Crime in Rustington West: statistics, rates and trends
400 crimes were recorded in Rustington West in the 12 months to August 2026, 48.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 12% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Rustington West at a glance
- Crime trends in Rustington West
- Types of crime in Rustington West
- Rustington West compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Rustington West
- What happened after crimes were reported in Rustington West
- Demographics of Rustington West
- Questions about crime in Rustington West
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (122), anti-social behaviour (100) and shoplifting (51) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 3,073rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Rustington West | Arun | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 400 | 15,129 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 48.7 | 89.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +12% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 8,210 | 170,064 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Rustington West peaked in the year to August 2018 (410 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (336). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 2%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 400 | 48.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 358 | 43.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 336 | 40.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 389 | 47.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 375 | 45.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 406 | 49.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 384 | 46.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 375 | 45.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 410 | 49.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 44 |
| July 2026 | 55 |
| June 2026 | 52 |
| May 2026 | 34 |
| April 2026 | 18 |
| March 2026 | 43 |
| February 2026 | 37 |
| January 2026 | 25 |
| December 2025 | 10 |
| November 2025 | 22 |
| October 2025 | 30 |
| September 2025 | 30 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and violence and sexual offences (57% below) and vehicle crime (51% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 54 to 100 and shoplifting rose from 31 to 51, while vehicle crime fell from 38 to 20 and criminal damage and arson fell from 36 to 29.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 122 | 14.9 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 100 | 12.2 | 15.4 | +85% |
| Shoplifting | 51 | 6.2 | 8.5 | +65% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 29 | 3.5 | 6.7 | -19% |
| Other theft | 29 | 3.5 | 6.4 | +38% |
| Vehicle crime | 20 | 2.4 | 5.0 | -47% |
| Public order | 19 | 2.3 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Other crime | 8 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 7 | 0.9 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Burglary | 5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Rustington West; the highest is River (193.3 per 1,000) and the lowest East Preston (25.8).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rustington West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rustington East | 600 | 112.8 | +131% |
| Brookfield | 363 | 56.0 | +15% |
| Beach | 298 | 64.3 | +32% |
| River | 1,772 | 193.3 | +297% |
| East Preston | 189 | 25.8 | -47% |
| Courtwick with Toddington | 1,224 | 96.5 | +98% |
| Angmering & Findon | 669 | 54.8 | +12% |
| Ferring | 276 | 57.3 | +18% |
The 10 locations below account for 44% of the crime recorded in Rustington West over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Vernon Close” (35).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Vernon Close | 35 |
| On or near Claigmar Road | 29 |
| On or near Sea Road | 21 |
| On or near The Street | 20 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 18 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 17 |
| On or near Manor Road | 11 |
| On or near Arun Close | 10 |
| On or near Ashton Gardens | 8 |
| On or near Barnsite Close | 8 |
Of the 300 crimes in Rustington West with a recorded outcome, 49% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 100 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 146 | 48.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 89 | 29.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 29 | 9.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 11 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 11 | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 7 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 2 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Rustington West has an estimated population of 8,210 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (37%, against 19%), more retired residents (42%, against 22%) and less social housing (3.4%, against 17.1%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rustington West average decile 7.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Rustington West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 37.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 46.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 41.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 81.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 3.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Rustington West a safe place to live?
Rustington West recorded 48.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 3,073rd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Rustington West?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 122 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (100).
Is crime in Rustington West going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rustington West was up 12% on the year before: 400 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 358 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rustington West?
About 8,210 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 37% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rustington West?
Rustington West 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.