Hastings Crime Overview
Hastings is the most dangerous major town in East Sussex, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of East Sussex's 109 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Hastings in 2020 was 94 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to East Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 28% higher than the East Sussex rate of 68 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Hastings is the 38th most dangerous major town, and the 613rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2018, Hastings had the worst crime rate in East Sussex for other crime, with 18 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.19 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2015 was also a bad month for Hastings residents, when it was East Sussex's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 12 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in Hastings are violence and sexual offences, with 3,860 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 9% lower than 2019's figure of 4,193 offences and a difference of 3.56 from 2019's crime rate of 45. Hastings's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 57 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 61% from 2019's figure of 92 crimes.
Compare Hastings to other towns and cities
See how Hastings shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Hastings and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Hastings Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Hastings This Year
| Hastings | East Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,551 | 37.96 | 24,034 | 28.34 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 57 | 0.61 | 1,276 | 1.50 | 146% safer |
| Burglary | 384 | 4.11 | 3,041 | 3.59 | 13% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,182 | 12.64 | 6,961 | 8.21 | 35% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 354 | 3.78 | 2,203 | 2.60 | 31% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 189 | 2.02 | 1,284 | 1.51 | 25% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 626 | 6.69 | 4,815 | 5.68 | 15% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 135 | 1.44 | 814 | 0.96 | 33% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 943 | 10.08 | 6,294 | 7.42 | 26% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 94 | 1.00 | 608 | 0.72 | 28% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 454 | 4.85 | 3,374 | 3.98 | 18% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 58 | 0.62 | 551 | 0.65 | 4.8% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 493 | 5.27 | 3,181 | 3.75 | 29% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,860 | 41.27 | 23,278 | 27.45 | 33% more dangerous |
Crime in Hastings Compared To East Sussex
Hastings Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 8,645 | 75.30 | 25% safer |
| Hastings | 8,829 | 94.39 | - |
Hastings Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 37 | 30 | 27 | 38 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.0 | 0.94 | 0.98 | 0.61 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Public Order | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.94 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.83 | 0.96 | 0.98 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 35 | 39 | 45 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Hastings's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Hastings to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 39% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 22% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 13% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 10% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 9% safer |
| Hastings | 94.39 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 3.1% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 8% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 29% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 31% more dangerous |
Crime in Hastings's Neighbourhoods
Central Hastings is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Hastings, followed by Central St Leonards in second place, and Broomgrove as the third most dangerous area. Hastings's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Ashdown, Conquest & St Helens, and Old Hastings.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashdown | 490 | 57 | Eighth |
| Braybrooke & Bohemia | 820 | 96 | Fifth |
| Broomgrove | 835 | 113 | Third |
| Central Hastings | 1,703 | 240 | First |
| Central St Leonards | 1,167 | 133 | Second |
| Conquest & St Helens | 481 | 50 | Ninth |
| Hollington | 825 | 103 | Fourth |
| Old Hastings | 538 | 70 | Seventh |
| Silverhill | 724 | 82 | Sixth |
Hastings Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Hastings for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Conquest & St Helens (186) | Central Hastings (601) |
| Bicycle Theft | Conquest & St Helens (1) | Central Hastings (14) |
| Burglary | Braybrooke & Bohemia (20) | Central St Leonards (61) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Ashdown (36) | Central Hastings (186) |
| Drugs | Ashdown (13) | Central Hastings (74) |
| Other Crime | Old Hastings (7) | Central Hastings (35) |
| Other Theft | Ashdown (31) | Central Hastings (136) |
| Possession of Weapons | Ashdown (4) | Central Hastings (30) |
| Public Order | Conquest & St Helens (42) | Central Hastings (209) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Conquest & St Helens (3) | Central Hastings (23) |
| Shoplifting | Broomgrove (1) | Central Hastings (182) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Conquest & St Helens (1) | Central Hastings (30) |
| Vehicle Crime | Ashdown (15) | Central Hastings (60) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Conquest & St Helens (221) | Central Hastings (688) |
Crime in Hastings During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Hastings change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Hastings saw a 367% increase in other crime. Hastings saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 89% compared to May in 2019. Hastings saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including other theft, shoplifting, theft from the person, and violence and sexual offences.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +34% | +125% | +84% | +22% | -10% | +13% | +15% | +34% | +111% | +108% |
| Bicycle Theft | -77% | +50% | -33% | -20% | -80% | -73% | -75% | - | - | -17% |
| Burglary | -19% | -57% | -29% | -15% | +3% | +9% | +21% | -52% | -34% | -67% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +9% | -13% | -28% | -16% | -6% | -22% | -22% | +14% | -21% | -37% |
| Drugs | -25% | +6% | -23% | -27% | +3% | +45% | -7% | -13% | -3% | -16% |
| Other Crime | +64% | +40% | +13% | +58% | +367% | +88% | +22% | +20% | +33% | -31% |
| Other Theft | -10% | -54% | -43% | -29% | -20% | -36% | +18% | -14% | -43% | -45% |
| Possession of Weapons | -37% | -60% | -23% | -15% | +5% | +23% | -33% | -25% | -53% | -69% |
| Public Order | +2% | -1% | -7% | +9% | +22% | +67% | -11% | +22% | +38% | +5% |
| Robbery | +29% | -63% | +117% | - | +11% | +40% | -11% | -25% | -64% | -67% |
| Shoplifting | -32% | -17% | - | -48% | -30% | -55% | -59% | -41% | -46% | -43% |
| Theft From the Person | -29% | -69% | -89% | -43% | -56% | -20% | -57% | -80% | -38% | +100% |
| Vehicle Crime | -3% | -60% | -54% | -37% | -45% | -32% | -19% | -26% | -50% | -41% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -30% | -12% | -5% | -9% | +13% | 0% | -5% | -2% | -27% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Hastings
What police force serves Hastings?
Hastings's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Hastings?
Hastings is the most dangerous major town in East Sussex.What is Hastings's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Hastings are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Hastings?
Hastings's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021