Herne Bay Crime Overview
Herne Bay is the second safest medium-sized town in Kent, and is the 119th most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Herne Bay in 2020 was 62 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 37% lower than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Herne Bay is the 73rd safest medium-sized town, and the 1,915th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2019, Herne Bay was the worst medium-sized town in Kent for theft from the person, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.12 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2015 was also a bad month for Herne Bay residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous medium-sized town for bicycle theft, recording 10 crimes at a rate of 0.24 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in Herne Bay are violence and sexual offences, with 1,375 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 3.1% lower than 2019's figure of 1,417 offences and a difference of 1.03 from 2019's crime rate of 35. Herne Bay's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 13 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 77% from 2019's figure of 23 crimes.
Compare Herne Bay to other towns and cities
See how Herne Bay shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Herne Bay and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Herne Bay Crime Map
Crime in Herne Bay Compared To Kent
Summary of Crimes in Herne Bay This Year
| Herne Bay | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 786 | 19.23 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 35% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 13 | 0.32 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 97% safer |
| Burglary | 76 | 1.86 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 105% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 268 | 6.56 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 53% safer |
| Drugs | 58 | 1.42 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 60% safer |
| Other Crime | 76 | 1.86 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 48% safer |
| Other Theft | 169 | 4.13 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 43% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 17 | 0.42 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 74% safer |
| Public Order | 213 | 5.21 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 36% safer |
| Robbery | 24 | 0.59 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 19% safer |
| Shoplifting | 116 | 2.84 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 75% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 19 | 0.46 | 834 | 0.45 | 2.2% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 117 | 2.86 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 71% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,375 | 33.64 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 22% safer |
Herne Bay Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable | 2,000 | 60.18 | 3.3% safer |
| Herne Bay | 2,541 | 62.16 | - |
| Broadstairs and St. Peters | 1,729 | 66.95 | 7% more dangerous |
| Tonbridge | 2,999 | 72.59 | 14% more dangerous |
| Sittingbourne | 5,120 | 95.60 | 35% more dangerous |
| Dartford | 5,776 | 98.04 | 37% more dangerous |
| Northfleet | 3,485 | 115.93 | 46% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Herne Bay
View crime percentage over time forHerne Bay Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 11 | 14 | 19 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.88 | 0.66 | 0.56 | 0.32 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.56 | 0.98 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 5 | 5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.17 | 0.49 | 0.37 | 0.42 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.39 | 0.54 | 0.61 | 0.59 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 4.6 | 3.9 | 5 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.34 | 0.24 | 0.56 | 0.46 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 32 | 35 | 34 | Getting worse |
Changes In Herne Bay's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Herne Bay's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Herne Bay that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Park | 22 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 5 | 4.7 |
Comparing Herne Bay to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Herne Bay | 62.16 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 8% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 20% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 25% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 28% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 36% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 40% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 53% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 55% more dangerous |
Crime in Herne Bay's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herne Bay Parade | 1,150 | 143 | First |
| Herne Bay South & Greenhill | 641 | 72 | Second |
Crime in Herne Bay During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Herne Bay change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Herne Bay saw a 400% increase in robbery. Herne Bay saw a large fall in burglary during March, when it fell by 82% compared to March in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Herne Bay's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +26% | +105% | +74% | +102% | +6% | +67% | -20% | -15% | +77% | +110% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | -50% | - | -75% | -67% | - | -75% | -50% |
| Burglary | -82% | -33% | -69% | -40% | +75% | - | -36% | -50% | -42% | -38% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -50% | -66% | -55% | +27% | -26% | -20% | -13% | - | +6% | -4% |
| Drugs | -67% | +200% | +160% | +25% | +33% | -75% | +67% | +100% | +25% | -67% |
| Other Crime | -14% | -22% | -22% | -20% | +50% | +43% | +17% | -60% | -33% | - |
| Other Theft | -46% | -45% | - | +67% | -37% | -13% | +75% | +19% | +20% | +22% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | +50% | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +13% | -24% | -50% | +156% | +5% | +50% | -20% | - | -17% | -7% |
| Robbery | -75% | - | +400% | -60% | +100% | - | - | -33% | +400% | +100% |
| Shoplifting | -78% | -67% | -72% | -75% | -21% | -47% | -56% | +50% | -58% | -65% |
| Theft From the Person | +50% | - | - | +200% | +300% | - | - | -33% | -50% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | +100% | -65% | -17% | +33% | +213% | -25% | +33% | -63% | -73% | -45% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -9% | -38% | -22% | -12% | +12% | +18% | +28% | +20% | +6% | +3% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Herne Bay
What police force serves Herne Bay?
Herne Bay's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Herne Bay?
Herne Bay is the second safest medium-sized town in Kent.What is Herne Bay's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Herne Bay are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Herne Bay?
Herne Bay's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021