Poulton-le-Fylde Crime Rate January 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominate Poulton-le-Fylde’s crime profile in January 2024, accounting for 46.3% of all reported crimes. With 31 incidents recorded, this category outpaces property crimes by a significant margin, a pattern that reflects the area’s unique social and spatial dynamics. The overall crime rate of 6.0 per 1,000 residents places the built-up area 18.9% below the UK average, a gap that underscores the effectiveness of local policing strategies or community cohesion efforts. While property crimes such as other theft and shoplifting are present, their combined share (23.9%) pales in comparison to the dominance of violent crime. This imbalance may be linked to the area’s character as a smaller, closely-knit community where interpersonal conflicts or targeted incidents are more likely to escalate. Seasonal factors also play a role, with January’s post-holiday period and shorter days likely contributing to reduced outdoor activity and a shift in crime focus toward more confined spaces. The UK average for violence and sexual offences (2.6 per 1,000) is 8% lower than Poulton-le-Fylde’s rate, suggesting that local conditions—whether socioeconomic or environmental—may be amplifying this category. This contrast highlights the need to consider both national benchmarks and area-specific contexts when interpreting crime data. The relatively low rates of anti-social behaviour (12% of total crimes) and criminal damage (9%) further illustrate a crime picture that, while not without challenges, is distinct from larger urban centres where such categories often dominate.

January 2024 saw a 400% surge in shoplifting, rising from one to five incidents. This spike, though small in absolute terms, contrasts with the 12% UK average for the category and suggests a shift in local retail crime patterns. Other theft also rose sharply, increasing by 266.7% to 11 incidents, a figure that is 75% above the UK average. This divergence highlights the area’s unique dynamics, where unsecured premises or specific retail vulnerabilities may be contributing factors. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour halved from 20 to 10 incidents, a decline that aligns with the 9% UK average for the category. The drop in drugs-related crimes—66.7% fewer incidents—adds another layer to the month’s profile, possibly reflecting seasonal changes in substance use or law enforcement focus. These fluctuations illustrate how crime trends in Poulton-le-Fylde can diverge from national patterns, influenced by local conditions and community-specific factors.

Poulton-le-Fylde's crime rate in January 2024 rose 2.9% compared to December 2023, moving from 5.8 to 6.0 per 1,000 residents. This modest increase aligns with seasonal patterns typical of January, when reduced retail activity and shorter daylight hours may influence crime dynamics. Daily crime statistics show an average of two reported incidents each day, a figure that contextualises the monthly total of 67 crimes within the built-up area’s rhythm. Over the course of January, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 168 residents, a metric that reflects the area’s population density and the relative stability of its crime profile. While this monthly exposure rate is lower than the UK average when scaled to individual residents, it underscores the importance of localised factors such as community engagement and policing strategies in maintaining safety. The shift from December to January also highlights the need to monitor how transient factors, such as post-holiday periods, influence specific crime categories without overgeneralising broader trends.