Crime in Blean Forest: statistics, rates and trends
368 crimes were recorded in Blean Forest in the 12 months to August 2026, 38.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Blean Forest at a glance
- Crime trends in Blean Forest
- Types of crime in Blean Forest
- Blean Forest compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Blean Forest
- What happened after crimes were reported in Blean Forest
- Demographics of Blean Forest
- Questions about crime in Blean Forest
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (109), anti-social behaviour (63) and other theft (53) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,492nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Blean Forest | Canterbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 368 | 17,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 38.5 | 107.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 9,558 | 162,100 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Blean Forest peaked in the year to August 2022 (451 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (321). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 368 | 38.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 374 | 39.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 321 | 33.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 395 | 41.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 451 | 47.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 407 | 42.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 395 | 41.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 339 | 35.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 369 | 38.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 37 |
| July 2026 | 31 |
| June 2026 | 31 |
| May 2026 | 45 |
| April 2026 | 28 |
| March 2026 | 26 |
| February 2026 | 24 |
| January 2026 | 21 |
| December 2025 | 33 |
| November 2025 | 47 |
| October 2025 | 30 |
| September 2025 | 15 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and violence and sexual offences (67% below) and anti-social behaviour (57% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 37 to 63, while violence and sexual offences fell from 146 to 109.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 109 | 11.4 | 34.2 | -25% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 63 | 6.6 | 15.4 | +70% |
| Other theft | 53 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 31 | 3.2 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 24 | 2.5 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 19 | 2.0 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 16 | 1.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Drugs | 14 | 1.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Burglary | 11 | 1.2 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Public order | 10 | 1.0 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Other crime | 9 | 0.9 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Every one of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods has a higher crime rate than Blean Forest.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Blean Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Stephen's | 845 | 103.8 | +170% |
| Westgate | 3,309 | 304.2 | +690% |
| Northgate | 2,017 | 244.0 | +534% |
| Wincheap | 1,259 | 111.2 | +189% |
| Barton | 1,904 | 151.3 | +293% |
| Sturry | 679 | 78.8 | +105% |
| Chartham & Stone Street | 494 | 64.2 | +67% |
| Seasalter | 706 | 87.2 | +127% |
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Blean Forest over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Nightclub” (35).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Nightclub | 35 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 32 |
| On or near Turing Road | 24 |
| On or near Mill Lane | 18 |
| On or near Whitstable Road | 18 |
| On or near Cherry Avenue | 15 |
| On or near Church Hill | 15 |
| On or near Harcourt Drive | 15 |
| On or near Park Wood Road | 13 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 12 |
Of the 305 crimes in Blean Forest with a recorded outcome, 51% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 1.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 63 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 156 | 51.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 96 | 31.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 18 | 5.9% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 10 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 8 | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 6 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 4 | 1.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 4 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Blean Forest has an estimated population of 9,558 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (54.8%, against 7.9%), more unemployed residents (7.6%, against 3.4%) and less social housing (5.0%, against 17.1%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Blean Forest average decile 8.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Blean Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 11.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 31.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 7.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 54.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 6.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 78.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 5.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Blean Forest a safe place to live?
Blean Forest recorded 38.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,492nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Blean Forest?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 109 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (63).
Is crime in Blean Forest going up or down?
Recorded crime in Blean Forest was down 2% on the year before: 368 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 374 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Blean Forest?
About 9,558 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Blean Forest?
Blean Forest 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.