Uckfield Crime Rate February 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Uckfield's crime picture in February 2024, accounting for 30.9% of all reported crimes. With a crime rate of 3.7 per 1,000 residents, the area remains 47.9% below the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000. This stark contrast highlights the area's relatively low exposure to crime compared to national trends. The breakdown reveals a mix of violent and property-related offences, with violent crimes (17 incidents) outnumbering property crimes (22 incidents) by a narrow margin. This balance suggests a combination of local factors and broader regional patterns. February's seasonal context—a winter month with limited outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may contribute to the subdued crime levels. The town's character as a small built-up area within Wealden likely influences these dynamics, with fewer high-density commercial zones than larger urban centres. However, the presence of 17 violent crimes raises questions about local factors, such as community tensions or specific venues where incidents occur. While the overall rate remains low, the prominence of violence underscores the need for targeted interventions in this category. The absence of significant spikes in property crime, such as burglary or vehicle theft, further differentiates Uckfield from areas with more pronounced economic disparities. This snapshot suggests that Uckfield's crime profile is shaped by its rural-urban hybrid status, with limited exposure to the high-crime environments typical of major cities but not entirely insulated from localised incidents.

February 2024 saw a 200% increase in possession of weapons, rising from 1 to 3 incidents—a sharp spike that warrants scrutiny. This category was 186% above the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000, highlighting a stark local anomaly. Meanwhile, public order offences dropped by 57.1%, from 7 to 3, aligning with the seasonal lull in outdoor activity typical of winter months. The decrease in drug-related crimes (50%) and shoplifting (40%) suggests that temporary factors, such as reduced foot traffic or targeted policing efforts, may have influenced these trends. Violent crimes remained the most prevalent category, though they were 56% below the UK average of 2.5 per 1,000. This suggests that while the area is safer in terms of violent crime, the presence of 17 incidents still represents a significant proportion of the total crime count. For residents, the most immediate concern is the sharp rise in weapon possession, which could indicate a shift in local criminal activity patterns. The data also reveals that anti-social behaviour and other theft remained at levels 52% and 9% below UK averages respectively, reinforcing the area's overall safety profile. These variations underscore the need for targeted analysis of specific crime types rather than broad generalisations.

Uckfield's crime rate in February 2024 (3.7 per 1,000) marked an 11.4% decrease from the previous month's rate of 4.1, reflecting a continued downward trend. This decline places the area in a stronger position relative to its own historical data, though it remains significantly below the UK average. On a daily basis, the area recorded roughly 2 crimes per day over the 29-day period—a pace that would mean one resident in every 272 experienced a reported crime during the month. This monthly exposure figure contextualises the low frequency of crime in Uckfield compared to larger urban centres where rates are typically much higher. With a population of 14,974, the area's small size and rural-urban hybrid character likely contribute to its lower crime density. The comparison to the UK average also reveals stark disparities: for instance, violence and sexual offences in Uckfield were 56% below the national rate, while possession of weapons was 186% above—a reminder that localised anomalies can exist even within an overall safe environment. These figures provide residents with a tangible sense of their risk profile, showing that while crime is rare, certain categories like weapon possession require closer attention. The monthly comparison also highlights that the area's crime rate has consistently remained well below the UK average for several months, suggesting a stable and improving security environment.