Mildenhall (West Suffolk) Crime Rate December 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Mildenhall (West Suffolk) recorded a crime rate of 8.6 per 1,000 residents in December 2023, placing it 19.4% above the UK average of 7.2 per 1,000. This figure, while higher than the national benchmark, reflects the area's distinct crime profile, which is dominated by violent and sexual offences. These crimes accounted for 62.3% of the total 77 reported incidents, with a rate of 5.4 per 1,000—106% above the UK average for this category. Public order offences followed at 14.3% of the total, with a rate of 1.2 per 1,000, 150% above the national average. The seasonal context of December, characterised by extended dark evenings, holiday-related activity, and the Christmas shopping peak, likely contributes to the elevated levels of violent and public order crime. However, the area's crime picture is not uniformly concerning: anti-social behaviour, while still present at 7.8% of total crimes, is 25% below the UK average. This suggests that local factors—possibly including community engagement or policing strategies—may be tempering some aspects of the crime profile. The contrast between the high rates of violent crime and the relatively lower rates of property-related offences, such as shoplifting (0.5 per 1,000) and vehicle crime (0.1 per 1,000), highlights a unique pattern that may be influenced by the built-up area's characteristics, including its proximity to major transport routes and local amenities. The absence of a significant spike in property crime, despite the festive season, could indicate effective local initiatives or the influence of seasonal factors such as reduced foot traffic in retail areas. However, the persistent gap between Mildenhall's violent crime rates and the UK average underscores the need for targeted interventions to address this specific challenge.

December 2023 witnessed notable reductions in several crime categories, with criminal damage and arson falling by 72.7% compared to the previous month. This decrease, from 11 to 3 incidents, may partly explain the broader drop in property-related crimes, which now constitute 14.3% of the total, a significant decline from the usual dominance of violent crime. Anti-social behaviour also saw a 50% reduction, though this was offset by a sharp 300% increase in shoplifting, which rose from one to four incidents. The most alarming trend was the 37.1% rise in violence and sexual offences, pushing their rate to 5.4 per 1,000—106% above the UK average. This stark contrast with the 2.6 per 1,000 UK figure highlights a local challenge in addressing violent crime during the festive season. Meanwhile, vehicle crime and drug-related offences both fell by 50%, though these categories remain well below their respective UK averages, suggesting a broader pattern of reduced activity in non-violent crime areas.

Mildenhall's crime rate remained stable at 8.6 per 1,000 residents in December 2023, matching the same figure recorded in the previous month. This consistency suggests no significant shift in overall crime patterns during the festive period. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 2 crimes per day, a figure that, while locally relevant, does not directly compare to national averages due to the absence of UK-wide daily crime data. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 116 residents, illustrating the monthly exposure rate in a population of 8,940. This statistic provides a tangible sense of scale for residents, contextualising how frequently crime intersects with daily life in the built-up area. The population size, while small enough to foster community awareness, may also contribute to the visibility of certain crime types, such as public order offences, which are represented in local statistics compared to the UK average.