Brandon (West Suffolk) Crime Rate August 2024 | Monthly Statistics

In August 2024, Brandon (West Suffolk) maintained a crime rate of 4.5 per 1,000 residents, placing it 45.1% below the UK average of 8.2. This marked contrast between property and violent crime rates offers insight into local dynamics: property crimes accounted for 40.9% of total incidents (18 out of 44), while violent crimes made up 25% (11 cases). The most prevalent crime category was violence and sexual offences at 25%, followed by anti-social behaviour (15.9%) and other theft (13.6%). This distribution suggests a focus on interpersonal conflict and minor property disputes over large-scale theft or burglary. Seasonal factors may partly explain these patterns—August, a peak holiday month, typically sees increased tourism and empty homes, which could theoretically elevate burglary risks. However, burglary rates in Brandon (2.3% of total crimes) remained 38% below the UK average, reflecting the area’s rural character and lower population density. The dominance of violence and sexual offences, despite being 59% below the UK average, may indicate localized tensions or the influence of transient populations during the summer months. Anti-social behaviour’s prominence (15.9%) aligns with the built-up area’s characteristics, where community density might amplify such incidents. Shoplifting—a category often linked to retail hubs—surged in prominence, though it remained 58% below the UK average, due to limited commercial activity in the area. These figures illustrate a community where interpersonal conflict and minor disputes dominate over more severe criminal activity, with seasonal factors likely playing a moderating role.

August 2024 saw significant shifts in crime patterns, with shoplifting increasing by 200% (from 1 to 3 incidents) and bicycle theft doubling (from 1 to 2). These spikes, though still below UK averages, may reflect summer-specific behaviors such as increased cycling for recreation or tourism. Conversely, violent crimes fell by 38.9% (from 18 to 11), a marked decline consistent with the UK’s overall trend of reduced violent crime during summer months, possibly linked to warmer weather and outdoor activities reducing confined spaces for conflict. The category of possession of weapons surged 100% (from 0 to 2), an anomaly requiring cautious interpretation—while the UK average for this category is 0.1 per 1,000, the local rate of 0.2 per 1,000 suggests a potential rise in weapons-related incidents, though the small sample size limits definitive conclusions. Other notable changes included a 50% drop in burglary (from 4 to 2), aligning with the UK average of 0.3 per 1,000. This decline may be attributed to the area’s rural nature, where fewer homes are occupied during holidays, reducing opportunities for burglary. For residents, the sharp rise in shoplifting (now 0.3 per 1,000) could signal a need for increased vigilance in local retail areas during peak tourist periods, even as overall crime rates remain significantly lower than national averages.

Brandon’s August 2024 crime rate of 4.5 per 1,000 residents marked a 20.0% decrease from July’s 5.6, reflecting a continued downward trend in local crime. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 223 residents, a figure that contextualizes the rate as relatively low even when compared to the UK average. Daily crime statistics showed an average of 1.42 crimes per day (44 over 31 days), a figure that underscores the area’s overall safety profile despite localized fluctuations. When scaled to the population of 9,814, the 4.5 rate translates to a monthly exposure of 1 in 223 residents, a ratio that is far more favorable than the UK average of 1 in 123. This disparity highlights Brandon’s position as a low-crime area within a region where urban centers typically report higher rates. The 20% month-on-month decline, combined with the area’s consistently low crime profile, suggests that local policing efforts or community factors may be contributing to sustained reductions. While the 4.5 rate remains well below the UK average, the small population size means that even minor fluctuations can have outsized impacts on statistical representations. For instance, the 200% increase in shoplifting from July to August, though numerically significant, represents only three incidents in total—a figure that, while notable, does not dramatically alter the broader safety narrative for residents.