Crime in Hastings district: statistics, rates and trends
13,338 crimes were recorded in Hastings district in the 12 months to August 2026, 146.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 19% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Hastings district at a glance
- Crime trends in Hastings district
- Types of crime in Hastings district
- Home Office recorded crime in Hastings district
- Hastings district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Hastings district
- Streets with the most crime in Hastings district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Hastings district
- Demographics of Hastings district
- Fly-tipping in Hastings
- Questions about crime in Hastings district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,155), anti-social behaviour (2,655) and shoplifting (1,722) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 15th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Hastings district | East Sussex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 13,338 | 51,507 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 146.2 | 91.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +19% | +10% | -1% |
| Population | 91,219 | 560,882 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Hastings district of any year here (13,338 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 13,338 | 146.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,195 | 122.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 11,171 | 122.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,246 | 123.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,629 | 127.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,882 | 141.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 12,325 | 135.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 12,161 | 133.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 12,036 | 131.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,362 |
| July 2026 | 1,484 |
| June 2026 | 1,193 |
| May 2026 | 1,233 |
| April 2026 | 1,266 |
| March 2026 | 1,105 |
| February 2026 | 924 |
| January 2026 | 973 |
| December 2025 | 856 |
| November 2025 | 879 |
| October 2025 | 1,077 |
| September 2025 | 986 |
Compared with England and Wales, Hastings district recorded notably more shoplifting (2.2 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.1 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (89% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (67% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 90 to 167 and vehicle crime rose from 412 to 718.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,155 | 45.5 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,655 | 29.1 | 15.4 | +57% |
| Shoplifting | 1,722 | 18.9 | 8.5 | +25% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 998 | 10.9 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Public order | 982 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 718 | 7.9 | 5.0 | +74% |
| Other theft | 668 | 7.3 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Drugs | 372 | 4.1 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Burglary | 343 | 3.8 | 3.6 | +25% |
| Other crime | 250 | 2.7 | 2.1 | +10% |
| Possession of weapons | 185 | 2.0 | 1.0 | +17% |
| Robbery | 167 | 1.8 | 1.4 | +86% |
| Bicycle theft | 72 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -1% |
| Theft from the person | 51 | 0.6 | 1.7 | -4% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
10,035 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Hastings district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 110.0 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 7% on the year ending March 2025 (9,341), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Hastings district had the 28th highest 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 Hastings district is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Hastings district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was shoplifting, with 1,756 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for robbery of business property (2.6 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.4 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (1.9 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.27 times), robbery of personal property (0.66 times) and residential burglary (0.71 times).
The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (+46%) and possession of drugs (+45%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−19%) and criminal damage (−18%). 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 | 1,756 | 19.3 | 8.1 | 2.37 | – |
| Violence without injury | 1,552 | 17.0 | 13.2 | 1.29 | −2% |
| Violence with injury | 1,212 | 13.3 | 8.1 | 1.63 | −12% |
| Public order offences | 898 | 9.8 | 7.0 | 1.41 | +1% |
| Criminal damage | 836 | 9.2 | 6.8 | 1.34 | −18% |
| Stalking and harassment | 822 | 9.0 | 10.1 | 0.89 | +11% |
| Other theft offences | 637 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 1.07 | −5% |
| Vehicle offences | 513 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 1.12 | +15% |
| Other sexual offences | 278 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.34 | −11% |
| Possession of drugs | 271 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.19 | +45% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 216 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.13 | +3% |
| Possession of weapons | 176 | 1.9 | 1.00 | 1.94 | +18% |
| Residential burglary | 161 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.71 | +8% |
| Rape | 134 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.22 | −11% |
| Non-residential burglary | 130 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.27 | −6% |
| Robbery of business property | 111 | 1.2 | 0.47 | 2.56 | – |
| Trafficking of drugs | 98 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.91 | +46% |
| Bicycle theft | 76 | 0.83 | 0.85 | 0.98 | +43% |
| Arson | 55 | 0.60 | 0.38 | 1.59 | +12% |
| Robbery of personal property | 55 | 0.60 | 0.91 | 0.66 | −13% |
| Theft from the person | 43 | 0.47 | 1.8 | 0.27 | −19% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 5 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 1.57 | +67% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | – |
Recorded crime in Hastings district 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. Hastings district's rate was above 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 | 10,035 | 110.0 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 9,341 | 102.4 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 9,556 | 104.8 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 9,961 | 109.2 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 9,573 | 104.9 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 8,518 | 93.4 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 9,992 | 109.5 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 9,385 | 102.9 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 9,208 | 100.9 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 8,929 | 97.9 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 7,893 | 86.5 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 7,869 | 86.3 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 6,438 | 70.6 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 6,505 | 71.3 | 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, Hastings district had the 2nd highest 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.
Hastings district has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest districts.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hastings district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rother | 6,923 | 72.0 | -51% |
| Eastbourne | 14,639 | 140.4 | -4% |
| Wealden | 9,107 | 54.6 | -63% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 8,086 | 67.6 | -54% |
| Ashford | 10,895 | 77.3 | -47% |
| Lewes | 7,500 | 73.3 | -50% |
| Maidstone | 16,356 | 87.1 | -40% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 9,645 | 85.8 | -41% |
Of the 17 areas within Hastings district, Castle had the highest crime rate (458.8 per 1,000) and St Helens the lowest (48.1), 10 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 6,861 | 3,148 | 458.8 |
| Gensing | Neighbourhood | 6,341 | 1,384 | 218.3 |
| Central St Leonards | Neighbourhood | 6,715 | 1,331 | 198.2 |
| Hastings | Town | 91,219 | 13,338 | 146.2 |
| Baird | Neighbourhood | 5,653 | 787 | 139.2 |
| Old Hastings | Neighbourhood | 5,296 | 675 | 127.5 |
| West St Leonards | Neighbourhood | 5,470 | 670 | 122.5 |
| Hollington | Neighbourhood | 6,397 | 771 | 120.5 |
| Tressell | Neighbourhood | 5,447 | 641 | 117.7 |
| Ashdown | Neighbourhood | 6,518 | 752 | 115.4 |
| Conquest | Neighbourhood | 5,110 | 573 | 112.1 |
| Wishing Tree | Neighbourhood | 5,581 | 600 | 107.5 |
| Ore | Neighbourhood | 5,364 | 573 | 106.8 |
| Braybrooke | Neighbourhood | 4,971 | 468 | 94.1 |
| Silverhill | Neighbourhood | 4,851 | 424 | 87.4 |
| Maze Hill | Neighbourhood | 5,587 | 298 | 53.3 |
| St Helens | Neighbourhood | 5,057 | 243 | 48.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Hastings district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (814).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 814 |
| On or near Parking Area | 448 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 337 |
| On or near Havelock Road | 258 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 232 |
| On or near Oasthouse Close | 216 |
| On or near Nightclub | 211 |
| On or near Station Road | 192 |
| On or near Whitworth Road | 165 |
| On or near York Gardens | 150 |
Of the 10,683 crimes in Hastings district with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,655 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,524 | 42.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,341 | 31.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 896 | 8.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 862 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 289 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 278 | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 277 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 78 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 63 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 32 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Hastings district has an estimated population of 91,219 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (29%, against 20%), fewer students (5.3%, against 7.9%) and more households without a car (29%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hastings district average decile 2.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Hastings district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 33.7% | 10.1% (England) |
1,529 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Hastings in 2024/25 (16.8 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 Hastings has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Hastings district a safe place to live?
Hastings district recorded 146.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 15th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Hastings district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,155 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,655).
Is crime in Hastings district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hastings district was up 19% on the year before: 13,338 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,195 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hastings district?
About 91,219 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hastings district?
Hastings district is policed by Sussex.
How many crimes did the police record in Hastings district in the year ending March 2026?
10,035 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 110.0 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 9,341.
Which offences are more common in Hastings district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were robbery of business property (111 offences, 2.6 times the England and Wales rate), shoplifting (1,756 offences, 2.4 times the England and Wales rate) and possession of weapons (176 offences, 1.9 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.