Crime in Horsham: statistics, rates and trends
3,924 crimes were recorded in Horsham in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,152), anti-social behaviour (1,007) and shoplifting (663) made up 72% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 648th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Horsham | Horsham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,924 | 8,635 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.1 | 57.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 50,241 | 151,521 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Horsham peaked in the year to August 2019 (3,942 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (3,535). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,924 | 78.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,771 | 75.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,890 | 77.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,779 | 75.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,582 | 71.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,617 | 72.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,756 | 74.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,942 | 78.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,535 | 70.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 373 |
| July 2026 | 377 |
| June 2026 | 394 |
| May 2026 | 362 |
| April 2026 | 379 |
| March 2026 | 350 |
| February 2026 | 274 |
| January 2026 | 245 |
| December 2025 | 259 |
| November 2025 | 254 |
| October 2025 | 317 |
| September 2025 | 340 |
Compared with England and Wales, Horsham recorded notably more shoplifting (56% above the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (30% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (74% below) and vehicle crime (70% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 685 to 1,007, while possession of weapons fell from 60 to 24 and vehicle crime fell from 130 to 75.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,152 | 22.9 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,007 | 20.0 | 15.4 | +47% |
| Shoplifting | 663 | 13.2 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 270 | 5.4 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Public order | 236 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -21% |
| Other theft | 178 | 3.5 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Burglary | 87 | 1.7 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Drugs | 84 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -24% |
| Vehicle crime | 75 | 1.5 | 5.0 | -42% |
| Other crime | 53 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -2% |
| Robbery | 43 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +2% |
| Bicycle theft | 30 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 24 | 0.5 | 1.0 | -60% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -33% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Horsham; the highest is Crawley (Crawley) (126.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Southwater (37.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Horsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadbridge Heath | 366 | 56.6 | -28% |
| Southwater | 437 | 37.2 | -52% |
| Crawley (Crawley) | 15,916 | 126.4 | +62% |
| Billingshurst | 540 | 52.0 | -33% |
| Cranleigh | 578 | 43.9 | -44% |
| Henfield | 326 | 55.2 | -29% |
| Copthorne | 486 | 77.3 | -1% |
| Horley (Reigate and Banstead) | 1,867 | 62.2 | -20% |
Of the 7 areas within Horsham, Denne had the highest crime rate (186.3 per 1,000) and Holbrook East the lowest (38.6), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denne | Neighbourhood | 10,380 | 1,934 | 186.3 |
| Holbrook West | Neighbourhood | 7,820 | 582 | 74.4 |
| Roffey South | Neighbourhood | 6,498 | 387 | 59.6 |
| Trafalgar | Neighbourhood | 6,293 | 303 | 48.1 |
| Forest | Neighbourhood | 8,985 | 387 | 43.1 |
| Roffey North | Neighbourhood | 6,329 | 249 | 39.3 |
| Holbrook East | Neighbourhood | 5,952 | 230 | 38.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Horsham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (350).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 350 |
| On or near Black Horse Way | 292 |
| On or near Parking Area | 292 |
| On or near Carfax | 120 |
| On or near River Mead | 119 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 107 |
| On or near East Street | 92 |
| On or near Hewells Court | 59 |
| On or near Barnes Mews | 51 |
| On or near Lower Tanbridge Way | 49 |
Of the 2,917 crimes in Horsham with a recorded outcome, 48% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,007 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,388 | 47.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 859 | 29.4% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 256 | 8.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 112 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 94 | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 87 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 54 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 27 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Horsham has an estimated population of 50,241 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (13%, against 18%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Horsham average decile 8.4 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Horsham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 38.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Horsham a safe place to live?
Horsham recorded 78.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 648th of the 1,390 towns 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 Horsham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,152 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,007).
Is crime in Horsham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Horsham was up 4% on the year before: 3,924 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,771 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Horsham?
About 50,241 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Horsham?
Horsham 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.