Southborough Crime Overview
Southborough is among the top 20 safest small towns in Kent, and is the 106th most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Southborough in 2020 was 65 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 31% lower than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Southborough is the 254th most dangerous small town, and the 1,750th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Southborough was the worst small town in Kent for other crime, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.49 per 1,000 inhabitants. July 2017 was also a bad month for Southborough residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.24 per 1,000 residents. Southborough recorded 4 reports of drugs during October 2016, making its crime rate of 0.32 the worst small town for drugs in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Southborough are violence and sexual offences, with 421 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 16% higher than 2019's figure of 355 offences and a difference of 5.35 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Southborough's least common crime is robbery, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 25% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.
Compare Southborough to other towns and cities
See how Southborough shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Southborough and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Southborough Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Southborough This Year
| Southborough | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 208 | 16.87 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 54% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 5 | 0.41 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 54% safer |
| Burglary | 31 | 2.51 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 52% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 101 | 8.19 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 22% safer |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.46 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 55% safer |
| Other Crime | 38 | 3.08 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 11% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 55 | 4.46 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 32% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.65 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 12% safer |
| Public Order | 56 | 4.54 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 56% safer |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.32 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 119% safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 0.89 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 457% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.32 | 834 | 0.45 | 41% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 48 | 3.89 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 25% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 421 | 34.14 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 20% safer |
Crime in Southborough Compared To Kent
Southborough Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hythe | 846 | 55.82 | 16% safer |
| Tenterden | 436 | 55.88 | 16% safer |
| Walmer | 486 | 59.46 | 9% safer |
| Hawkinge | 534 | 60.84 | 7% safer |
| Aylesford | 732 | 64.04 | 1.3% safer |
| Southborough | 800 | 64.87 | - |
| Sevenoaks | 1,457 | 66.04 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| Paddock Wood | 550 | 67.73 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Hoo St. Werburgh | 694 | 68.07 | 4.7% more dangerous |
| East Malling and Larkfield | 1,012 | 68.94 | 6% more dangerous |
| Minster-on-Sea | 1,186 | 69.24 | 6% more dangerous |
Southborough Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 9 | 10 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.32 | 0.16 | 0.41 | 0.41 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.1 | 0.65 | 1.3 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 3.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 3.7 | 6 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.32 | 0.24 | 0.32 | 0.65 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.16 | 0.32 | 0.41 | 0.32 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 0.73 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.89 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.16 | 0.08 | 0.16 | 0.32 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 30 | 29 | 34 | Getting worse |
Changes In Southborough's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Southborough to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Southborough | 64.87 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 16% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 22% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 25% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 33% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 37% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 40% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 53% more dangerous |
Crime in Southborough's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southborough West | 421 | 51 | First |
Crime in Southborough During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Southborough change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Southborough saw a 500% increase in other theft. Southborough saw a large fall in other theft during July, when it fell by 93% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +11% | +238% | +200% | +155% | -14% | - | +83% | +113% | +425% | +11% |
| Bicycle Theft | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | -75% | -33% | -86% | -60% | - | -43% | -25% | -75% | +100% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -63% | -20% | +70% | -18% | +43% | - | -56% | +71% | +33% | -62% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | +100% | - | - |
| Other Crime | +300% | -67% | +67% | +200% | +200% | +100% | +200% | -33% | +50% | - |
| Other Theft | -63% | -20% | +200% | -14% | -93% | +40% | +400% | -29% | -64% | +500% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Public Order | -25% | +300% | -57% | -67% | -13% | -57% | -67% | - | +50% | -20% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | -33% | +17% | +100% | -50% | -17% | -20% | -17% | -14% | +33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +100% | +44% | +24% | -37% | +24% | -17% | +54% | -8% | +41% | +47% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Southborough
What police force serves Southborough?
Southborough's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Southborough?
Southborough is among the top 20 safest small towns in Kent.What is Southborough's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Southborough are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Southborough?
Southborough's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021