Worthing Crime Rate September 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Worthing's overall crime rate for September 2025 stood at 8.7 per 1,000 residents, placing it 17.6% above the UK average of 7.4 per 1,000. This marks a persistent deviation from national trends, reflecting local dynamics that may partly explain the divergence. The most prevalent crime category was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 28.5% of all reported incidents (281 cases), followed by anti-social behaviour (19.7%, 194 cases) and shoplifting (16.6%, 164 cases). These figures align with the area's character as a coastal commuter town with a mix of urban and tourist spaces, where retail and nightlife activity could contribute to higher rates of property crime and public disorder. Seasonal factors in September—such as the start of the academic year, university freshers' week, and the transition to shorter evenings—may have influenced patterns. Anti-social behaviour, in particular, saw a UK average of 1.2 per 1,000, but Worthing's rate was 45% higher, suggesting a need for targeted community engagement strategies. Conversely, burglary (2.5% of total crimes) was 29% below the UK average, reflecting effective local policing or residential security measures in the area.

September 2025 saw dramatic shifts in specific crime categories, with vehicle crime surging by 300% (from 14 to 56 incidents), robbery rising by 125% (from 8 to 18), and possession of weapons increasing by 37.5% (from 8 to 11). These spikes contrast sharply with declines in violence and sexual offences (-16.6%) and anti-social behaviour (-14.5%), which may reflect seasonal changes as students returned to campus and evenings became shorter. Shoplifting, already 130% above the UK average (1.4 vs 0.6 per 1,000), remains a critical concern, particularly in high-traffic retail zones. The breakdown also reveals stark contrasts with national trends: anti-social behaviour was 45% higher than the UK average, while burglary was 29% lower. For residents, the 300% rise in vehicle crime is a concrete data point that may prompt reconsideration of car security measures, such as alarm systems or secure parking. The crime mix shifted with property crimes (389) accounting for 39.4% of total incidents, compared to violent crimes (281, 28.5%), indicating a shift in focus from personal safety to property protection. These patterns suggest a combination of local factors and national trends.

Worthing's crime rate in September 2025 (8.7 per 1,000) was 1.4% higher than the previous month's rate of 8.6 per 1,000, indicating a stable trend over the short term. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately 33 crimes per day, a figure that may resonate with local residents as a tangible measure of monthly exposure. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 115 residents, a monthly aggregate that provides context for the scale of incidents relative to the population of 113,866. This rate is higher than the UK average, but the comparison section does not provide a direct UK daily or monthly equivalent for context. The population-scaled perspective highlights that while the absolute number of crimes (987) is significant, it represents a proportionally smaller share of the local population compared to some UK areas with higher rates. However, the 17.6% gap above the UK average underscores the need for targeted interventions in specific crime categories. The stability in the overall rate, despite dramatic fluctuations in individual categories, suggests that broader systemic factors may be at play.