Crime in Swale: statistics, rates and trends
15,704 crimes were recorded in Swale in the 12 months to August 2026, 99.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Swale at a glance
- Crime trends in Swale
- Types of crime in Swale
- Swale compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Swale
- Streets with the most crime in Swale
- What happened after crimes were reported in Swale
- Demographics of Swale
- Fly-tipping in Swale
- Questions about crime in Swale
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,506), anti-social behaviour (3,645) and criminal damage and arson (1,422) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 100th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Swale | Kent | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 15,704 | 145,778 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 99.2 | 88.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 158,379 | 1,639,029 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Swale of any year here (15,704 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 19%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 15,704 | 99.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,577 | 104.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 16,614 | 104.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 17,048 | 107.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,629 | 111.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 17,786 | 112.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,899 | 119.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,580 | 111.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,375 | 122.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,477 |
| July 2026 | 1,549 |
| June 2026 | 1,324 |
| May 2026 | 1,341 |
| April 2026 | 1,269 |
| March 2026 | 1,276 |
| February 2026 | 1,209 |
| January 2026 | 1,317 |
| December 2025 | 1,273 |
| November 2025 | 1,296 |
| October 2025 | 1,182 |
| September 2025 | 1,191 |
Compared with England and Wales, Swale recorded notably more other crime (55% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (50% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (33% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (88% below) and robbery (51% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 3,102 to 3,645, while theft from the person fell from 50 to 32 and burglary fell from 457 to 348.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,506 | 34.8 | 34.2 | -15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 3,645 | 23.0 | 15.4 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,422 | 9.0 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Shoplifting | 1,336 | 8.4 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Other theft | 927 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Vehicle crime | 676 | 4.3 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Public order | 575 | 3.6 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Other crime | 519 | 3.3 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Drugs | 381 | 2.4 | 3.3 | +9% |
| Burglary | 348 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -24% |
| Possession of weapons | 158 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -7% |
| Robbery | 105 | 0.7 | 1.4 | -3% |
| Bicycle theft | 74 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Theft from the person | 32 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -36% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Swale; the highest is Southend-on-Sea district (114.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Rochford district (51.3).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medway | 29,963 | 102.4 | +3% |
| Maidstone | 16,356 | 87.1 | -12% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 21,255 | 114.7 | +16% |
| Canterbury | 17,480 | 107.8 | +9% |
| Castle Point | 5,644 | 62.3 | -37% |
| Ashford | 10,895 | 77.3 | -22% |
| Rochford | 4,605 | 51.3 | -48% |
| Gravesham | 10,265 | 92.8 | -6% |
Of the 39 areas within Swale, Roman had the highest crime rate (211.7 per 1,000) and Upchurch the lowest (34.9), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman | Neighbourhood | 7,704 | 1,631 | 211.7 |
| Sheerness | Town | 13,496 | 2,847 | 211.0 |
| Eastchurch | Town | 2,255 | 406 | 180.0 |
| Leysdown-on-Sea | Town | 2,075 | 371 | 178.8 |
| Queenborough | Town | 3,689 | 585 | 158.6 |
| Sheppey East | Neighbourhood | 7,596 | 1,166 | 153.5 |
| Chalkwell | Neighbourhood | 4,053 | 522 | 128.8 |
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 7,006 | 843 | 120.3 |
| Murston | Neighbourhood | 7,235 | 825 | 114.0 |
| Milton Regis | Neighbourhood | 6,765 | 759 | 112.2 |
| Priory | Neighbourhood | 3,428 | 377 | 110.0 |
| Sittingbourne | Town | 55,303 | 5,678 | 102.7 |
| Queenborough and Halfway | Neighbourhood | 8,782 | 868 | 98.8 |
| Faversham | Town | 22,547 | 2,049 | 90.9 |
| St Ann's | Neighbourhood | 5,369 | 446 | 83.1 |
| Teynham and Lynsted | Neighbourhood | 7,185 | 592 | 82.4 |
| West Downs | Neighbourhood | 3,144 | 257 | 81.7 |
| Teynham | Town | 5,349 | 436 | 81.5 |
| Sheppey Central | Neighbourhood | 9,459 | 717 | 75.8 |
| Kemsley | Neighbourhood | 6,531 | 478 | 73.2 |
| Minster (Swale) | Town | 17,842 | 1,259 | 70.6 |
| Homewood | Neighbourhood | 5,814 | 410 | 70.5 |
| Newington | Town | 4,083 | 280 | 68.6 |
| Minster Cliffs | Neighbourhood | 8,383 | 542 | 64.7 |
| The Meads | Neighbourhood | 5,601 | 359 | 64.1 |
| Warden | Town | 1,306 | 78 | 59.7 |
| Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch | Neighbourhood | 6,977 | 411 | 58.9 |
| Lower Halstow | Town | 1,207 | 70 | 58.0 |
| Borden and Grove Park | Neighbourhood | 6,071 | 347 | 57.2 |
| Watling | Neighbourhood | 6,744 | 383 | 56.8 |
| Halfway Houses | Town | 5,093 | 283 | 55.6 |
| Woodstock | Neighbourhood | 6,596 | 311 | 47.1 |
| Boughton and Courtenay | Neighbourhood | 5,948 | 263 | 44.2 |
| Boughton under Blean | Town | 3,291 | 139 | 42.2 |
| Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow | Neighbourhood | 5,731 | 240 | 41.9 |
| East Downs | Neighbourhood | 2,761 | 110 | 39.8 |
| Iwade | Town | 4,524 | 170 | 37.6 |
| Broadoak | Town | 1,551 | 58 | 37.4 |
| Upchurch | Town | 1,406 | 49 | 34.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Swale over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,122).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,122 |
| On or near Supermarket | 666 |
| On or near Prison | 454 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 248 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 242 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 225 |
| On or near High Street | 211 |
| On or near Fox Hill | 147 |
| On or near Hare Street | 141 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 112 |
Of the 12,059 crimes in Swale with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 3,645 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,302 | 35.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,107 | 34.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,061 | 8.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 845 | 7.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 443 | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 384 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 380 | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 333 | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 101 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 73 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 28 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Swale has an estimated population of 158,379 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.9%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swale average decile 4.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Swale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 14.2% | 10.1% (England) |
2,654 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Swale 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 Swale has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Swale a safe place to live?
Swale recorded 99.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 100th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Swale?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,506 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (3,645).
Is crime in Swale going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swale was down 5% on the year before: 15,704 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,577 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swale?
About 158,379 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swale?
Swale is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.