Crime in River: statistics, rates and trends
1,772 crimes were recorded in River in the 12 months to August 2026, 193.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (617), anti-social behaviour (333) and shoplifting (199) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 221st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | River | Arun | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,772 | 15,129 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 193.3 | 89.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 9,166 | 170,064 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in River peaked in the year to August 2024 (1,990 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,635). 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 | 1,772 | 193.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,906 | 207.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,990 | 217.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,871 | 204.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,737 | 189.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,781 | 194.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,763 | 192.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,635 | 178.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,712 | 186.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 157 |
| July 2026 | 190 |
| June 2026 | 175 |
| May 2026 | 217 |
| April 2026 | 140 |
| March 2026 | 139 |
| February 2026 | 108 |
| January 2026 | 113 |
| December 2025 | 112 |
| November 2025 | 133 |
| October 2025 | 124 |
| September 2025 | 164 |
Compared with England and Wales, River recorded notably more bicycle theft (3.0 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.6 times the national rate) and shoplifting (2.6 times the national rate). On the year before, drugs rose from 36 to 46 and anti-social behaviour rose from 289 to 333, while vehicle crime fell from 111 to 66 and burglary fell from 55 to 37.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 617 | 67.3 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 333 | 36.3 | 15.4 | +15% |
| Shoplifting | 199 | 21.7 | 8.5 | -29% |
| Public order | 136 | 14.8 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 123 | 13.4 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 99 | 10.8 | 6.4 | +15% |
| Vehicle crime | 66 | 7.2 | 5.0 | -41% |
| Drugs | 46 | 5.0 | 3.3 | +28% |
| Burglary | 37 | 4.0 | 3.6 | -33% |
| Other crime | 31 | 3.4 | 2.1 | -21% |
| Robbery | 29 | 3.2 | 1.4 | +12% |
| Bicycle theft | 23 | 2.5 | 0.8 | +5% |
| Possession of weapons | 23 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 1.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
River has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach | 298 | 64.3 | -67% |
| Courtwick with Toddington | 1,224 | 96.5 | -50% |
| Brookfield | 363 | 56.0 | -71% |
| Rustington West | 400 | 48.7 | -75% |
| Rustington East | 600 | 112.8 | -42% |
| East Preston | 189 | 25.8 | -87% |
| Yapton | 765 | 101.2 | -48% |
| Middleton-on-Sea | 175 | 35.8 | -81% |
The 10 locations below account for 51% of the crime recorded in River over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (198).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 198 |
| On or near High Street | 185 |
| On or near Old Market Lane | 102 |
| On or near Parking Area | 98 |
| On or near Paterson Wilson Road | 69 |
| On or near St Catherine'S Road | 59 |
| On or near Irvine Road | 51 |
| On or near Arundel Road | 50 |
| On or near Bayford Road | 50 |
| On or near Arcade Road | 43 |
Of the 1,439 crimes in River with a recorded outcome, 42% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 333 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 609 | 42.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 447 | 31.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 152 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 77 | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 48 | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 34 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 25 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 17 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
River has an estimated population of 9,166 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (37%, against 20%), fewer students (3.8%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (10%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up River average decile 2.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | River | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 52.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 36.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 27.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is River a safe place to live?
River recorded 193.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 221st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in River?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 617 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (333).
Is crime in River going up or down?
Recorded crime in River was down 7% on the year before: 1,772 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,906 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of River?
About 9,166 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers River?
River is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.