Billingshurst Crime Overview
Billingshurst is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex, and is the 42nd most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Billingshurst in 2020 was 56 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to West Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 5.0% lower than the West Sussex rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Billingshurst is the 379th most dangerous small town, and the 2,457th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Billingshurst was the worst small town in West Sussex for other crime, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.31 per 1,000 inhabitants. January 2020 was also a bad month for Billingshurst residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous small town for other theft, recording 8 crimes at a rate of 0.84 per 1,000 residents. Billingshurst recorded 2 reports of possession of weapons during January 2020, making its crime rate of 0.21 the worst small town for possession of weapons in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Billingshurst are violence and sexual offences, with 228 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 24. This is 17% higher than 2019's figure of 189 offences and a difference of 4.09 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Billingshurst's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 1 crime.
Compare Billingshurst to other towns and cities
See how Billingshurst shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Billingshurst and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Billingshurst Crime Map
Crime in Billingshurst Compared To West Sussex
Summary of Crimes in Billingshurst This Year
| Billingshurst | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 238 | 24.95 | 20,276 | 23.49 | 6% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.42 | 1,035 | 1.20 | 186% safer |
| Burglary | 22 | 2.31 | 2,620 | 3.04 | 32% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 48 | 5.03 | 5,808 | 6.73 | 34% safer |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.89 | 2,356 | 2.73 | 44% safer |
| Other Crime | 10 | 1.05 | 1,236 | 1.43 | 36% safer |
| Other Theft | 36 | 3.77 | 3,734 | 4.33 | 15% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.42 | 756 | 0.88 | 110% safer |
| Public Order | 59 | 6.18 | 5,392 | 6.25 | 1.1% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.31 | 385 | 0.45 | 45% safer |
| Shoplifting | 71 | 7.44 | 3,351 | 3.88 | 48% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.10 | 352 | 0.41 | 310% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 28 | 2.94 | 3,137 | 3.63 | 23% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 228 | 23.90 | 20,384 | 23.61 | 1.2% more dangerous |
Billingshurst Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Horsham | 889 | 39.84 | 40% safer |
| Felpham | 476 | 41.29 | 35% safer |
| Angmering | 375 | 44.94 | 24% safer |
| Rustington | 639 | 45.49 | 23% safer |
| Selsey | 545 | 50.65 | 10% safer |
| Billingshurst | 532 | 55.77 | - |
| Sompting | 501 | 56.52 | 1.3% more dangerous |
| Lancing | 1,160 | 59.79 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bersted | 641 | 62.91 | 11% more dangerous |
| Southwick | 790 | 65.68 | 15% more dangerous |
| Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common | 715 | 92.62 | 40% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Billingshurst
View crime percentage over time forBillingshurst Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 13 | 9 | 15 | 25 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.10 | 0.42 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.63 | 1.2 | 0.31 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.0 | 0.84 | 1.6 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.2 | 0.52 | 0.84 | 0.42 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.2 | 3.6 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.10 | - | 0.10 | 0.31 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | No change |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.8 | 2.4 | 5 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 14 | 15 | 20 | 24 | Getting worse |
Changes In Billingshurst's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Billingshurst to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Billingshurst | 55.77 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 18% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 28% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 33% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 43% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 46% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 48% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 59% more dangerous |
Crime in Billingshurst During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Billingshurst change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Billingshurst saw a 1,200% increase in shoplifting. Billingshurst saw a large fall in vehicle crime during March, when it fell by 90% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +86% | +267% | +417% | +127% | +106% | +43% | -18% | +9% | +36% | +5% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +33% | -67% | - | +25% | -67% | - | -57% | - | - | +200% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +40% | -83% | +33% | -89% | -13% | -50% | +250% | -81% | -43% | -80% |
| Drugs | +200% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | +50% | - |
| Other Theft | +200% | +100% | -80% | -25% | -33% | -86% | - | -33% | - | - |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - |
| Public Order | +100% | +600% | - | +100% | -50% | +300% | -17% | -33% | +50% | +25% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +50% | -86% | - | +25% | -80% | +800% | +1,200% | - | - | +300% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -90% | -57% | - | +100% | +100% | -50% | - | - | +100% | +300% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +42% | +29% | +17% | -6% | +39% | -5% | +38% | +9% | +113% | -57% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Billingshurst
What police force serves Billingshurst?
Billingshurst's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Billingshurst?
Billingshurst is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex.What is Billingshurst's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Billingshurst are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Billingshurst?
Billingshurst's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021