Crawley Crime Overview
Crawley is the most dangerous major town in West Sussex, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Crawley in 2020 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 33% higher than the West Sussex rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Crawley is the 52nd most dangerous major town, and the 779th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Crawley had the worst crime rate in West Sussex for burglary, with 24 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.21 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Crawley residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 74 crimes at a rate of 0.66 per 1,000 residents. Crawley recorded 71 reports of drugs during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.63 the worst for drugs in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Crawley are violence and sexual offences, with 4,170 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 5% lower than 2019's figure of 4,382 offences and a difference of 1.89 from 2019's crime rate of 39. Crawley's least common crime is theft from the person, with 92 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 53% from 2019's figure of 141 crimes.
Compare Crawley to other towns and cities
See how Crawley shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Crawley and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Crawley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Crawley This Year
| Crawley | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,994 | 35.60 | 20,276 | 23.49 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 185 | 1.65 | 1,035 | 1.20 | 27% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 389 | 3.47 | 2,620 | 3.04 | 12% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 983 | 8.76 | 5,808 | 6.73 | 23% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 557 | 4.96 | 2,356 | 2.73 | 45% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 263 | 2.34 | 1,236 | 1.43 | 39% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 681 | 6.07 | 3,734 | 4.33 | 29% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 155 | 1.38 | 756 | 0.88 | 36% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,076 | 9.59 | 5,392 | 6.25 | 35% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 105 | 0.94 | 385 | 0.45 | 52% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 608 | 5.42 | 3,351 | 3.88 | 28% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 92 | 0.82 | 352 | 0.41 | 50% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 498 | 4.44 | 3,137 | 3.63 | 18% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,170 | 37.17 | 20,384 | 23.61 | 36% more dangerous |
Crime in Crawley Compared To West Sussex
Crawley Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worthing | 8,199 | 71.18 | 22% safer |
| Crawley | 9,762 | 87.01 | - |
Crawley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26 | 22 | 21 | 36 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5.0 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 5.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Public Order | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.86 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.94 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 8 | 9 | 5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.82 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.9 | 7 | 7 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 35 | 39 | 37 | Getting worse |
Changes In Crawley's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Crawley to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 29% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 12% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.6% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 1.4% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 0.93% safer |
| Crawley | 87.01 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 11% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 15% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 37% more dangerous |
Crime in Crawley's Neighbourhoods
Manor Royal & Northgate is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Crawley, followed by Southgate in second place, and Ewhurst & West Green as the third most dangerous area. Crawley's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Bewbush, Broadfield West, and Maidenbower East & Worth.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bewbush | 494 | 64 | Eighth |
| Broadfield East | 836 | 93 | Fifth |
| Broadfield West | 468 | 58 | Ninth |
| Ewhurst & West Green | 831 | 98 | Third |
| Ifield & Gossops Green | 549 | 67 | Seventh |
| Maidenbower East & Worth | 320 | 41 | Tenth |
| Manor Royal & Northgate | 2,305 | 203 | First |
| Southgate | 946 | 102 | Second |
| Three Bridges | 779 | 96 | Fourth |
| Tilgate | 618 | 80 | Sixth |
Crawley Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Crawley for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Broadfield West (175) | Manor Royal & Northgate (748) |
| Bicycle Theft | Maidenbower East & Worth (1) | Manor Royal & Northgate (68) |
| Burglary | Bewbush (13) | Manor Royal & Northgate (74) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Maidenbower East & Worth (27) | Manor Royal & Northgate (198) |
| Drugs | Bewbush (15) | Manor Royal & Northgate (190) |
| Other Crime | Maidenbower East & Worth (11) | Manor Royal & Northgate (66) |
| Other Theft | Maidenbower East & Worth (20) | Manor Royal & Northgate (192) |
| Possession of Weapons | Broadfield West (4) | Manor Royal & Northgate (41) |
| Public Order | Maidenbower East & Worth (28) | Manor Royal & Northgate (260) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Maidenbower East & Worth (2) | Manor Royal & Northgate (36) |
| Shoplifting | Broadfield West (1) | Manor Royal & Northgate (253) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Ifield & Gossops Green (1) | Manor Royal & Northgate (56) |
| Vehicle Crime | Maidenbower East & Worth (19) | Ewhurst & West Green (68) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Maidenbower East & Worth (137) | Manor Royal & Northgate (808) |
Crime in Crawley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Crawley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Crawley saw a 204% increase in anti-social behaviour. Crawley saw a large fall in theft from the person during November, when it fell by 80% compared to November in 2019. Crawley saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including criminal damage and arson, other theft, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +21% | +204% | +118% | +114% | +34% | +48% | +47% | +48% | +73% | +92% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +129% | -42% | - | -56% | -38% | +100% | -25% | -63% | +29% |
| Burglary | -9% | -11% | -19% | +21% | +9% | -10% | +4% | - | -11% | -29% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -18% | -4% | +19% | -13% | -10% | -3% | -9% | -36% | -19% | -20% |
| Drugs | +5% | +79% | +86% | +55% | +31% | +23% | -22% | +42% | +2% | -3% |
| Other Crime | -7% | -12% | +54% | +13% | +54% | - | +16% | +42% | +82% | +111% |
| Other Theft | -19% | -44% | -43% | -30% | -35% | -41% | +4% | -17% | -27% | -28% |
| Possession of Weapons | -29% | -37% | +6% | +129% | -38% | - | -35% | -77% | -23% | -14% |
| Public Order | -10% | -11% | +3% | +36% | -30% | +11% | -30% | +11% | -9% | -4% |
| Robbery | +92% | - | -71% | -22% | -67% | -31% | -10% | -67% | -33% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -31% | -63% | -54% | -63% | -21% | -20% | -53% | -52% | -39% | -52% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -67% | - | -73% | +50% | -60% | -60% | +88% | -80% | -72% |
| Vehicle Crime | -43% | -45% | -34% | -74% | -38% | -5% | +25% | -47% | -47% | -59% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -16% | +6% | -4% | -9% | -6% | +9% | -21% | -11% | -13% | -5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Crawley
What police force serves Crawley?
Crawley's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Crawley?
Crawley is the most dangerous major town in West Sussex.What is Crawley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Crawley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Crawley?
Crawley's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021