Seaford Crime Overview
Seaford is among the top 10 safest small towns in East Sussex, and is the 51st most dangerous overall out of East Sussex's 109 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Seaford in 2020 was 38 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to East Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 78% lower than the East Sussex rate of 68 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Seaford is the 215th safest small town, and the 4,756th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Seaford was the worst small town in East Sussex for bicycle theft, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.12 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2020 was also a bad month for Seaford residents, when it was East Sussex's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 5 crimes at a rate of 0.20 per 1,000 residents. Seaford recorded 19 reports of criminal damage and arson during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.77 the worst small town for criminal damage and arson in East Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Seaford are violence and sexual offences, with 408 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 17. This is 12% lower than 2019's figure of 456 offences and a difference of 1.95 from 2019's crime rate of 19. Seaford's least common crime is robbery, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 60% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Seaford to other towns and cities
See how Seaford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Seaford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Seaford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Seaford This Year
| Seaford | East Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 500 | 20.29 | 24,034 | 28.34 | 40% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 0.77 | 1,276 | 1.50 | 95% safer |
| Burglary | 41 | 1.66 | 3,041 | 3.59 | 116% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 124 | 5.03 | 6,961 | 8.21 | 63% safer |
| Drugs | 33 | 1.34 | 2,203 | 2.60 | 94% safer |
| Other Crime | 23 | 0.93 | 1,284 | 1.51 | 62% safer |
| Other Theft | 70 | 2.84 | 4,815 | 5.68 | 100% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 15 | 0.61 | 814 | 0.96 | 57% safer |
| Public Order | 127 | 5.15 | 6,294 | 7.42 | 44% safer |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.20 | 608 | 0.72 | 260% safer |
| Shoplifting | 39 | 1.58 | 3,374 | 3.98 | 152% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.24 | 551 | 0.65 | 171% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 32 | 1.30 | 3,181 | 3.75 | 188% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 408 | 16.56 | 23,278 | 27.45 | 66% safer |
Crime in Seaford Compared To East Sussex
Seaford Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willingdon and Jevington | 126 | 16.73 | 129% safer |
| Westham | 163 | 21.26 | 80% safer |
| Telscombe | 248 | 31.49 | 21% safer |
| Crowborough | 723 | 32.55 | 17% safer |
| Heathfield and Waldron | 440 | 35.64 | 7% safer |
| Seaford | 942 | 38.23 | - |
| Uckfield | 632 | 41.83 | 9% more dangerous |
| Polegate | 475 | 50.69 | 25% more dangerous |
| Peacehaven | 829 | 53.50 | 29% more dangerous |
| Hailsham | 1,349 | 59.65 | 36% more dangerous |
| Lewes | 1,195 | 66.60 | 43% more dangerous |
Seaford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 16 | 13 | 20 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.69 | 0.61 | 0.57 | 0.77 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5.0 | 6 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.61 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.81 | 0.93 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.20 | 0.53 | 0.57 | 0.61 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.04 | 0.32 | 0.08 | 0.20 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.28 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | Safer |
Changes In Seaford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Seaford to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seaford | 38.23 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 44% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 51% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 54% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 55% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 56% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 61% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 63% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 64% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 71% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 72% more dangerous |
Crime in Seaford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Blatchington | 215 | 22 | Third |
| Seaford Eastbourne Road | 231 | 28 | Second |
| Seaford Town | 496 | 74 | First |
Crime in Seaford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Seaford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Seaford saw a 300% increase in drugs. Seaford saw a large fall in vehicle crime during May, when it fell by 92% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +67% | +86% | +277% | +97% | +18% | +126% | -16% | +18% | +35% | -52% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +50% | -50% | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -17% | +33% | -25% | -78% | -44% | -20% | -82% | +100% | -43% | -60% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -29% | - | -20% | -68% | +186% | -48% | +12% | -68% | -71% | -36% |
| Drugs | -50% | +300% | -33% | +67% | +100% | - | -71% | -83% | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | +33% | +50% | - | - | - | - | -50% | -67% | +100% |
| Other Theft | -50% | -14% | +75% | +33% | -77% | -67% | -14% | -38% | -45% | -50% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | -67% | -67% | +100% | -50% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +122% | +75% | -30% | -67% | +22% | -8% | +167% | - | +143% | - |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +67% | -33% | - | - | +200% | -33% | -67% | - | -33% | +25% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | -33% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -50% | +150% | -92% | -83% | - | - | -25% | - | -50% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -42% | +26% | +2% | -30% | -8% | -22% | -31% | -9% | -47% | +6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Seaford
What police force serves Seaford?
Seaford's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Seaford?
Seaford is among the top 10 safest small towns in East Sussex.What is Seaford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Seaford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Seaford?
Seaford's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021