Crime in Sittingbourne: statistics, rates and trends
5,678 crimes were recorded in Sittingbourne in the 12 months to August 2026, 102.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Sittingbourne at a glance
- Crime trends in Sittingbourne
- Types of crime in Sittingbourne
- Sittingbourne compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Sittingbourne
- Streets with the most crime in Sittingbourne
- What happened after crimes were reported in Sittingbourne
- Demographics of Sittingbourne
- Questions about crime in Sittingbourne
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,839), anti-social behaviour (1,369) and shoplifting (670) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 324th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Sittingbourne | Swale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,678 | 15,704 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 102.7 | 99.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -8% | -5% | -1% |
| Population | 55,303 | 158,379 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Sittingbourne of any year here (5,678 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,678 | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,141 | 111.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,459 | 116.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 7,118 | 128.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,857 | 124.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,735 | 121.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,247 | 131.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,035 | 127.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,769 | 140.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 552 |
| July 2026 | 528 |
| June 2026 | 498 |
| May 2026 | 501 |
| April 2026 | 488 |
| March 2026 | 433 |
| February 2026 | 463 |
| January 2026 | 485 |
| December 2025 | 436 |
| November 2025 | 491 |
| October 2025 | 390 |
| September 2025 | 413 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sittingbourne recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (61% above the national rate), shoplifting (43% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (28% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (47% below) and public order (43% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 49 to 63, while burglary fell from 144 to 104 and criminal damage and arson fell from 621 to 478.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,839 | 33.3 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,369 | 24.8 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Shoplifting | 670 | 12.1 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 478 | 8.6 | 6.7 | -23% |
| Other theft | 341 | 6.2 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Vehicle crime | 222 | 4.0 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Public order | 210 | 3.8 | 6.7 | -23% |
| Other crime | 148 | 2.7 | 2.1 | -16% |
| Drugs | 137 | 2.5 | 3.3 | +1% |
| Burglary | 104 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -28% |
| Possession of weapons | 63 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +29% |
| Robbery | 50 | 0.9 | 1.4 | -9% |
| Bicycle theft | 31 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -6% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Sittingbourne; the highest is Sheerness (211.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Bearsted (34.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sittingbourne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teynham | 436 | 81.5 | -21% |
| Halfway Houses | 283 | 55.6 | -46% |
| Minster (Swale) | 1,259 | 70.6 | -31% |
| Sheerness | 2,847 | 211.0 | +105% |
| Faversham | 2,049 | 90.9 | -11% |
| Gillingham (Medway) | 11,367 | 98.7 | -4% |
| Lenham and Harrietsham | 459 | 83.5 | -19% |
| Bearsted | 289 | 34.5 | -66% |
Of the 10 areas within Sittingbourne, Roman had the highest crime rate (211.7 per 1,000) and Woodstock the lowest (47.1), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman | Neighbourhood | 7,704 | 1,631 | 211.7 |
| Chalkwell | Neighbourhood | 4,053 | 522 | 128.8 |
| Murston | Neighbourhood | 7,235 | 825 | 114.0 |
| Milton Regis | Neighbourhood | 6,765 | 759 | 112.2 |
| West Downs | Neighbourhood | 3,144 | 257 | 81.7 |
| Kemsley | Neighbourhood | 6,531 | 478 | 73.2 |
| Homewood | Neighbourhood | 5,814 | 410 | 70.5 |
| The Meads | Neighbourhood | 5,601 | 359 | 64.1 |
| Borden and Grove Park | Neighbourhood | 6,071 | 347 | 57.2 |
| Woodstock | Neighbourhood | 6,596 | 311 | 47.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Sittingbourne over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (588).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 588 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 234 |
| On or near High Street | 164 |
| On or near Fox Hill | 147 |
| On or near Supermarket | 136 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 99 |
| On or near Oak Road | 81 |
| On or near The Butts | 79 |
| On or near Station Street | 68 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 64 |
Of the 4,309 crimes in Sittingbourne with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,369 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,607 | 37.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,430 | 33.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 370 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 333 | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 159 | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 157 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 117 | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 60 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 36 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 30 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Sittingbourne has an estimated population of 55,303 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.5%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sittingbourne average decile 4.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Sittingbourne | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 6.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Sittingbourne a safe place to live?
Sittingbourne recorded 102.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 324th 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 Sittingbourne?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,839 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,369).
Is crime in Sittingbourne going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sittingbourne was down 8% on the year before: 5,678 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,141 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sittingbourne?
About 55,303 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sittingbourne?
Sittingbourne 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.