Crime in Whitstable: statistics, rates and trends
2,675 crimes were recorded in Whitstable in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Whitstable at a glance
- Crime trends in Whitstable
- Types of crime in Whitstable
- Whitstable compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Whitstable
- Streets with the most crime in Whitstable
- What happened after crimes were reported in Whitstable
- Demographics of Whitstable
- Questions about crime in Whitstable
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (853), shoplifting (491) and anti-social behaviour (470) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 525th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Whitstable | Canterbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,675 | 17,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.1 | 107.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 31,070 | 162,100 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Whitstable peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,840 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (2,351). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,675 | 86.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,671 | 86.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,351 | 75.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,558 | 82.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,513 | 80.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,695 | 86.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,840 | 91.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,625 | 84.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,828 | 91.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 216 |
| July 2026 | 271 |
| June 2026 | 249 |
| May 2026 | 264 |
| April 2026 | 213 |
| March 2026 | 229 |
| February 2026 | 171 |
| January 2026 | 192 |
| December 2025 | 217 |
| November 2025 | 244 |
| October 2025 | 202 |
| September 2025 | 207 |
Compared with England and Wales, Whitstable recorded notably more shoplifting (87% above the national rate), and notably less public order (72% below) and drugs (42% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 111 to 148 and anti-social behaviour rose from 356 to 470, while public order fell from 96 to 58 and other crime fell from 85 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 853 | 27.5 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 491 | 15.8 | 8.5 | -19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 470 | 15.1 | 15.4 | +32% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 232 | 7.5 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 165 | 5.3 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 148 | 4.8 | 5.0 | +33% |
| Burglary | 86 | 2.8 | 3.6 | +9% |
| Drugs | 59 | 1.9 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Public order | 58 | 1.9 | 6.7 | -40% |
| Other crime | 57 | 1.8 | 2.1 | -33% |
| Bicycle theft | 20 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 19 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Whitstable; the highest is Canterbury (165.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Halfway Houses (55.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Whitstable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herne | 821 | 57.0 | -34% |
| Herne Bay | 2,506 | 101.8 | +18% |
| Canterbury | 9,598 | 165.8 | +93% |
| Faversham | 2,049 | 90.9 | +6% |
| Teynham | 436 | 81.5 | -5% |
| Minster (Swale) | 1,259 | 70.6 | -18% |
| Aylesham | 481 | 74.4 | -14% |
| Halfway Houses | 283 | 55.6 | -35% |
Of the 5 areas within Whitstable, Gorrell had the highest crime rate (114.3 per 1,000) and Chestfield the lowest (44.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorrell | Neighbourhood | 11,920 | 1,363 | 114.3 |
| Seasalter | Neighbourhood | 8,095 | 706 | 87.2 |
| Swalecliffe | Neighbourhood | 2,845 | 183 | 64.3 |
| Tankerton | Neighbourhood | 3,160 | 169 | 53.5 |
| Chestfield | Neighbourhood | 6,792 | 300 | 44.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 35% of the crime recorded in Whitstable over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (439).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 439 |
| On or near Parking Area | 134 |
| On or near Lucerne Drive | 53 |
| On or near Prospect Way | 52 |
| On or near St Lukes Close | 50 |
| On or near Oxford Street | 49 |
| On or near High Street | 48 |
| On or near Reeves Way | 43 |
| On or near St Andrew'S Close | 41 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 37 |
Of the 2,205 crimes in Whitstable with a recorded outcome, 48% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 470 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,054 | 47.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 643 | 29.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 126 | 5.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 119 | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 85 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 58 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 49 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 46 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 14 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 2 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Whitstable has an estimated population of 31,070 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (30%, against 19%), less social housing (7.9%, against 17.1%) and more retired residents (33%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Whitstable average decile 7.3 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Whitstable | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 29.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 32.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 76.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 7.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Whitstable a safe place to live?
Whitstable recorded 86.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 525th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Whitstable?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 853 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (491).
Is crime in Whitstable going up or down?
Recorded crime in Whitstable was almost unchanged on the year before: 2,675 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,671 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Whitstable?
About 31,070 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 30% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Whitstable?
Whitstable 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.