Westmorland and Furness Crime Rate August 2023 | Monthly Statistics

August 2023 saw Westmorland and Furness maintain a crime rate of 5.7 per 1,000 residents, 29.6% below the UK average of 8.1 per 1,000. This performance places the area significantly ahead of national trends, particularly in categories such as violence and sexual offences, which stood at 2.3 per 1,000 (39.8% of all crimes) — 13% below the UK average. Anti-social behaviour (0.8 per 1,000) and criminal damage (0.5 per 1,000) also remained well below UK benchmarks, suggesting a broader pattern of lower prevalence in these categories. The seasonal context of August, a peak holiday month, likely contributes to the area’s crime profile: while tourism could increase risks such as burglary in empty homes, the data shows burglary rates (0.1 per 1,000) were 71% below UK averages. Conversely, drug-related crimes (0.3 per 1,000) were 36% above the UK average, indicating a localized challenge. The dominance of violent crime (39.8% of total) suggests persistent issues in this category, even as the area outperforms the UK in property-related offences. This contrast may reflect the area’s demographic and geographic characteristics — a mix of rural and coastal regions where violent incidents are less frequent than in densely populated urban centres, yet drug-related activity remains a concern. The overall low crime rate, combined with the specific challenges in drug-related offences, highlights the need for targeted interventions while reinforcing the area’s relative safety compared to the UK as a whole.

August 2023 witnessed sharp increases in three specific crime categories, requiring closer attention from residents. Bicycle theft rose 175% month-on-month, jumping from 4 to 11 incidents — a stark anomaly that may reflect increased tourism or unsecured bike storage in holiday homes. Possession of weapons also surged by 84.6%, with 24 cases reported compared to 13 in July, raising concerns about local safety. Theft from the person increased by 33.3% (6 to 8), though this remains exceptionally low compared to the UK average (100% below). These spikes contrast with declines in other categories: other crime fell 41.4% (29 to 17), robbery dropped 28.6% (7 to 5), and burglary decreased 26.7% (45 to 33), likely due to seasonal factors such as shorter evenings reducing opportunities for property crime. The violent crime category, while still the largest single type (39.8% of total), remained 13% below the UK average, suggesting effective local measures or lower population density mitigating such incidents. Residents should be particularly vigilant regarding bicycle security and awareness of weapons possession, as these areas show significant month-on-month growth.

Westmorland and Furness’ crime rate in August 2023 (5.7 per 1,000) was nearly identical to July’s figure (5.8 per 1,000), reflecting a stable trend with a marginal -1.9% decrease. This stability contrasts with the UK average, which remains consistently higher. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 42 crimes per day — a figure that, while modest, translates to one crime occurring for every 176 residents over the course of the month. This monthly exposure rate underscores the relatively low frequency of crime in the area, even as specific categories like drug offences and weapons possession show concerning upward trends. When scaled to the population of 230,185 residents, the 1,308 total crimes represent a manageable burden compared to larger urban centres. However, the disparity in specific crime types — such as drugs (36% above UK average) and weapons possession (43% above) — indicates localized challenges that require targeted attention. The area’s low burglary rates (71% below UK average) and anti-social behaviour figures (44% below) further highlight the effectiveness of community-focused policing or the influence of the region’s rural and coastal character, where such incidents are less common. These comparisons illustrate a combination of geographic factors and localized crime patterns, offering both reassurance and areas for improvement.