Crime in East Sussex
East Sussex is the 30th safest county in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in East Sussex in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 27 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of East Sussex's larger towns and cities, Brighton and Hove is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Hastings, and Eastbourne comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of East Sussex, starting with Bexhill which ranks as the safest area in East Sussex, followed up by Eastbourne in second place, and Hastings in third place.
Crime Map of East Sussex
Click to use map
East Sussex Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24,034 | 28.34 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,276 | 1.50 |
| Burglary | 3,041 | 3.59 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6,961 | 8.21 |
| Drugs | 2,203 | 2.60 |
| Other Crime | 1,284 | 1.51 |
| Other Theft | 4,815 | 5.68 |
| Possession of Weapons | 814 | 0.96 |
| Public Order | 6,294 | 7.42 |
| Robbery | 608 | 0.72 |
| Shoplifting | 3,374 | 3.98 |
| Theft From the Person | 551 | 0.65 |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,181 | 3.75 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23,278 | 27.45 |
East Sussex's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from East Sussex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexhill | 2,872 | 64 | 7% safer |
| Brighton and Hove | 23,715 | 97 | 30% more dangerous |
| Crowborough | 723 | 33 | 109% safer |
| Eastbourne | 8,645 | 75 | 10% more dangerous |
| Hailsham | 1,349 | 60 | 14% safer |
| Hastings | 8,829 | 94 | 28% more dangerous |
| Heathfield and Waldron | 440 | 36 | 91% safer |
| Lewes | 1,195 | 67 | 2.1% safer |
| Newhaven | 1,112 | 85 | 20% more dangerous |
| Peacehaven | 829 | 54 | 27% safer |
| Polegate | 475 | 51 | 34% safer |
| Seaford | 942 | 38 | 78% safer |
| Telscombe | 248 | 31 | 116% safer |
| Uckfield | 632 | 42 | 63% safer |
| Westham | 163 | 21 | 220% safer |
| Willingdon and Jevington | 126 | 17 | 307% safer |
Crime Trends in East Sussex
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26 | 22 | 20 | 28 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.84 | 0.96 | 1.1 | 0.96 | No change |
| Public Order | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.71 | 0.72 | 0.88 | 0.72 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.65 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.2 | 4.4 | 5 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23 | 25 | 28 | 27 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021