Lewes Crime Overview
Lewes is the second most dangerous small town in East Sussex, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of East Sussex's 109 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Lewes in 2020 was 67 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to East Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 2.1% lower than the East Sussex rate of 68 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Lewes is the 239th most dangerous small town, and the 1,642nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Lewes was the worst small town in East Sussex for bicycle theft, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.11 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Lewes residents, when it was East Sussex's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.39 per 1,000 residents. Lewes recorded 16 reports of criminal damage and arson during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.89 the worst small town for criminal damage and arson in East Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Lewes are violence and sexual offences, with 495 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 3.4% lower than 2019's figure of 512 offences and a difference of 0.94 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Lewes's least common crime is robbery, with 7 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 71% from 2019's figure of 12 crimes.
Compare Lewes to other towns and cities
See how Lewes shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Lewes and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Lewes Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Lewes This Year
| Lewes | East Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 637 | 35.50 | 24,034 | 28.34 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 21 | 1.17 | 1,276 | 1.50 | 28% safer |
| Burglary | 69 | 3.85 | 3,041 | 3.59 | 7% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 172 | 9.59 | 6,961 | 8.21 | 14% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 36 | 2.01 | 2,203 | 2.60 | 29% safer |
| Other Crime | 40 | 2.23 | 1,284 | 1.51 | 32% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 70 | 3.90 | 4,815 | 5.68 | 46% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.50 | 814 | 0.96 | 92% safer |
| Public Order | 139 | 7.75 | 6,294 | 7.42 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.39 | 608 | 0.72 | 85% safer |
| Shoplifting | 78 | 4.35 | 3,374 | 3.98 | 9% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 13 | 0.72 | 551 | 0.65 | 10% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 46 | 2.56 | 3,181 | 3.75 | 46% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 495 | 27.59 | 23,278 | 27.45 | 0.51% more dangerous |
Crime in Lewes Compared To East Sussex
Lewes Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 28 | 30 | 36 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 3.9 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 7 | 8 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.89 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.17 | 0.50 | 0.67 | 0.39 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.72 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.9 | 3.8 | 7 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23 | 31 | 29 | 28 | Getting worse |
Changes In Lewes's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Lewes to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 66.60 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 14% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 22% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 32% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 35% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 51% more dangerous |
Crime in Lewes's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewes Central & East | 736 | 73 | First |
| Lewes West | 468 | 60 | Second |
Crime in Lewes During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Lewes change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Lewes saw a 300% increase in drugs. Lewes saw a large fall in vehicle crime during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Lewes's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +43% | +43% | +95% | +36% | - | +40% | - | +5% | +2% | -59% |
| Bicycle Theft | -40% | - | -50% | -33% | -33% | -57% | -50% | - | +100% | - |
| Burglary | +30% | - | -38% | -73% | -14% | -22% | -27% | -38% | -40% | +75% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +86% | -72% | -50% | +23% | -26% | +64% | - | -8% | -20% | -50% |
| Drugs | - | - | -40% | - | +300% | +150% | +50% | - | -25% | -67% |
| Other Crime | +67% | +150% | - | +100% | +125% | - | - | - | -67% | - |
| Other Theft | -71% | -55% | -80% | -11% | -45% | -71% | -17% | -55% | +50% | -69% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | +50% | - | -33% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +25% | -50% | +20% | -24% | +18% | +36% | - | +67% | +9% | -15% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +86% | -38% | - | -67% | -38% | -33% | +17% | +33% | -14% | -17% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | +100% | - | - | +50% | - | +200% | - | -60% |
| Vehicle Crime | -61% | -90% | -73% | -87% | -29% | -67% | +200% | +20% | -57% | -71% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +5% | +2% | -21% | -21% | -19% | - | +40% | -34% | -20% | -20% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lewes
What police force serves Lewes?
Lewes's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Lewes?
Lewes is the second most dangerous small town in East Sussex.What is Lewes's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Lewes are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Lewes?
Lewes's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021