Hailsham Crime Rate September 2024 | Monthly Statistics

September 2024 saw an unexpected surge in bicycle theft, rising from zero to one reported incident—a 100% increase—despite Hailsham’s overall crime rate remaining 42.9% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000 residents. This built-up area within Wealden recorded 91 crimes in total, with violence and sexual offences accounting for 41.8% of all incidents (38 cases) and anti-social behaviour comprising 14.3% (13 cases). The stark contrast between this rate and the UK average underscores the area’s relative safety, though seasonal factors may partly explain the patterns. As September brings the return of students and the onset of shorter evenings, the spike in bicycle theft could reflect increased foot traffic in local amenities or shifts in criminal activity as community rhythms change. Violence and sexual offences, at 1.8 per 1,000, were 31% below the UK average, suggesting that Hailsham’s community dynamics—likely influenced by its proximity to educational institutions and a lower density of nightlife venues—may contribute to this divergence. Anti-social behaviour, though down 50% from August, remains a notable concern, with its rate (0.6 per 1,000) 49% below the UK average, pointing to effective local policing or community engagement efforts. The low levels of vehicle crime (0.1 per 1,000) and shoplifting (0.1 per 1,000) further reinforce the area’s distinct profile compared to more densely populated urban centres.

The most striking shift in September 2024 was the 100% increase in bicycle theft, a category that had not previously appeared in the crime breakdown for the month. This rise, coupled with a doubling of drugs-related offences (from one to two cases), suggests potential changes in local patterns, though the small sample size limits definitive conclusions. Conversely, shoplifting fell by 83.3% compared to August, dropping from six to one incident—a sharp decline that may reflect seasonal factors such as the return of students to educational institutions or heightened awareness during the back-to-school period. Violence and sexual offences, while remaining the most common category (38 cases), were 31% below the UK average of 2.6 per 1,000, highlighting Hailsham’s comparative safety in this area. Public order offences also saw a significant drop (53.3% decrease), aligning with the broader trend of reduced anti-social behaviour. The UK average for anti-social behaviour is 1.2 per 1,000, but Hailsham’s rate (0.6 per 1,000) was 49% below, indicating that local initiatives or environmental factors—such as the area’s lower population density and community-focused policing—may be contributing to this outcome. Possession of weapons was the only category above the UK average, though its rate (0.1 per 1,000) was just 43% higher, a figure that may not be statistically significant given the small number of incidents.

Hailsham’s crime rate in September 2024 (4.4 per 1,000) marked a 13.4% decrease from August’s rate of 5.1 per 1,000, reflecting a continued downward trend in reported incidents. Over the course of the month, this translates to roughly three crimes per day, a figure that, while seemingly frequent, is far below the national context when scaled to Hailsham’s population of 20,712 residents. On a monthly basis, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 228 residents, a ratio that underscores the area’s relatively low exposure to crime compared to the UK average. This monthly exposure figure, when contextualised within the local population, suggests that residents face a significantly lower risk of encountering crime than the national average. The previous month’s rate (5.1 per 1,000) and the current rate (4.4 per 1,000) indicate a consistent decline, which may be attributed to ongoing community engagement efforts or seasonal factors such as the return of students and the associated reduction in transient populations. While daily crime counts provide a snapshot of activity, the monthly exposure metric offers a more comprehensive view of how crime impacts the local population. This data suggests that Hailsham’s built-up area, despite its proximity to Wealden’s broader region, maintains a distinct profile characterised by lower crime rates and a focus on community-driven safety initiatives.