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

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Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells Compared To Kent

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Summary of Crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells This Year

 Royal Tunbridge WellsKent 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour1,35422.2548,31625.9717% safer
Bicycle Theft190.311,1650.63103% safer
Burglary1662.737,0893.8140% safer
Criminal Damage and Arson4597.5418,62210.0133% safer
Drugs1292.124,2172.277% safer
Other Crime1091.795,1152.7554% safer
Other Theft2834.6510,9545.8927% safer
Possession of Weapons330.541,3510.7335% safer
Public Order3816.2613,1587.0713% safer
Robbery210.351,3090.70100% safer
Shoplifting3686.059,2254.9618% more dangerous
Theft From the Person310.518340.4512% more dangerous
Vehicle Crime1622.669,0874.8883% safer
Violence and Sexual Offences1,94731.9976,37441.0528% safer

Royal Tunbridge Wells Compared to Nearby Major Towns

Major TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Royal Tunbridge Wells4,10867.50-
Maidstone10,44987.1423% more dangerous
Ashford6,75089.6925% more dangerous
Gillingham11,203103.1735% more dangerous
Rochester6,935104.2835% more dangerous
Chatham8,964110.9139% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Royal Tunbridge Wells

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Recent Crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
August 2021ShopliftingOn or near Petrol StationUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Public orderOn or near Rochdale RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Rochdale RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Victoria RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Park RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near Newlands RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Grosvenor RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Grosvenor RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Silwood CloseInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Silwood CloseAction to be taken by another organisation
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Merrion CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Merrion CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Merrion CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Merrion CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Laurel RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Shopping AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Shopping AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
August 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Shopping AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021Other theftOn or near Shopping AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
August 2021ShopliftingOn or near Shopping AreaUnable to prosecute suspect

Royal Tunbridge Wells Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour18131522Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.480.970.610.31Safer
Burglary3.43.83.52.7Safer
Criminal Damage and Arson7888Safer
Drugs1.61.72.22.1Getting worse
Other Crime1.71.72.01.8Safer
Other Theft7774.6Safer
Possession of Weapons0.210.250.510.54Getting worse
Public Order4.6866Safer
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.380.610.790.35Safer
Shoplifting6896Safer
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)0.660.940.940.51Safer
Vehicle Crime2.03.03.62.7Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences26333232Getting 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.

NameASBDrugsPublic OrderRobberyVSOAll OthersCrimes per Hectare
Grosvenor Recreation Ground3----50.56
Hilbert Recreation Ground3----31.6
Mary Caley Recreation Ground2----016

Comparing Royal Tunbridge Wells to the UK's Major Cities

Major TownCrime RateRate Difference
Royal Tunbridge Wells67.50-
Barnet67.710.31% more dangerous
Coventry77.4113% more dangerous
Croydon83.2219% more dangerous
Sheffield85.8121% more dangerous
Bristol86.2122% more dangerous
Leicester97.4431% more dangerous
Birmingham102.8734% more dangerous
Liverpool107.2837% more dangerous
Bradford133.0249% more dangerous
Leeds137.1051% more dangerous

Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Ramslye & Rusthall802124Second
Tunbridge Wells Central1,341135First
Tunbridge Wells South34740Third
Tunbridge Wells West28836Fourth

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 TypeSafest NeighbourhoodMost Dangerous Neighbourhood
Anti-Social BehaviourTunbridge Wells West (66)Ramslye & Rusthall (316)
Bicycle TheftTunbridge Wells South (3)Tunbridge Wells Central (8)
BurglaryTunbridge Wells West (10)Ramslye & Rusthall (39)
Criminal Damage and ArsonTunbridge Wells West (33)Ramslye & Rusthall (107)
DrugsTunbridge Wells West (10)Tunbridge Wells Central (47)
Other CrimeTunbridge Wells West (7)Tunbridge Wells Central (36)
Other TheftTunbridge Wells South (19)Tunbridge Wells Central (81)
Possession of WeaponsTunbridge Wells South (2)Ramslye & Rusthall (10)
Public OrderTunbridge Wells West (20)Ramslye & Rusthall (102)
Robbery (inc. mugging)Tunbridge Wells South (2)Tunbridge Wells Central (13)
ShopliftingTunbridge Wells South (10)Tunbridge Wells Central (205)
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)Tunbridge Wells West (1)Tunbridge Wells Central (17)
Vehicle CrimeTunbridge Wells South (23)Ramslye & Rusthall (30)
Violence and Sexual OffencesTunbridge 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 robbery during August, when it fell by 83% compared to August in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Royal Tunbridge Wells's lockdown.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Anti-Social Behaviour+12%+126%+133%+23%+34%+38%+58%+79%+30%+59%
Bicycle Theft+100%---80%------33%
Burglary-20%-53%-16%-65%+9%-50%-5%+6%-28%-15%
Criminal Damage and Arson+32%-55%-24%-31%+11%+68%-43%+28%+23%-25%
Drugs-36%--7%-17%+80%-40%+17%+25%-33%-46%
Other Crime--47%+11%-39%-45%+133%+17%-42%-+43%
Other Theft-17%-64%-67%-8%+5%-57%-48%-15%-43%-30%
Possession of Weapons-29%---50%-50%+50%-33%+200%--67%
Public Order+34%-33%-32%-12%+13%+19%-17%+10%-6%-35%
Robbery--+50%-67%--83%+33%-50%-50%-
Shoplifting+9%-77%-68%-51%-30%-20%-48%+23%-41%-51%
Theft From the Person-25%-67%-50%--75%-33%+67%+33%-70%-
Vehicle Crime-81%-42%-36%-6%+27%-46%-48%+6%-48%-27%
Violence and Sexual Offences+53%-9%-1%-4%-32%+19%-1%+14%-22%-3%

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: 05 Oct 2021