Crime in Kent
Kent is among the top 10 most dangerous counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in Kent in 2020 was 85 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 41 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of Kent's larger towns and cities, Sheerness is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Stone, and Dover comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of Kent, starting with Bearsted which ranks as the safest area in Kent, followed up by Herne and Broomfield in second place, and Birchington in third place.
Crime Map of Kent
Click to use map
Kent Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 48,316 | 25.97 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,165 | 0.63 |
| Burglary | 7,089 | 3.81 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 18,622 | 10.01 |
| Drugs | 4,217 | 2.27 |
| Other Crime | 5,115 | 2.75 |
| Other Theft | 10,954 | 5.89 |
| Possession of Weapons | 1,351 | 0.73 |
| Public Order | 13,158 | 7.07 |
| Robbery | 1,309 | 0.70 |
| Shoplifting | 9,225 | 4.96 |
| Theft From the Person | 834 | 0.45 |
| Vehicle Crime | 9,087 | 4.88 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 76,374 | 41.05 |
Kent's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Kent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 6,750 | 90 | 5% more dangerous |
| Aylesford | 732 | 64 | 33% safer |
| Bearsted | 94 | 11 | 659% safer |
| Birchington | 219 | 21 | 299% safer |
| Boxley | 372 | 39 | 119% safer |
| Broadstairs and St. Peters | 1,729 | 67 | 27% safer |
| Chatham | 8,964 | 111 | 23% more dangerous |
| Dartford | 5,776 | 98 | 13% more dangerous |
| Deal | 1,642 | 78 | 9% safer |
| Dover | 5,271 | 157 | 46% more dangerous |
| East Malling and Larkfield | 1,012 | 69 | 24% safer |
| Edenbridge | 748 | 77 | 11% safer |
| Faversham | 1,778 | 88 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Folkestone | 6,191 | 127 | 33% more dangerous |
| Frindsbury Extra | 316 | 42 | 103% safer |
| Gillingham | 11,203 | 103 | 17% more dangerous |
| Gravesend | 6,865 | 117 | 27% more dangerous |
| Hawkinge | 534 | 61 | 40% safer |
| Herne and Broomfield | 152 | 16 | 442% safer |
| Herne Bay | 2,541 | 62 | 37% safer |
| Hoo St. Werburgh | 694 | 68 | 25% safer |
| Hythe | 846 | 56 | 53% safer |
| Kings Hill | 345 | 37 | 128% safer |
| Kingsnorth | 381 | 30 | 181% safer |
| Maidstone | 10,449 | 87 | 2.2% more dangerous |
| Margate | 8,491 | 129 | 34% more dangerous |
| Minster-on-Sea | 1,186 | 69 | 23% safer |
| Northfleet | 3,485 | 116 | 27% more dangerous |
| Paddock Wood | 550 | 68 | 26% safer |
| Ramsgate | 5,826 | 139 | 39% more dangerous |
| Rochester | 6,935 | 104 | 18% more dangerous |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 4,108 | 68 | 26% safer |
| Sevenoaks | 1,457 | 66 | 29% safer |
| Sheerness | 2,515 | 187 | 55% more dangerous |
| Sittingbourne | 5,120 | 96 | 11% more dangerous |
| Snodland | 1,063 | 90 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Southborough | 800 | 65 | 31% safer |
| Stone | 2,382 | 179 | 52% more dangerous |
| Swanley | 1,738 | 100 | 15% more dangerous |
| Swanscombe and Greenhithe | 1,700 | 95 | 11% more dangerous |
| Tenterden | 436 | 56 | 52% safer |
| Tonbridge | 2,999 | 73 | 17% safer |
| Walmer | 486 | 59 | 43% safer |
| Whitstable | 2,000 | 60 | 42% safer |
Crime Trends in Kent
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 15 | 17 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.79 | 0.63 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.46 | 0.65 | 0.82 | 0.73 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.71 | 0.89 | 0.96 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.51 | 0.49 | 0.63 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 34 | 40 | 41 | 41 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021