West Suffolk Crime Rate May 2023 | Monthly Statistics

In May 2023, West Suffolk maintained a crime rate of 4.9 per 1,000 residents, placing it 38.7% below the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000. This per-capita perspective translates to a daily risk that is both measurable and contextually influenced by the area’s character. The most prevalent crime type was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 40.6% of all reported incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour (12.0%) and criminal damage and arson (10.6%). These figures suggest a crime profile shaped by community interactions and local infrastructure, though the rates for these categories remain significantly lower than national averages. The seasonal context of May—marked by bank holidays and extended evenings—likely contributes to the rise in public order offences, which increased by 52.5% compared to the previous month. This surge may be linked to increased outdoor drinking and socialising, a pattern consistent with rural and semi-rural areas where community events and informal gatherings are common. Despite these fluctuations, the overall stability in the crime rate highlights West Suffolk’s broader safety record, with property crimes and violent offences consistently below UK benchmarks. This low-risk environment, however, does not eliminate the need for vigilance, particularly in areas where public order incidents are on the rise. The data also reveals that certain categories, such as bicycle theft and theft from the person, are nearly absent compared to the UK average, a trend that may reflect the area’s lower population density and reduced opportunities for such crimes.

May 2023 saw notable fluctuations in specific crime categories, with public order offences surging by 52.5% compared to the previous month, rising from 61 to 93 incidents. This increase aligns with May’s seasonal context of longer evenings and bank holidays, which may contribute to heightened outdoor socialising and associated disruptions. Conversely, vehicle crime fell by 28.0%, dropping from 25 to 18, a decline that could reflect reduced foot traffic or improved security measures in key areas. Violence and sexual offences, though the most common category (40.6% of total crimes), remained 28% below the UK average, a disparity that highlights the area’s relative safety in this domain. Possession of weapons rose by 50.0% (from 14 to 21), a sharp increase that may warrant further local scrutiny, though the overall rate for this category remains below the UK average. These shifts illustrate the dynamic nature of crime patterns, even within a generally low-risk environment.

West Suffolk’s crime rate in May 2023 remained stable at 4.9 per 1,000 residents, a 1.5% increase from the previous month’s 4.8 per 1,000. This consistency suggests no major shifts in overall crime trends, though localized changes in specific categories merit closer attention. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 30 crimes per day in May, a figure that contextualizes the monthly total within the rhythm of everyday life. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 205 residents, a rate that underscores the relatively low exposure to crime compared to the UK average. This monthly exposure figure, while modest, reflects the broader pattern of West Suffolk’s crime profile, where property crimes and violent offences remain the most common categories but are consistently below national benchmarks. The stability in the overall rate contrasts with the fluctuations in specific crime types, such as the sharp rise in public order offences, which may indicate seasonal or situational influences tied to May’s extended evenings and bank holidays.