Folkestone Crime Overview
Folkestone is the third most dangerous medium-sized town in Kent, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Folkestone in 2020 was 127 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 33% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Folkestone is among the top 10 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 234th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2020, Folkestone had the worst crime rate in Kent for bicycle theft, with 10 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.20 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2020 was also a bad month for Folkestone residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 10 crimes at a rate of 0.20 per 1,000 residents. Folkestone recorded 54 reports of shoplifting during June 2020, making its crime rate of 1.1 the worst for shoplifting in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Folkestone are violence and sexual offences, with 2,899 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 59. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 3,083 offences and a difference of 3.76 from 2019's crime rate of 63. Folkestone's least common crime is theft from the person, with 42 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 7% from 2019's figure of 39 crimes.
Compare Folkestone to other towns and cities
See how Folkestone shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Folkestone and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Folkestone Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Folkestone This Year
| Folkestone | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,080 | 42.51 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 39% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 74 | 1.51 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 58% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 184 | 3.76 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 1.3% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 716 | 14.63 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 32% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 191 | 3.90 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 42% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 163 | 3.33 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 17% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 422 | 8.63 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 32% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 65 | 1.33 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 45% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 541 | 11.06 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 36% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 59 | 1.21 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 42% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 576 | 11.77 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 58% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 42 | 0.86 | 834 | 0.45 | 48% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 259 | 5.29 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 8% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,899 | 59.25 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 31% more dangerous |
Crime in Folkestone Compared To Kent
Folkestone Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge | 2,999 | 72.59 | 74% safer |
| Sittingbourne | 5,120 | 95.60 | 32% safer |
| Dartford | 5,776 | 98.04 | 29% safer |
| Northfleet | 3,485 | 115.93 | 9% safer |
| Gravesend | 6,865 | 117.07 | 8% safer |
| Folkestone | 6,191 | 126.54 | - |
| Ramsgate | 5,826 | 138.94 | 9% more dangerous |
| Dover | 5,271 | 157.17 | 19% more dangerous |
Folkestone Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 30 | 22 | 30 | 43 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 6 | 9 | 7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.3 | No change |
| Other Theft | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.72 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 11 | 16 | 13 | 11 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.65 | 0.74 | 0.80 | 0.86 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 54 | 61 | 63 | 59 | Safer |
Changes In Folkestone's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Folkestone to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Folkestone's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheriton & Horn Street | 724 | 74 | Fifth |
| Folkestone Central | 1,113 | 155 | Second |
| Folkestone Foord | 979 | 123 | Third |
| Folkestone Harbour | 2,034 | 268 | First |
| Folkestone Morehall & Sandgate | 917 | 70 | Sixth |
| Folkestone North East | 666 | 82 | Fourth |
Folkestone Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Folkestone for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Cheriton & Horn Street (222) | Folkestone Harbour (882) |
| Bicycle Theft | Cheriton & Horn Street (7) | Folkestone Harbour (23) |
| Burglary | Cheriton & Horn Street (18) | Folkestone Harbour (69) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Folkestone Morehall & Sandgate (93) | Folkestone Harbour (210) |
| Drugs | Cheriton & Horn Street (8) | Folkestone Harbour (76) |
| Other Crime | Cheriton & Horn Street (20) | Folkestone Harbour (42) |
| Other Theft | Cheriton & Horn Street (37) | Folkestone Harbour (152) |
| Possession of Weapons | Cheriton & Horn Street (3) | Folkestone Harbour (19) |
| Public Order | Cheriton & Horn Street (41) | Folkestone Harbour (193) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Folkestone Morehall & Sandgate (3) | Folkestone Harbour (32) |
| Shoplifting | Folkestone North East (1) | Folkestone Harbour (254) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Cheriton & Horn Street (1) | Folkestone Harbour (24) |
| Vehicle Crime | Cheriton & Horn Street (20) | Folkestone Harbour (68) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Folkestone Morehall & Sandgate (383) | Folkestone Harbour (872) |
Crime in Folkestone During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Folkestone change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Folkestone saw a 400% increase in theft from the person. Folkestone saw a large fall in possession of weapons during November, when it fell by 87% compared to November in 2019. Criminal Damage and Arson saw a fall in every month of Folkestone's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -9% | +142% | +90% | +24% | +50% | +38% | +28% | +37% | +83% | -2% |
| Bicycle Theft | -40% | - | -40% | +17% | -25% | -46% | -11% | -33% | -33% | - |
| Burglary | -53% | -63% | -56% | -41% | -29% | -25% | -36% | -29% | -60% | -61% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -6% | -28% | -2% | -23% | -8% | -9% | -13% | +8% | -5% | -30% |
| Drugs | +100% | +100% | +62% | +100% | +110% | +9% | -15% | - | +33% | -15% |
| Other Crime | +86% | -13% | +44% | -10% | -6% | - | -25% | -16% | -28% | +67% |
| Other Theft | -52% | -52% | -29% | -8% | -14% | -23% | -38% | -42% | -9% | -13% |
| Possession of Weapons | -14% | +100% | -25% | +140% | +50% | -17% | +43% | -56% | -87% | -86% |
| Public Order | -46% | -23% | -24% | +6% | -25% | -13% | +5% | -17% | -33% | +3% |
| Robbery | -38% | -86% | -58% | - | -50% | +100% | +25% | -57% | -83% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | +5% | -50% | -44% | +4% | +9% | +36% | -4% | -15% | -44% | -26% |
| Theft From the Person | -67% | -50% | +50% | -33% | -75% | +133% | +200% | +400% | +100% | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | -33% | -76% | -4% | +11% | -23% | -36% | -63% | -39% | -40% | +18% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -32% | -14% | - | +3% | +15% | +42% | +15% | -11% | -10% | -15% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Folkestone
What police force serves Folkestone?
Folkestone's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Folkestone?
Folkestone is the third most dangerous medium-sized town in Kent.What is Folkestone's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Folkestone are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Folkestone?
Folkestone's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021