.2 per 1,000 residents. While this is lower than the UK average property crime rate of 32.3, it is higher than many other areas in the district. Shoplifting (7.4%) and other theft (6.0%) are the primary property concerns, while vehicle crime accounts for 2.9% and burglary for 2.2%. For residents, these statistics show that while personal safety and community conduct are the main issues, property-related offences are a significant part of the local crime profile. Maintaining robust home and business security is important to keep these figures from rising further.

Crime Trends in Hailsham

The crime rate in Hailsham has seen a steady upward trend, with an 18.1% increase year-over-year. Analyzing the monthly data from Dec 2024 to Nov 2025 shows a gradual rise throughout the year. The year began with relatively low rates of 4.8 in December and 4.3 in January, reaching a peak of 8.0 in August. Activity remained elevated through the autumn, with a rate of 7.8 in November. This upward trajectory suggests that crime is becoming more frequent in the town. For residents, this shift highlights the importance of staying vigilant and ensuring that home and business security measures are up to date. Monitoring these monthly fluctuations can help the community better understand local crime patterns and take proactive steps to maintain safety.

How To Keep Safe in Hailsham

Violence and sexual offences are the most common crime type in Hailsham, followed by anti-social behaviour. To stay safe in the town:

1. Be aware of your surroundings when in the town centre, especially during the afternoon and evening when activity is at its highest.
2. Ensure that your home and business premises are always secure; opportunistic theft and shoplifting are significant concerns in Hailsham.
3. Use well-lit routes when walking at night and avoid poorly lit footpaths or isolated areas within the town.
4. If you own a business, consider enhancing your security to deter shoplifting, which accounts for over 7% of local crime.
5. Report any suspicious activity or anti-social behaviour to the local police to help address the recent upward trend in crime and keep the community safe.

Hailsham exhibits clear temporal patterns for different types of crime. In the morning hours (6am-12pm), theft is the dominant issue, accounting for 47% of reported incidents. This trend continues in the afternoon (12pm-6pm), where theft reaches its peak at 53%, suggesting that personal property and businesses are most targeted during active hours. As evening falls (6pm-12am), 'other' crimes, including anti-social behaviour, increase significantly to 58%. The most critical period for residential and vehicle security is the night-time (12am-6am), where vehicle crime accounts for 32% of offences and burglary risk is at its highest (14%). This data highlights that while theft is a major daytime concern, the risk to homes and cars is greatest during the late-night hours, while anti-social behaviour peaks in the evening.

Compared to its neighbours, Hailsham has a higher crime rate than nearby Hellingly (61.0 per 1,000) and Uckfield (62.7). It is much more active than the surrounding hamlets of Magham Down and Lower Dicker, both of which report a 0.0 crime rate. This is expected given Hailsham's status as a larger commercial and residential hub. For residents, this means that while the area is still safe by national standards, it requires a higher level of security awareness than the more rural settlements nearby. It remains a key urban centre in the Wealden district.

Property owners in Hailsham face a property crime rate of 20.2 per 1,000, which is significantly better than the national average. However, the 18.1% increase in overall crime suggests that proactive security is a wise investment. Traditional CCTV systems are reactive; they record a crime as it happens but do little to stop it. Proactive protection, such as an AI-powered security operating system like scOS, changes this by detecting threats at your property boundary in real-time. By using multi-camera intelligence and pattern learning, scOS can distinguish between normal activity and a genuine intruder. It can then trigger an autonomous response—like activating security lights or speakers—to deter a criminal before they even reach your door or car. This is particularly effective against the burglary and vehicle crime patterns seen in Hailsham, which are most frequent at night. Professional-grade AI security ensures that your home is not just recording crime, but actively preventing it, helping to maintain Hailsham's safety.