Worthing Crime Rate May 2025 | Monthly Statistics

The crime mix in Worthing during May 2025 reveals a distinct pattern shaped by local social dynamics and seasonal factors. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 36% of all reported crimes, followed by anti-social behaviour at 17.3%, with shoplifting contributing 14.3% of the total. This distribution suggests a balance between interpersonal conflict and public disorder, consistent with a coastal town experiencing both regular community interactions and tourist-related activity. The area's crime rate of 7.8 per 1,000 residents places it 3.7% below the UK average, a margin that may reflect effective policing strategies or the influence of Worthing's urban-rural hybrid character. Shoplifting in the area was 64% higher than the UK average, a figure that aligns with the presence of retail hubs and high streets. Bicycle theft, at 150% above the UK average, may be linked to the growing number of commuters and students using cycles for transport. May’s extended evenings and bank holidays likely contributed to increased outdoor socialising, which could explain the elevated rates of public order offences and anti-social behaviour. These trends underscore the need to consider both permanent local factors—such as the density of commercial areas—and transient seasonal influences when interpreting crime statistics.

May 2025 saw significant fluctuations in specific crime categories, with theft from the person surging by 700% compared to April, rising from one incident to eight. This dramatic increase, while small in absolute terms, signals a potential shift in criminal activity patterns during the month. Robbery also rose sharply by 133.3%, growing from six to 14 incidents, a jump that may be tied to the longer evenings typical of May. Conversely, vehicle crime fell by 26.3% (from 38 to 28), possibly reflecting reduced car usage during the warmer weather or improved security measures in parking areas. The crime mix in Worthing also highlights stark contrasts with UK averages: shoplifting and bicycle theft were 64% and 150% above the national figures, respectively, while criminal damage and arson were 17% below the UK rate. These divergences suggest that Worthing’s retail environment and cycling culture may be driving certain types of crime at higher rates than the national average. For residents, the sharp rise in theft from the person—a crime type that increased by 700%—is a critical insight, indicating a need for heightened vigilance during public outings, especially in crowded or high-traffic areas.

Worthing’s crime rate in May 2025 remained stable compared to the previous month, with only a 1.3% increase from 7.7 to 7.8 per 1,000 residents. This consistency suggests that the area’s overall crime profile has not undergone a dramatic shift in the short term. On a daily basis, the local figure of 29 crimes per day provides a concrete measure of the area’s security landscape, though this metric should be contextualised against the town’s population of 113,866 residents. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 128 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is slightly lower than the UK average (which is not provided but implied by the 3.7% overall deficit). This figure offers residents a tangible sense of the likelihood of encountering crime in their daily lives, though this is an aggregate measure and does not reflect the distribution of crime across different neighbourhoods. The population-scaled perspective also highlights that Worthing’s crime rate, while slightly below the UK average, remains within a similar range, suggesting that the area’s policing and community initiatives may be effectively managing crime levels relative to national benchmarks.