Crime in Herne Bay: statistics, rates and trends
2,506 crimes were recorded in Herne Bay in the 12 months to August 2026, 101.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Herne Bay at a glance
- Crime trends in Herne Bay
- Types of crime in Herne Bay
- Herne Bay compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Herne Bay
- Streets with the most crime in Herne Bay
- What happened after crimes were reported in Herne Bay
- Demographics of Herne Bay
- Questions about crime in Herne Bay
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (816), anti-social behaviour (586) and shoplifting (313) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 331st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Herne Bay | Canterbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,506 | 17,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 101.8 | 107.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 24,618 | 162,100 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Herne Bay peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,985 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (2,377). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 16%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,506 | 101.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,481 | 100.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,377 | 96.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,581 | 104.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,491 | 101.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,748 | 111.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,746 | 111.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,512 | 102.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,985 | 121.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 251 |
| July 2026 | 235 |
| June 2026 | 231 |
| May 2026 | 229 |
| April 2026 | 230 |
| March 2026 | 186 |
| February 2026 | 168 |
| January 2026 | 186 |
| December 2025 | 182 |
| November 2025 | 205 |
| October 2025 | 217 |
| September 2025 | 186 |
Compared with England and Wales, Herne Bay recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (55% above the national rate) and shoplifting (50% above the national rate), and notably less public order (57% below) and burglary (35% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 423 to 586 and other theft rose from 122 to 143, while other crime fell from 71 to 45 and drugs fell from 115 to 85.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 816 | 33.1 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 586 | 23.8 | 15.4 | +39% |
| Shoplifting | 313 | 12.7 | 8.5 | -16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 205 | 8.3 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Other theft | 143 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +17% |
| Vehicle crime | 105 | 4.3 | 5.0 | +15% |
| Drugs | 85 | 3.5 | 3.3 | -26% |
| Public order | 70 | 2.8 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Burglary | 57 | 2.3 | 3.6 | +2% |
| Other crime | 45 | 1.8 | 2.1 | -37% |
| Robbery | 31 | 1.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 28 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +17% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Herne Bay; the highest is Canterbury (165.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Herne (57.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Herne Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herne | 821 | 57.0 | -44% |
| Whitstable | 2,675 | 86.1 | -15% |
| Canterbury | 9,598 | 165.8 | +63% |
| Aylesham | 481 | 74.4 | -27% |
| Margate | 7,858 | 123.2 | +21% |
| Faversham | 2,049 | 90.9 | -11% |
| Ramsgate | 5,841 | 136.5 | +34% |
| Broadstairs | 1,854 | 74.5 | -27% |
The 10 locations below account for 38% of the crime recorded in Herne Bay over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (379).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 379 |
| On or near Parking Area | 112 |
| On or near Clarence Street | 78 |
| On or near Dolphin Street | 74 |
| On or near East Street | 56 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 53 |
| On or near Bank Street | 51 |
| On or near York Road | 50 |
| On or near William Street | 48 |
| On or near Beacon Walk | 45 |
Of the 1,920 crimes in Herne Bay with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 586 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 737 | 38.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 722 | 37.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 140 | 7.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 94 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 85 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 47 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 37 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 37 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 17 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Herne Bay has an estimated population of 24,618 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (31%, against 19%), more retired residents (34%, against 22%) and less social housing (8.5%, against 17.1%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Herne Bay average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Herne Bay | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 31.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 48.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 33.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 8.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Herne Bay a safe place to live?
Herne Bay recorded 101.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 331st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Herne Bay?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 816 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (586).
Is crime in Herne Bay going up or down?
Recorded crime in Herne Bay was up 1% on the year before: 2,506 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,481 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Herne Bay?
About 24,618 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 31% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Herne Bay?
Herne Bay 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.