Westmorland and Furness Crime Rate May 2023 | Monthly Statistics

In May 2023, Westmorland and Furness recorded a crime rate of 6.8 per 1,000 residents, placing it 15% below the UK average of 8.0. This figure underscores the area’s generally lower crime profile, though the breakdown reveals a distinct balance between property and violent crime. Violent crimes, particularly violence and sexual offences, accounted for 41.4% of all incidents, significantly outpacing property crimes, which made up 29.5% of the total. This dominance of violent crime may reflect the area’s social landscape, where community interactions and seasonal factors like longer evenings and bank holidays contribute to increased opportunities for such offences. Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage followed, highlighting persistent local challenges. The seasonal context of May—characterised by extended daylight and the start of summer socialising—likely plays a role in these patterns. Property crime rates, including shoplifting and vehicle crime, remained well below UK averages, possibly due to the area’s rural nature and lower population density. This contrast between violent and property crime trends suggests a combination of local conditions, from community dynamics to environmental factors, that shape the area’s crime profile.

May 2023 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with violent crimes dominating the landscape. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 41.4% of all incidents, a share consistent with the UK average but reflecting the area’s social dynamics during late spring. Meanwhile, property crimes remained 15% below the UK average, with shoplifting and vehicle crime both registering sharp declines—shoplifting fell by 77.5% compared to April, though this may partly reflect seasonal changes in retail activity. A striking anomaly was the 235.7% increase in 'other crime' reports, which rose from 14 to 47 incidents. This category, which includes unclassified or less frequent offences, could indicate underreported issues or shifts in reporting behaviour. Residents may also note a 30.8% drop in bicycle theft, likely linked to warmer weather reducing the need for indoor storage. These fluctuations, while not fully explained, highlight the need to track emerging trends in local crime reporting.

Westmorland and Furness recorded a crime rate of 6.8 per 1,000 residents in May 2023, a 10.4% increase from the previous month’s rate of 6.2. This rise, though modest, aligns with seasonal patterns seen in similar rural and coastal areas during late spring, when extended daylight and bank holidays may encourage more outdoor socialising and associated activities. Daily crime counts averaged 51 incidents per day, a figure that, while lower than urban centres, reflects the area’s mixed landscape of rural communities and coastal towns. Over the course of May, one reported crime occurred for every 147 residents, a monthly exposure rate that remains lower than the UK average. This suggests a generally stable environment, though the slight upward trend warrants monitoring against broader seasonal shifts. The population-scaled perspective—230,185 residents—further contextualises these numbers, showing that even with a 10.4% monthly increase, the absolute number of incidents remains manageable within the local context.