Sheerness Crime Overview
Sheerness is the most dangerous small town in Kent, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sheerness in 2020 was 187 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 55% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sheerness is the second most dangerous small town, and the 80th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Sheerness was the worst small town in Kent for criminal damage and arson, with 38 crimes reported and a crime rate of 2.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Sheerness residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 6 crimes at a rate of 0.45 per 1,000 residents. Sheerness recorded 7 reports of other crime during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.52 the worst small town for other crime in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Sheerness are violence and sexual offences, with 1,349 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 101. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 1,227 offences and a difference of 9.10 from 2019's crime rate of 91. Sheerness's least common crime is theft from the person, with 8 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 16 crimes.
Compare Sheerness to other towns and cities
See how Sheerness shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sheerness and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Sheerness Crime Map
Crime in Sheerness Compared To Kent
Summary of Crimes in Sheerness This Year
| Sheerness | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 508 | 37.86 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 1.42 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 56% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 88 | 6.56 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 42% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 282 | 21.02 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 52% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 53 | 3.95 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 43% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 84 | 6.26 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 56% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 108 | 8.05 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 27% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 20 | 1.49 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 51% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 175 | 13.04 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 46% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 20 | 1.49 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 53% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 232 | 17.29 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 71% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 0.60 | 834 | 0.45 | 25% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 77 | 5.74 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 15% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,349 | 100.54 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 59% more dangerous |
Sheerness Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faversham | 1,778 | 88.44 | 112% safer |
| Snodland | 1,063 | 89.53 | 109% safer |
| Swanscombe and Greenhithe | 1,700 | 95.20 | 97% safer |
| Swanley | 1,738 | 99.75 | 88% safer |
| Stone | 2,382 | 178.69 | 4.9% safer |
| Sheerness | 2,515 | 187.43 | - |
Crime Over Time in Sheerness
View crime percentage over time forSheerness Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 42 | 35 | 32 | 38 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 22 | 25 | 21 | 21 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 4.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 4.6 | 5.0 | 7 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 16 | 24 | 14 | 13 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 11 | 23 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.67 | 0.97 | 1.2 | 0.60 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 11 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 80 | 88 | 91 | 101 | Getting worse |
Changes In Sheerness's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Sheerness's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Sheerness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festival Playing Field | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.35 |
Comparing Sheerness to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Sheerness's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheerness East | 1,369 | 205 | First |
| Sheerness West | 1,171 | 174 | Second |
Crime in Sheerness During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sheerness change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Sheerness saw a 500% increase in drugs. Sheerness saw a large fall in vehicle crime during September, when it fell by 88% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +3% | +140% | +36% | -19% | -21% | -6% | +12% | +22% | +4% | - |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -80% | - | - | +150% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +88% | +150% | +67% | +100% | +100% | -50% | -80% | - | -36% | +60% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +20% | -16% | -53% | +5% | +38% | +73% | -20% | -25% | - | -18% |
| Drugs | +300% | +200% | +67% | - | -25% | -88% | +500% | -63% | +67% | +20% |
| Other Crime | +63% | +80% | -29% | +80% | -25% | -53% | -55% | +50% | +17% | -60% |
| Other Theft | -63% | +18% | -42% | -45% | -29% | -44% | -46% | -60% | +17% | -25% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | +100% | +100% | +300% | - | -50% | -33% | -75% | - | +100% |
| Public Order | -18% | +59% | -7% | +120% | -5% | -25% | -38% | +17% | -14% | -17% |
| Robbery | - | -75% | - | +200% | - | - | -50% | - | -60% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | +80% | -25% | -29% | +10% | -73% | -79% | -73% | -33% | -80% | -67% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -57% | -70% | -78% | +40% | +80% | -14% | -88% | +80% | -54% | -20% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +26% | -26% | +6% | +34% | +52% | -2% | +27% | +26% | - | -19% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sheerness
What police force serves Sheerness?
Sheerness's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Sheerness?
Sheerness is the most dangerous small town in Kent.What is Sheerness's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sheerness are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sheerness?
Sheerness's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021