Wiltshire Crime Rate July 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Wiltshire’s crime rate in July 2023 stood at 5.3 per 1,000 residents, placing the area 36.1% below the UK average of 8.3 per 1,000. This positions Wiltshire as one of the safer local authority districts in England and Wales, with crime levels consistently lower than the national trend. The most prevalent crimes were violence and sexual offences (32.6% of all crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (24.1%) and criminal damage and arson (9.6%). These figures contrast sharply with the UK average, where violence and sexual offences account for 39% of all crimes. Wiltshire’s rural character, with its mix of agricultural land, market towns, and tourist attractions, may partly explain the lower crime rates. The summer season typically sees increased foot traffic in areas like the Marlborough and Trowbridge districts, yet violent crime remains 39% below the UK average, suggesting effective community policing or lower population density as contributing factors. Anti-social behaviour, while still a concern, is 8% below the national average, possibly reflecting the quieter nature of rural communities compared to urban centres. The lower rates of vehicle crime (58% below UK average) and shoplifting (33% below) align with Wiltshire’s limited retail presence outside major towns, reducing opportunities for such offences. Seasonal factors, including the peak of the tourist season and university holidays, may have influenced patterns in anti-social behaviour and theft from the person, though these remain well below national benchmarks. Overall, Wiltshire’s crime profile illustrates a combination of geographic and demographic characteristics that contribute to its relatively low crime rate compared to the UK as a whole.

July 2023 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with theft from the person increasing by 72.7% (from 11 to 19 incidents), marking the most significant rise in the month. This category, which is 100% below the UK average, may reflect increased foot traffic during festivals or summer events in areas like the Cotswolds. Meanwhile, drug-related crimes rose by 65.5% (from 29 to 48), though Wiltshire’s rate remains 55% below the national average, suggesting targeted interventions in rural drug enforcement. Shoplifting also rose sharply by 40.5% (from 148 to 208), potentially linked to summer tourism in Wiltshire’s historic sites. In contrast, robbery fell by 31.3% (from 16 to 11), and vehicle crime decreased by 5.4% (from 112 to 106), possibly due to increased police patrols in high-risk areas during the tourist season. The balance between property and violent crime shifted slightly, with violent crimes accounting for 32.6% of all incidents (compared to 39% nationally), while property crimes made up 67.4% of the total. This suggests that violent crime remains a smaller proportion of the local crime picture than in the UK overall, which may be consistent with Wiltshire’s lower population density and community-focused policing strategies. A resident might find the 100% reduction in robbery rates from the previous month particularly reassuring, indicating that targeted efforts to address this category may be yielding results.

Wiltshire’s crime rate in July 2023 rose slightly from 4.8 per 1,000 in June to 5.3 per 1,000, a 10.1% increase. However, this still places the area 36.1% below the UK average, highlighting the persistent gap between Wiltshire’s safety record and national trends. On a daily basis, 90 crimes were reported across the 31 days of July, equating to roughly 2.9 crimes per day per 1,000 residents. This rate is significantly lower than the UK average of 8.3 per 1,000, which would translate to approximately 2.6 crimes per day per 1,000 residents in Wiltshire if the national rate were applied locally. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 188 residents, a figure that underscores the relatively low frequency of crime in the area. With a population of 523,700, this monthly exposure rate means that the vast majority of residents experience no crime at all, which is a stark contrast to more densely populated regions where crime rates are higher. The population-scaled perspective also reveals that Wiltshire’s crime profile is more evenly distributed across its rural and semi-rural areas, with no single town or district dominating the statistics. This contrasts with urban centres, where crime tends to be concentrated in specific high-risk areas. The 10.1% increase from June may be attributed to seasonal factors such as the peak of the tourist season, but the overall rate remains well below the UK average, reinforcing the notion that Wiltshire is a safer place to live compared to the national picture.