Gillingham Crime Overview
Gillingham is among the top 5 most dangerous major towns in Kent, and is the 29th most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Gillingham in 2020 was 103 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 17% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Gillingham is the 26th most dangerous major town, and the 448th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Gillingham had the worst crime rate in Kent for burglary, with 31 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.29 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Gillingham residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 86 crimes at a rate of 0.79 per 1,000 residents. Gillingham recorded 56 reports of other theft during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.52 the worst for other theft in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Gillingham are violence and sexual offences, with 5,587 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 51. This is 3.2% higher than 2019's figure of 5,411 offences and a difference of 1.62 from 2019's crime rate of 50. Gillingham's least common crime is theft from the person, with 64 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 48% from 2019's figure of 95 crimes.
Compare Gillingham to other towns and cities
See how Gillingham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Gillingham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Gillingham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Gillingham This Year
| Gillingham | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,129 | 28.82 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 72 | 0.66 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 4.5% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 410 | 3.78 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 0.79% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,281 | 11.80 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 15% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 314 | 2.89 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 21% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 349 | 3.21 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 679 | 6.25 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 6% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 94 | 0.87 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 16% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,046 | 9.63 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 27% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 133 | 1.22 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 43% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 639 | 5.88 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 16% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 64 | 0.59 | 834 | 0.45 | 24% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 535 | 4.93 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 1.0% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,587 | 51.45 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime in Gillingham Compared To Kent
Gillingham Compared to Nearby Major Towns
Gillingham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26 | 18 | 20 | 29 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.87 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.43 | 0.55 | 0.84 | 0.87 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.42 | 0.64 | 0.87 | 0.59 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 41 | 49 | 50 | 51 | Getting worse |
Changes In Gillingham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Gillingham to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 52% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 33% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 20% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 6% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 0.29% safer |
| Gillingham | 103.17 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Gillingham's Neighbourhoods
Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Gillingham, followed by Gillingham Central in second place, and Gillingham East as the third most dangerous area. Gillingham's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Hempstead & Wigmore, Parkwood West, and Rainham South East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside | 3,658 | 372 | First |
| Chatham Maritime | 1,319 | 143 | Fifth |
| Gillingham Central | 1,690 | 217 | Second |
| Gillingham East | 1,284 | 160 | Third |
| Gillingham North | 1,016 | 122 | Sixth |
| Gillingham North East | 888 | 115 | Seventh |
| Gillingham South | 1,114 | 156 | Fourth |
| Hempstead & Wigmore | 276 | 35 | 13th |
| Parkwood West | 335 | 46 | 11th |
| Rainham North East | 726 | 101 | Ninth |
| Rainham South East | 273 | 43 | 12th |
| Rainham South West | 459 | 78 | Tenth |
| Twydall | 953 | 108 | Eighth |
Gillingham Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Gillingham for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Hempstead & Wigmore (98) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (943) |
| Bicycle Theft | Rainham North East (2) | Gillingham East (18) |
| Burglary | Hempstead & Wigmore (12) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (148) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Hempstead & Wigmore (20) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (313) |
| Drugs | Rainham North East (2) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (165) |
| Other Crime | Rainham South East (7) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (100) |
| Other Theft | Hempstead & Wigmore (18) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (234) |
| Possession of Weapons | Rainham South West (1) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (54) |
| Public Order | Hempstead & Wigmore (25) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (389) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Rainham South East (1) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (90) |
| Shoplifting | Parkwood West (2) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (319) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Twydall (1) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (53) |
| Vehicle Crime | Hempstead & Wigmore (14) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (103) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Hempstead & Wigmore (100) | Chatham Central and Rochester Riverside (1,669) |
Crime in Gillingham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Gillingham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Gillingham saw a 191% increase in drugs. Gillingham saw a large fall in robbery during May, when it fell by 78% compared to May in 2019. Rates of burglary and theft from the person both fell year-on-year for every month during Gillingham's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +37% | +149% | +115% | +33% | -3% | +3% | +35% | +12% | +29% | +72% |
| Bicycle Theft | -42% | - | -33% | +167% | +25% | -20% | -57% | -67% | -44% | -38% |
| Burglary | -56% | -31% | -39% | -17% | +7% | -11% | -43% | -55% | -58% | -56% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +8% | +55% | -11% | -9% | +18% | -9% | -7% | -20% | -11% | -33% |
| Drugs | +21% | +140% | +81% | +133% | +191% | +31% | +44% | +5% | -27% | +69% |
| Other Crime | -6% | +24% | -29% | +36% | +5% | +48% | -7% | -6% | -18% | +16% |
| Other Theft | -47% | -45% | -43% | -42% | -40% | -39% | -33% | -36% | -51% | -37% |
| Possession of Weapons | +36% | -11% | +33% | +57% | +100% | -67% | -10% | -58% | -29% | -25% |
| Public Order | -21% | +21% | -2% | +19% | -17% | +22% | -18% | -25% | -28% | +17% |
| Robbery | +10% | -35% | -78% | +33% | - | +8% | -31% | - | +30% | -38% |
| Shoplifting | -8% | -51% | -59% | -53% | +25% | +91% | -32% | +30% | +6% | -4% |
| Theft From the Person | -78% | -17% | -33% | -50% | -50% | -20% | +150% | -33% | -38% | -14% |
| Vehicle Crime | -13% | -32% | +12% | +47% | -18% | -30% | -65% | -24% | -55% | +7% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +8% | -3% | -6% | -2% | -4% | +25% | +11% | +7% | -12% | -1% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Gillingham
What police force serves Gillingham?
Gillingham's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Gillingham?
Gillingham is among the top 5 most dangerous major towns in Kent.What is Gillingham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Gillingham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Gillingham?
Gillingham's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021