Eastbourne Crime Overview
Eastbourne is the safest major town in East Sussex, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of East Sussex's 109 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Eastbourne in 2020 was 75 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to East Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 10% higher than the East Sussex rate of 68 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Eastbourne is the 45th safest major town, and the 1,168th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Eastbourne was the worst major town in East Sussex for bicycle theft, with 20 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.17 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Eastbourne residents, when it was East Sussex's most dangerous major town for burglary, recording 27 crimes at a rate of 0.24 per 1,000 residents. Eastbourne recorded 83 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.72 the worst major town for criminal damage and arson in East Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Eastbourne are violence and sexual offences, with 3,759 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 33. This is 0.29% higher than 2019's figure of 3,748 offences and a difference of 0.09 from 2019's crime rate of 33. Eastbourne's least common crime is theft from the person, with 90 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 12% from 2019's figure of 101 crimes.
Compare Eastbourne to other towns and cities
See how Eastbourne shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Eastbourne and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Eastbourne Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Eastbourne This Year
| Eastbourne | East Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,438 | 29.95 | 24,034 | 28.34 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 148 | 1.29 | 1,276 | 1.50 | 16% safer |
| Burglary | 472 | 4.11 | 3,041 | 3.59 | 13% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,017 | 8.86 | 6,961 | 8.21 | 7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 357 | 3.11 | 2,203 | 2.60 | 16% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 165 | 1.44 | 1,284 | 1.51 | 4.9% safer |
| Other Theft | 688 | 5.99 | 4,815 | 5.68 | 5% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 121 | 1.05 | 814 | 0.96 | 9% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 955 | 8.32 | 6,294 | 7.42 | 11% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 93 | 0.81 | 608 | 0.72 | 11% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 510 | 4.44 | 3,374 | 3.98 | 10% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 90 | 0.78 | 551 | 0.65 | 17% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 270 | 2.35 | 3,181 | 3.75 | 60% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,759 | 32.74 | 23,278 | 27.45 | 16% more dangerous |
Crime in Eastbourne Compared To East Sussex
Eastbourne Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 8,645 | 75.30 | - |
| Hastings | 8,829 | 94.39 | 20% more dangerous |
Eastbourne Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 32 | 25 | 23 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.86 | 0.92 | 1.1 | 1.0 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.66 | 0.82 | 0.79 | 0.81 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.0 | 0.81 | 0.88 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 31 | 33 | 33 | Getting worse |
Changes In Eastbourne's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Eastbourne to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 11% safer |
| Eastbourne | 75.30 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 10% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 13% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 23% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 27% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 43% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 45% more dangerous |
Crime in Eastbourne's Neighbourhoods
Pier is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Eastbourne, followed by King Edward's Parade in second place, and Hampden Park South as the third most dangerous area. Eastbourne's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Old Town & Motcombe, Roselands, and Sovereign Harbour.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden Park North | 514 | 65 | Sixth |
| Hampden Park South | 785 | 97 | Third |
| King Edward's Parade | 1,216 | 154 | Second |
| Langney East | 452 | 57 | Seventh |
| Langney West | 530 | 71 | Fifth |
| Old Town & Motcombe | 446 | 54 | Eighth |
| Pier | 1,986 | 237 | First |
| Roselands | 471 | 53 | Ninth |
| Sovereign Harbour | 336 | 46 | Tenth |
| Upperton | 564 | 81 | Fourth |
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Eastbourne for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Roselands (182) | Pier (795) |
| Bicycle Theft | Old Town & Motcombe (1) | Pier (38) |
| Burglary | Sovereign Harbour (9) | King Edward's Parade (82) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Sovereign Harbour (35) | Pier (214) |
| Drugs | Sovereign Harbour (6) | Pier (89) |
| Other Crime | Old Town & Motcombe (6) | Pier (39) |
| Other Theft | Sovereign Harbour (23) | Pier (170) |
| Possession of Weapons | Sovereign Harbour (2) | Pier (35) |
| Public Order | Sovereign Harbour (26) | Pier (246) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Sovereign Harbour (1) | Pier (43) |
| Shoplifting | Hampden Park North (2) | Pier (140) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Roselands (1) | Pier (43) |
| Vehicle Crime | Sovereign Harbour (11) | Hampden Park South (33) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Old Town & Motcombe (172) | Pier (828) |
Crime in Eastbourne During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Eastbourne change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Eastbourne saw a 333% increase in robbery. Eastbourne saw a large fall in robbery during May, when it fell by 75% compared to May in 2019. Rates of other theft and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Eastbourne's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +28% | +103% | +88% | +56% | +12% | +19% | +6% | +56% | +2% | -33% |
| Bicycle Theft | -20% | -56% | -56% | -17% | -56% | -7% | - | -50% | -42% | +82% |
| Burglary | +66% | +3% | +8% | -47% | -47% | -26% | -20% | -11% | -66% | -43% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -4% | -29% | +4% | -14% | +30% | -8% | -13% | -13% | -18% | -31% |
| Drugs | -13% | +105% | +179% | +20% | - | +4% | +7% | +27% | +40% | +12% |
| Other Crime | +21% | +18% | -67% | +45% | -60% | -36% | +86% | +92% | +67% | +220% |
| Other Theft | -6% | -51% | -30% | -44% | -34% | -29% | +19% | -18% | -32% | -40% |
| Possession of Weapons | -36% | +60% | -33% | - | +70% | +9% | -25% | +70% | -8% | -43% |
| Public Order | +35% | +16% | -27% | +42% | -17% | +22% | +25% | +14% | +27% | -6% |
| Robbery | +333% | - | -75% | +50% | +27% | -55% | - | +17% | -57% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -28% | -58% | -52% | -35% | -54% | -39% | -23% | +3% | -14% | -13% |
| Theft From the Person | +43% | - | - | -75% | -64% | +9% | - | +33% | -38% | -17% |
| Vehicle Crime | +46% | - | -66% | -64% | -53% | -64% | -59% | +28% | -22% | -38% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -14% | -6% | +9% | +9% | +9% | -5% | -8% | -13% | -22% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Eastbourne
What police force serves Eastbourne?
Eastbourne's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Eastbourne?
Eastbourne is the safest major town in East Sussex.What is Eastbourne's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Eastbourne are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Eastbourne?
Eastbourne's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021