August 2024: UK Crime Index
The August 2024 Propertistics UK Crime Index can provide you with keen insights and statistical analysis of crime rates and changes across the UK.
These crime rates are key for homeowners, homebuyers and property investors in their bid to navigate the UK property market as their effect on rental and property prices can be significant.
This report is based on the latest crime figures released and should be used as a key metric when deciding on investments within the UK property market.
Table Of Contents
Overall UK Crime Index
| Month | Crime Per 1k | Change |
|---|---|---|
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In July 2024, the Overall UK Crime Index reported a crime rate of 9.29 incidents per 1,000 people. This figure marks a significant increase of 5.1% compared to June 2024, where the crime rate stood at 8.84 incidents per 1,000 people.
This increase in crimes across the nation may spark some concern for the population but with the previous reduction of around 8% the month before, this could be seen as the crime rate levelling out as it does fall in line with the average for the year.
Whilst this may be the case, it is still a metric that homebuyers should keep a close eye on as individual areas in the UK have seen significant increases over others and this may highlight an issue or a cause for concern when viewed retrospectfully.
Below is every crim category and their respective crime rates with a comparison of July 2024 and the annual national average.
Anti-Social Behaviour |
Bicycle Theft |
Burglary |
Criminal Damage & Arson |
Drugs |
Possession Of Weapons |
Public Order |
Robbery |
Shoplifting |
Theft From A Person |
Vehicle Crime |
Violence & Sexual Offences |
As you can see from the data above the key areas of increase appear to be anti-social behavior, public order and violcence/sexual offences.
Since these three categories are very tightly linked, it is likely that the unrest across across the uk that sparked riots in certain areas is likely to be the cause for the increase in crimes for this monthly crim rate index.
Biggest Overall Crime Increase
| Month | Crime Per 1k | Change |
|---|---|---|
| – |
Powys in Wales tops the crime index for the largets increase for July 2024 with a worrying jump of 23.6% in total crimes committed per 1,000 people.
This large jump in total crimes committed could be worrying for property investors for the area as the implications could indicate that a decline in social order or police underfunding may be present.
In more positive news, the 7.04 crimes per 1,000 people is still someway below the national average of 9.29 for the month and Powys is still deemed as one of the safer areas within the UK despite the sharp increase.
The charts below show every individual crime category and their comparison to the previous month’s data for Powys.
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Anti-Social Behaviour |
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Bicycle Theft |
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Burglary |
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Criminal Damage & Arson |
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Drugs |
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Possession Of Weapons |
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Public Order |
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Robbery |
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Shoplifting |
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Theft From A Person |
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Vehicle Crime |
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Violence & Sexual Offences |
Biggest Overall Crime Drop
| Month | Crime Per 1k | Change |
|---|---|---|
| – |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Telford and Wrekin saw the largets decrease in crimes for July 2024 with a drop of 11.8% from 9.97 to 8.8 per 1,000 people.
This drop in crimes committed is welcomed news for residents of the area as the previous month saw the number of crimes creep above the national average in comparion to the rest of the UK.
This drop across the board is positive but there are still some areas of concern with drug offences and possesion of a weapon seeing significant increases.
Overall the drop in crimes per 1,000 people for Telford and Wrekin is long overdue for homeowners and hombuyers within the area but there is still some way to go for the changes to have a significant effect on property prices within the area.
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Anti-Social Behaviour |
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Bicycle Theft |
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Burglary |
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Criminal Damage & Arson |
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Drugs |
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Possession Of Weapons |
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Public Order |
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Robbery |
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Shoplifting |
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Theft From A Person |
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Vehicle Crime |
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Violence & Sexual Offences |
Biggest Individual Crime Increase
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Carmarthenshire in Wales saw the largest individual increase of a single crime category with a very worrying 600% jump in robberies throughout the area.
Whilst this may be alarming, the jump went from 0.01 per 1,000 residents to 0.04. This is still less than 50% of the national average of 0.1 roberries per 1,000 nationally across the UK.
With that being said, this increase could spark questions within the local community as the largely remote area tends to see very low robbery rates anually and it will be hoped that this is an anomoly as opposed to an upward trend.
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Wales continues to show more worrying increases with Merthyr Tydfil having a sharp incline of +400% for possession of weapons.
With knife crime across the UK a key contending point for both police and politicians, this will have the local community needing t address the issue as their local crime rate has now almost reached the national average.
Merthyr Tydfil may be feeling the overflow from the rest of the UK when it comes to knife crime/possession of weapons and whilst police forces are focused on resolving it, this further compounds the issue is a national one and not necessarily isolated to London as some people have suggested.
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Powys rounds up the trio of Welsh towns that top the increase of crimes for the August crime index with a 300% jump in thefts from a person.
With Wales and Powys in particular having a very bad month for crime, this particuar increase further confirms some of the fears felt within the local community.
Thefts from a person still remain very low in comparison to the national average and at 0.03 per 1,000 people, the chances of being a victim of this crime in Powys still remains very remote.
This increase coupled with the overall crime increase of the area is something that needs to be examined in more detail. Next month’s crime index may be key for the local area as if this trend continues then property prices in Powys could be severely affected.
Biggest Individual Crime Drop
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North Lincolnshire was the most positive outcome from the August crime index when it comes to individual crime decreases.
The local area saw an 88% decrease in thefts from a person in comparison to July’s crime index with a total of 0.01 per 1,000 people.
With an already far below national average, this further decrease can only do great things for rental and property prices throughout the area as North Lincolnshire now boasts an extremely low crime for theft.
Whilst this is only one months data, the trend seen throughout North Lincolnshire has been on a steady downard trend for some time and next month’s crime index will be key to cementing this statistic.
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Flintshire also saw it’s own decrease this month with a 75% reduction within the robbery crime category.
Robberies within the area were already low at 0.03 per 1,000 people so this further drop is great news for the local police force and potential homebuyers or investors.
Robberies can be the scurge for homeowners and a key worry for everyone when it comes to their property and possessions. Whatever is happening in Flintshire could be seen as a framework for the rest of the UK as their rate now sits 10 times lower than the national average.
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Pembrokeshire comes in third for the largest individual crime drecrease for this month as their theft from a parson crime rate dropped from 0.06 to 0.02 per 1,000 people in the August crime rate index.
Whilst this is welcomed, it may only tell part of the story as Pembrokeshire saw an anomoly last month in this department and this drop may just be the statistic normalising.
With that being said, any drop in crime rate is fully welcomed by everyone and this drop is no different. Thefts from a person can drastically drive property and rental prices down as fears of unrest in the loca area can be very real.
Local community leaders and potential property investors will be keen to see this decline continue into the end of the year for the decrease to be felt in property prices and all will be hoping that it is the start of a safer area for all.
