Royal Tunbridge Wells Crime Overview
Royal Tunbridge Wells is the safest major town in Kent, and is the 92nd most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Royal Tunbridge Wells in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 26% lower than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Royal Tunbridge Wells is the 33rd safest major town, and the 1,574th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2016, Royal Tunbridge Wells had the worst crime rate in Kent for theft from the person, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.10 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells are violence and sexual offences, with 1,947 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 0.56% lower than 2019's figure of 1,958 offences and a difference of 0.18 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Royal Tunbridge Wells's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 19 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 95% from 2019's figure of 37 crimes.
Compare Royal Tunbridge Wells to other towns and cities
See how Royal Tunbridge Wells shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Royal Tunbridge Wells and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Royal Tunbridge Wells Crime Map
Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells Compared To Kent
Summary of Crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells This Year
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,354 | 22.25 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 17% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 0.31 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 103% safer |
| Burglary | 166 | 2.73 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 40% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 459 | 7.54 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 33% safer |
| Drugs | 129 | 2.12 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 7% safer |
| Other Crime | 109 | 1.79 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 54% safer |
| Other Theft | 283 | 4.65 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 27% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 33 | 0.54 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 35% safer |
| Public Order | 381 | 6.26 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 13% safer |
| Robbery | 21 | 0.35 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 100% safer |
| Shoplifting | 368 | 6.05 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 18% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 31 | 0.51 | 834 | 0.45 | 12% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 162 | 2.66 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 83% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,947 | 31.99 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 28% safer |
Royal Tunbridge Wells Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 4,108 | 67.50 | - |
| Maidstone | 10,449 | 87.14 | 23% more dangerous |
| Ashford | 6,750 | 89.69 | 25% more dangerous |
| Gillingham | 11,203 | 103.17 | 35% more dangerous |
| Rochester | 6,935 | 104.28 | 35% more dangerous |
| Chatham | 8,964 | 110.91 | 39% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Royal Tunbridge Wells
View crime percentage over time forRoyal Tunbridge Wells Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 13 | 15 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.48 | 0.97 | 0.61 | 0.31 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.51 | 0.54 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.38 | 0.61 | 0.79 | 0.35 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 8 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.66 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 33 | 32 | 32 | Getting worse |
Changes In Royal Tunbridge Wells's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Royal Tunbridge Wells's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Royal Tunbridge Wells 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grosvenor Recreation Ground | 3 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 0.56 |
| Hilbert Recreation Ground | 3 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1.6 |
| Mary Caley Recreation Ground | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 16 |
Comparing Royal Tunbridge Wells to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 67.50 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 0.31% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 13% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 21% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 31% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 34% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 49% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 51% more dangerous |
Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramslye & Rusthall | 802 | 124 | Second |
| Tunbridge Wells Central | 1,341 | 135 | First |
| Tunbridge Wells South | 347 | 40 | Third |
| Tunbridge Wells West | 288 | 36 | Fourth |
Royal Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Royal Tunbridge Wells for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Tunbridge Wells West (66) | Ramslye & Rusthall (316) |
| Bicycle Theft | Tunbridge Wells South (3) | Tunbridge Wells Central (8) |
| Burglary | Tunbridge Wells West (10) | Ramslye & Rusthall (39) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Tunbridge Wells West (33) | Ramslye & Rusthall (107) |
| Drugs | Tunbridge Wells West (10) | Tunbridge Wells Central (47) |
| Other Crime | Tunbridge Wells West (7) | Tunbridge Wells Central (36) |
| Other Theft | Tunbridge Wells South (19) | Tunbridge Wells Central (81) |
| Possession of Weapons | Tunbridge Wells South (2) | Ramslye & Rusthall (10) |
| Public Order | Tunbridge Wells West (20) | Ramslye & Rusthall (102) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Tunbridge Wells South (2) | Tunbridge Wells Central (13) |
| Shoplifting | Tunbridge Wells South (10) | Tunbridge Wells Central (205) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Tunbridge Wells West (1) | Tunbridge Wells Central (17) |
| Vehicle Crime | Tunbridge Wells South (23) | Ramslye & Rusthall (30) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Tunbridge Wells West (101) | Ramslye & Rusthall (394) |
Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Royal Tunbridge Wells change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Royal Tunbridge Wells saw a 200% increase in possession of weapons. Royal Tunbridge Wells saw a large fall in vehicle crime during March, when it fell by 86% compared to March in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Royal Tunbridge Wells's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +15% | +123% | +132% | +29% | +34% | +40% | +58% | +81% | +25% | +57% |
| Bicycle Theft | +100% | - | - | -80% | - | - | - | - | - | -33% |
| Burglary | -7% | -57% | -21% | -64% | +10% | -50% | - | -15% | -33% | -17% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +22% | -53% | -30% | -33% | -2% | +76% | -41% | +31% | +23% | -23% |
| Drugs | -27% | - | - | -17% | +80% | -40% | +17% | +36% | -33% | -46% |
| Other Crime | - | -47% | +11% | -35% | -45% | +100% | +17% | -42% | - | +43% |
| Other Theft | -17% | -66% | -65% | -9% | +5% | -64% | -48% | -15% | -43% | -22% |
| Possession of Weapons | -29% | - | - | -50% | -50% | +50% | -33% | +200% | - | -67% |
| Public Order | +34% | -32% | -34% | -6% | - | +29% | -12% | +17% | -10% | -37% |
| Robbery | - | - | +50% | -67% | - | -83% | +33% | -50% | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | +9% | -77% | -67% | -49% | -28% | -16% | -46% | +20% | -39% | -51% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -67% | -50% | - | -75% | -33% | +67% | +33% | -70% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -86% | -39% | -43% | - | +36% | -50% | -50% | +12% | -45% | -27% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +59% | -9% | -6% | -5% | -33% | +18% | -3% | +12% | -21% | - |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells
What police force serves Royal Tunbridge Wells?
Royal Tunbridge Wells's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Royal Tunbridge Wells?
Royal Tunbridge Wells is the safest major town in Kent.What is Royal Tunbridge Wells's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells?
Royal Tunbridge Wells's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021