Rochester Crime Overview
Rochester is the third most dangerous major town in Kent, and is the 28th most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Rochester in 2020 was 104 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Rochester is the 24th most dangerous major town, and the 436th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Rochester had the worst crime rate in Kent for shoplifting, with 62 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.93 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2019 was also a bad month for Rochester residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 42 crimes at a rate of 0.63 per 1,000 residents. Rochester recorded 81 reports of vehicle crime during May 2019, making its crime rate of 1.2 the worst for vehicle crime in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Rochester are violence and sexual offences, with 3,424 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 51. This is 7% lower than 2019's figure of 3,655 offences and a difference of 3.48 from 2019's crime rate of 55. Rochester's least common crime is theft from the person, with 28 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 32% from 2019's figure of 37 crimes.
Compare Rochester to other towns and cities
See how Rochester shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Rochester and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Rochester Crime Map
Crime in Rochester Compared To Kent
Summary of Crimes in Rochester This Year
| Rochester | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,970 | 29.62 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 33 | 0.50 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 26% safer |
| Burglary | 261 | 3.92 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 695 | 10.45 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 145 | 2.18 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 4.1% safer |
| Other Crime | 276 | 4.15 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 34% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 525 | 7.89 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 25% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 52 | 0.78 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 6% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 520 | 7.82 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 10% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 76 | 1.14 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 39% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 518 | 7.79 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 36% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 28 | 0.42 | 834 | 0.45 | 7% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 382 | 5.74 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 15% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,424 | 51.48 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 20% more dangerous |
Rochester Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 4,108 | 67.50 | 54% safer |
| Maidstone | 10,449 | 87.14 | 20% safer |
| Ashford | 6,750 | 89.69 | 16% safer |
| Gillingham | 11,203 | 103.17 | 1.1% safer |
| Rochester | 6,935 | 104.28 | - |
| Chatham | 8,964 | 110.91 | 6% more dangerous |
| Margate | 8,491 | 129.24 | 19% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Rochester
View crime percentage over time forRochester Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 20 | 20 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.75 | 0.63 | 0.47 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.36 | 0.69 | 0.75 | 0.78 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 13 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.78 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.69 | 0.63 | 0.56 | 0.42 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 9 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 43 | 50 | 55 | 51 | Getting worse |
Changes In Rochester's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Rochester's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Rochester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broom Hill Park | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0.86 |
| Priestfields Recreation Ground | 14 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.3 |
Comparing Rochester to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 54% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 35% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 25% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 22% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 21% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 7% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 1.4% safer |
| Rochester | 104.28 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 24% more dangerous |
Crime in Rochester's Neighbourhoods
Rochester West is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Rochester, followed by Strood North & Frindsbury in second place, and Strood South & Temple Marsh as the third most dangerous area. Rochester's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Broomhill, Rede Common, and Rochester South East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broomhill | 391 | 65 | Sixth |
| Rede Common | 644 | 98 | Fifth |
| Rochester East | 663 | 98 | Fourth |
| Rochester South East | 379 | 58 | Seventh |
| Rochester West | 1,155 | 153 | First |
| Strood North & Frindsbury | 1,263 | 149 | Second |
| Strood South & Temple Marsh | 1,332 | 135 | Third |
Rochester Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Rochester for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Broomhill (79) | Rochester West (435) |
| Bicycle Theft | Rede Common (1) | Rochester West (11) |
| Burglary | Rochester South East (14) | Rochester West (50) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Broomhill (30) | Rochester West (139) |
| Drugs | Broomhill (5) | Rochester West (34) |
| Other Crime | Broomhill (10) | Rochester West (45) |
| Other Theft | Rochester South East (19) | Strood South & Temple Marsh (118) |
| Possession of Weapons | Rochester South East (2) | Rochester West (14) |
| Public Order | Rochester South East (26) | Rochester West (117) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Rochester South East (2) | Strood South & Temple Marsh (21) |
| Shoplifting | Rede Common (2) | Strood South & Temple Marsh (179) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Rede Common (1) | Strood South & Temple Marsh (7) |
| Vehicle Crime | Broomhill (27) | Strood North & Frindsbury (76) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Broomhill (150) | Rochester West (586) |
Crime in Rochester During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Rochester change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Rochester saw a 367% increase in robbery. Rochester saw a large fall in theft from the person during October, when it fell by 83% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +25% | +119% | +88% | +74% | +86% | +35% | +25% | +12% | +30% | +67% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -80% | +150% | +100% | +250% | - | -25% | -75% | -50% | -50% |
| Burglary | -36% | -61% | -23% | -44% | -45% | -19% | -21% | -17% | -72% | -49% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -15% | -20% | -13% | -24% | +25% | +4% | -6% | -6% | -24% | -7% |
| Drugs | +180% | +200% | +133% | +160% | +200% | -18% | -38% | +7% | +10% | +60% |
| Other Crime | +4% | - | -22% | +108% | -28% | +56% | -13% | -43% | - | +24% |
| Other Theft | -38% | -54% | -45% | -49% | -24% | -28% | -38% | -14% | -31% | -40% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -40% | +150% | - | +150% | -29% | -67% | +200% | -38% | -14% |
| Public Order | -19% | -31% | -37% | -20% | -28% | -22% | -6% | -2% | -26% | -28% |
| Robbery | -50% | -44% | -38% | -80% | +367% | -25% | -43% | -10% | +13% | +33% |
| Shoplifting | -17% | -31% | -19% | -40% | +35% | +15% | +55% | -32% | -54% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | +100% | -80% | -50% | -33% | - | -50% | -83% | +200% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -52% | -69% | -68% | -47% | -13% | -8% | -71% | -40% | -36% | -41% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -14% | -11% | -18% | +12% | +3% | -9% | -2% | -22% | -20% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Rochester
What police force serves Rochester?
Rochester's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Rochester?
Rochester is the third most dangerous major town in Kent.What is Rochester's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Rochester are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Rochester?
Rochester's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021