Crime in Rustington: statistics, rates and trends
1,993 crimes were recorded in Rustington in the 12 months to August 2026, 56.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Rustington at a glance
- Crime trends in Rustington
- Types of crime in Rustington
- Rustington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Rustington
- Streets with the most crime in Rustington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Rustington
- Demographics of Rustington
- Questions about crime in Rustington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (577), anti-social behaviour (472) and shoplifting (308) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,029th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Rustington | Arun | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,993 | 15,129 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 56.3 | 89.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 35,425 | 170,064 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Rustington of any year here (1,993 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 5%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,993 | 56.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,861 | 52.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,733 | 48.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,806 | 51.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,645 | 46.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,918 | 54.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,949 | 55.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,878 | 53.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,907 | 53.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 205 |
| July 2026 | 228 |
| June 2026 | 217 |
| May 2026 | 213 |
| April 2026 | 141 |
| March 2026 | 194 |
| February 2026 | 142 |
| January 2026 | 123 |
| December 2025 | 120 |
| November 2025 | 124 |
| October 2025 | 144 |
| September 2025 | 142 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and burglary (71% below) and other crime (67% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 179 to 308 and anti-social behaviour rose from 386 to 472, while other crime fell from 47 to 25 and burglary fell from 64 to 37.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 577 | 16.3 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 472 | 13.3 | 15.4 | +22% |
| Shoplifting | 308 | 8.7 | 8.5 | +72% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 143 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Public order | 142 | 4.0 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Other theft | 94 | 2.7 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 82 | 2.3 | 5.0 | -31% |
| Drugs | 40 | 1.1 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Burglary | 37 | 1.0 | 3.6 | -42% |
| Robbery | 31 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 25 | 0.7 | 2.1 | -47% |
| Bicycle theft | 19 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 19 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Rustington; the highest is Littlehampton (123.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Storrington (47.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rustington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Littlehampton | 2,308 | 123.8 | +120% |
| Wick (Arun) | 1,262 | 103.4 | +84% |
| Worthing | 11,569 | 101.6 | +81% |
| Yapton | 765 | 101.2 | +80% |
| Lancing and Sompting | 1,930 | 67.4 | +20% |
| Storrington | 312 | 47.0 | -16% |
| Barnham (Arun) | 572 | 61.9 | +10% |
| Bognor Regis | 7,025 | 102.0 | +81% |
Of the 5 areas within Rustington, Rustington East had the highest crime rate (112.8 per 1,000) and East Preston the lowest (25.8), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rustington East | Neighbourhood | 5,320 | 600 | 112.8 |
| Ferring | Neighbourhood | 4,815 | 276 | 57.3 |
| Angmering & Findon | Neighbourhood | 12,212 | 669 | 54.8 |
| Rustington West | Neighbourhood | 8,210 | 400 | 48.7 |
| East Preston | Neighbourhood | 7,339 | 189 | 25.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Rustington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (246).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 246 |
| On or near Dapper'S Lane | 59 |
| On or near Northcourt Close | 51 |
| On or near Coach House Close | 48 |
| On or near Fittleworth Garden | 39 |
| On or near Vernon Close | 35 |
| On or near Ancren Close | 33 |
| On or near Church Road | 30 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 30 |
| On or near Claigmar Road | 29 |
Of the 1,521 crimes in Rustington with a recorded outcome, 47% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 472 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 714 | 46.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 419 | 27.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 175 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 66 | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 47 | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 46 | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 28 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 10 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further 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% |
Rustington has an estimated population of 35,425 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (38%, against 19%), more retired residents (42%, against 22%) and less social housing (6.9%, against 17.1%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rustington average decile 7.3 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Rustington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 38.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 45.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 41.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 81.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 6.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Rustington a safe place to live?
Rustington recorded 56.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,029th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Rustington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 577 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (472).
Is crime in Rustington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rustington was up 7% on the year before: 1,993 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,861 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rustington?
About 35,425 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 38% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rustington?
Rustington 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.