Crime in Roman, Swale: statistics, rates and trends
1,631 crimes were recorded in Roman, Swale in the 12 months to August 2026, 211.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Roman, Swale at a glance
- Crime trends in Roman, Swale
- Types of crime in Roman, Swale
- Roman, Swale compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Roman, Swale
- What happened after crimes were reported in Roman, Swale
- Demographics of Roman, Swale
- Questions about crime in Roman, Swale
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (477), anti-social behaviour (457) and shoplifting (253) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 174th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Roman, Swale | Swale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,631 | 15,704 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 211.7 | 99.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -5% | -1% |
| Population | 7,704 | 158,379 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Roman, Swale peaked in the year to August 2023 (2,168 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (1,572). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,631 | 211.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,700 | 220.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,891 | 245.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,168 | 281.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,930 | 250.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,572 | 204.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,763 | 228.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,800 | 233.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,901 | 246.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 151 |
| July 2026 | 125 |
| June 2026 | 126 |
| May 2026 | 159 |
| April 2026 | 142 |
| March 2026 | 142 |
| February 2026 | 142 |
| January 2026 | 128 |
| December 2025 | 133 |
| November 2025 | 143 |
| October 2025 | 111 |
| September 2025 | 129 |
Compared with England and Wales, Roman, Swale recorded notably more shoplifting (3.9 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (3.9 times the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (2.3 times the national rate). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 26 to 44 and drugs rose from 35 to 43, while other crime fell from 39 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 477 | 61.9 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 457 | 59.3 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 253 | 32.8 | 8.5 | -15% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 119 | 15.4 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Public order | 80 | 10.4 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Other theft | 72 | 9.3 | 6.4 | +22% |
| Vehicle crime | 44 | 5.7 | 5.0 | +69% |
| Drugs | 43 | 5.6 | 3.3 | +23% |
| Other crime | 21 | 2.7 | 2.1 | -46% |
| Burglary | 18 | 2.3 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Robbery | 14 | 1.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 12 | 1.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 11 | 1.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 10 | 1.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Roman, Swale has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Roman, Swale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murston | 825 | 114.0 | -46% |
| Woodstock | 311 | 47.1 | -78% |
| Homewood | 410 | 70.5 | -67% |
| West Downs | 257 | 81.7 | -61% |
| Chalkwell | 522 | 128.8 | -39% |
| Milton Regis | 759 | 112.2 | -47% |
| Borden and Grove Park | 347 | 57.2 | -73% |
| The Meads | 359 | 64.1 | -70% |
The 10 locations below account for 65% of the crime recorded in Roman, Swale over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (496).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 496 |
| On or near The Butts | 79 |
| On or near Supermarket | 75 |
| On or near High Street | 69 |
| On or near Station Street | 68 |
| On or near Police Station | 63 |
| On or near Pembury Street | 57 |
| On or near Roman Square | 57 |
| On or near Goodnestone Road | 54 |
| On or near Fountain Street | 48 |
Of the 1,174 crimes in Roman, Swale with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 457 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 430 | 36.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 349 | 29.7% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 116 | 9.9% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 92 | 7.8% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 57 | 4.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 50 | 4.3% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 31 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 18 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Roman, Swale has an estimated population of 7,704 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (19%, against 34%), more residents with no qualifications (26%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Roman, Swale average decile 2.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Roman, Swale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 25.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Roman, Swale a safe place to live?
Roman, Swale recorded 211.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 174th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Roman, Swale?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 477 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (457).
Is crime in Roman, Swale going up or down?
Recorded crime in Roman, Swale was down 4% on the year before: 1,631 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,700 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Roman, Swale?
About 7,704 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Roman, Swale?
Roman, 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.