Crime in Adur: statistics, rates and trends
4,575 crimes were recorded in Adur in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Adur at a glance
- Crime trends in Adur
- Types of crime in Adur
- Home Office recorded crime in Adur
- Adur compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Adur
- Streets with the most crime in Adur
- What happened after crimes were reported in Adur
- Demographics of Adur
- Fly-tipping in Adur
- Questions about crime in Adur
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,464), anti-social behaviour (1,195) and shoplifting (411) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 216th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Adur | West Sussex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,575 | 76,272 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.5 | 83.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 64,889 | 915,037 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Adur peaked in the year to August 2023 (5,656 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (4,233). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 4%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,575 | 70.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,879 | 75.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,742 | 73.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,656 | 87.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,090 | 78.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,005 | 77.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,071 | 78.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,233 | 65.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,409 | 67.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 485 |
| July 2026 | 495 |
| June 2026 | 418 |
| May 2026 | 410 |
| April 2026 | 389 |
| March 2026 | 369 |
| February 2026 | 304 |
| January 2026 | 337 |
| December 2025 | 307 |
| November 2025 | 331 |
| October 2025 | 394 |
| September 2025 | 336 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and drugs (58% below) and vehicle crime (58% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 810 to 1,195 and robbery rose from 34 to 42, while shoplifting fell from 886 to 411 and burglary fell from 135 to 100.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,464 | 22.6 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,195 | 18.4 | 15.4 | +48% |
| Shoplifting | 411 | 6.3 | 8.5 | -54% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 335 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Public order | 333 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -21% |
| Other theft | 294 | 4.5 | 6.4 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 136 | 2.1 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Burglary | 100 | 1.5 | 3.6 | -26% |
| Other crime | 97 | 1.5 | 2.1 | -16% |
| Drugs | 89 | 1.4 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Possession of weapons | 53 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +13% |
| Robbery | 42 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +24% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 11 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3,580 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Adur in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 55.2 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 14% on the year ending March 2025 (4,179), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Adur had the 59th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Sussex Police area in the year ending March 2026, 1.8% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Adur is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Adur, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was shoplifting, with 605 offences (17% of the total). No category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate. Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for trafficking of drugs (0.30 times), possession of drugs (0.44 times) and non-residential burglary (0.44 times).
The largest rises on the year were in robbery of personal property (+43%). The largest falls were in non-residential burglary (−47%) and criminal damage (−26%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 605 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 1.15 | – |
| Violence without injury | 515 | 7.9 | 13.2 | 0.60 | −18% |
| Violence with injury | 393 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 0.74 | −2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 389 | 6.0 | 10.1 | 0.59 | +5% |
| Public order offences | 310 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 0.69 | −17% |
| Criminal damage | 304 | 4.7 | 6.8 | 0.69 | −26% |
| Other theft offences | 275 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 0.65 | −11% |
| Vehicle offences | 160 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 0.49 | −4% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 114 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.84 | 0% |
| Other sexual offences | 100 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.68 | −21% |
| Residential burglary | 78 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.48 | −15% |
| Possession of drugs | 71 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.44 | −18% |
| Rape | 55 | 0.85 | 1.2 | 0.70 | −7% |
| Possession of weapons | 48 | 0.74 | 1.00 | 0.74 | −11% |
| Non-residential burglary | 32 | 0.49 | 1.1 | 0.44 | −47% |
| Robbery of personal property | 30 | 0.46 | 0.91 | 0.51 | +43% |
| Robbery of business property | 29 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.94 | – |
| Trafficking of drugs | 23 | 0.35 | 1.2 | 0.30 | −18% |
| Bicycle theft | 19 | 0.29 | 0.85 | 0.34 | −21% |
| Arson | 17 | 0.26 | 0.38 | 0.69 | +13% |
| Theft from the person | 13 | 0.20 | 1.8 | 0.11 | +44% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.00 | – |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | – |
Recorded crime in Adur since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Adur's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,580 | 55.2 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 4,179 | 64.4 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 4,832 | 74.5 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 4,433 | 68.3 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 4,161 | 64.1 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 3,777 | 58.2 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 3,863 | 59.5 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 3,203 | 49.4 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 3,554 | 54.8 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 3,115 | 48.0 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 3,185 | 49.1 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 2,800 | 43.2 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 2,793 | 43.0 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 2,782 | 42.9 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Sussex Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 13 districts in the Sussex Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Adur had the 4th lowest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 11,505 | 110.4 | 1.33 |
| Hastings | 10,035 | 110.0 | 1.32 |
| Crawley | 13,538 | 109.2 | 1.31 |
| Brighton and Hove | 28,335 | 99.8 | 1.20 |
| Worthing | 9,138 | 80.3 | 0.96 |
| Arun | 12,003 | 70.6 | 0.85 |
| Chichester | 7,799 | 60.5 | 0.73 |
| Rother | 5,527 | 57.5 | 0.69 |
| Lewes | 5,649 | 55.2 | 0.66 |
| Adur | 3,580 | 55.2 | 0.66 |
| Mid Sussex | 7,280 | 45.0 | 0.54 |
| Horsham | 6,729 | 44.4 | 0.53 |
| Wealden | 6,852 | 41.1 | 0.49 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
6 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Adur; the highest is Crawley (129.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Horsham district (57.0).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Adur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worthing | 11,569 | 101.6 | +44% |
| Brighton and Hove | 35,519 | 125.1 | +77% |
| Horsham | 8,635 | 57.0 | -19% |
| Lewes | 7,500 | 73.3 | +4% |
| Arun | 15,129 | 89.0 | +26% |
| Mid Sussex | 9,839 | 60.8 | -14% |
| Crawley | 16,073 | 129.6 | +84% |
| Chichester | 10,452 | 81.1 | +15% |
Of the 17 areas within Adur, St Mary's had the highest crime rate (164.8 per 1,000) and Buckingham the lowest (20.9), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's | Neighbourhood | 5,220 | 860 | 164.8 |
| Churchill | Neighbourhood | 4,506 | 402 | 89.2 |
| Eastbrook | Neighbourhood | 4,760 | 421 | 88.4 |
| Mash Barn | Neighbourhood | 4,825 | 388 | 80.4 |
| Southwick (Adur) | Town | 12,476 | 1,001 | 80.2 |
| Southwick Green | Neighbourhood | 4,674 | 372 | 79.6 |
| Shoreham-by-Sea | Town | 23,765 | 1,644 | 69.2 |
| Hillside | Neighbourhood | 4,402 | 299 | 67.9 |
| Widewater | Neighbourhood | 5,999 | 407 | 67.8 |
| Lancing and Sompting | Town | 28,648 | 1,930 | 67.4 |
| Peverel | Neighbourhood | 4,310 | 268 | 62.2 |
| Southlands | Neighbourhood | 4,337 | 250 | 57.6 |
| Manor | Neighbourhood | 4,503 | 249 | 55.3 |
| Cokeham | Neighbourhood | 4,505 | 216 | 47.9 |
| Marine | Neighbourhood | 4,614 | 205 | 44.4 |
| St Nicolas | Neighbourhood | 4,223 | 154 | 36.5 |
| Buckingham | Neighbourhood | 4,011 | 84 | 20.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Adur over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (399).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 399 |
| On or near Police Station | 196 |
| On or near Parking Area | 160 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 78 |
| On or near Southwick Square | 73 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 62 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 61 |
| On or near Lisher Road | 52 |
| On or near Humphrey'S Gap | 50 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 49 |
Of the 3,380 crimes in Adur with a recorded outcome, 48% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,195 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,621 | 48.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,074 | 31.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 269 | 8.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 119 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 87 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 86 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 46 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 31 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 23 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Adur has an estimated population of 64,889 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%), an older population (24%, against 19%) and less social housing (12%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Adur average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Adur | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 72.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
547 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Adur in 2024/25 (8.4 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Adur has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Adur a safe place to live?
Adur recorded 70.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 216th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Adur?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,464 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,195).
Is crime in Adur going up or down?
Recorded crime in Adur was down 6% on the year before: 4,575 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,879 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Adur?
About 64,889 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Adur?
Adur is policed by Sussex.
How many crimes did the police record in Adur in the year ending March 2026?
3,580 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 55.2 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 4,179.
Which offences are more common in Adur than across England and Wales?
None: no category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate in the year ending March 2026. The largest category was shoplifting (605).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.