Rustington Crime Overview
Rustington is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex, and is the 64th most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Rustington in 2020 was 45 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to West Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 29% lower than the West Sussex rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Rustington is the 327th safest small town, and the 3,583rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2020, Rustington was the worst small town in West Sussex for bicycle theft, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.21 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Rustington residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 6 crimes at a rate of 0.43 per 1,000 residents. Rustington recorded 5 reports of other crime during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.36 the worst small town for other crime in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Rustington are violence and sexual offences, with 231 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 16. This is 0.43% higher than 2019's figure of 230 offences and a difference of 0.07 from 2019's crime rate of 16. Rustington's least common crime is robbery, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 167% from 2019's figure of 8 crimes.
Compare Rustington to other towns and cities
See how Rustington shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Rustington and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Rustington Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Rustington This Year
| Rustington | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 207 | 14.74 | 20,276 | 23.49 | 59% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 12 | 0.85 | 1,035 | 1.20 | 41% safer |
| Burglary | 60 | 4.27 | 2,620 | 3.04 | 29% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 76 | 5.41 | 5,808 | 6.73 | 24% safer |
| Drugs | 16 | 1.14 | 2,356 | 2.73 | 139% safer |
| Other Crime | 15 | 1.07 | 1,236 | 1.43 | 34% safer |
| Other Theft | 39 | 2.78 | 3,734 | 4.33 | 56% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.43 | 756 | 0.88 | 105% safer |
| Public Order | 62 | 4.41 | 5,392 | 6.25 | 42% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.21 | 385 | 0.45 | 114% safer |
| Shoplifting | 88 | 6.26 | 3,351 | 3.88 | 38% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.43 | 352 | 0.41 | 4.7% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 25 | 1.78 | 3,137 | 3.63 | 104% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 231 | 16.44 | 20,384 | 23.61 | 44% safer |
Crime in Rustington Compared To West Sussex
Rustington Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hassocks | 312 | 37.21 | 22% safer |
| Aldwick | 442 | 38.07 | 19% safer |
| North Horsham | 889 | 39.84 | 14% safer |
| Felpham | 476 | 41.29 | 10% safer |
| Angmering | 375 | 44.94 | 1.2% safer |
| Rustington | 639 | 45.49 | - |
| Selsey | 545 | 50.65 | 10% more dangerous |
| Billingshurst | 532 | 55.77 | 18% more dangerous |
| Sompting | 501 | 56.52 | 20% more dangerous |
| Lancing | 1,160 | 59.79 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bersted | 641 | 62.91 | 28% more dangerous |
Rustington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.85 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.64 | 0.85 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 0.71 | 0.36 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.64 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.57 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.43 | 0.28 | 0.43 | 0.43 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.2 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Getting worse |
Changes In Rustington's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Rustington to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Rustington | 45.49 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 33% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 41% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 45% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 47% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 47% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 53% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 56% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 58% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 66% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 67% more dangerous |
Crime in Rustington's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Preston & Rustington East | 245 | 30 | Second |
| Rustington North | 440 | 46 | First |
Crime in Rustington During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Rustington change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Rustington saw a 500% increase in burglary. Rustington saw a large fall in vehicle crime during September, when it fell by 91% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -21% | +125% | +88% | +140% | -19% | +23% | -20% | -7% | +10% | -58% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | -50% | -75% | - | +100% | - | - |
| Burglary | - | +33% | - | - | -33% | - | +40% | +300% | +500% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -78% | -57% | +100% | +33% | -71% | - | +120% | +60% | +140% | - |
| Drugs | - | - | +300% | - | - | -50% | -67% | - | -50% | -33% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +400% | - | - |
| Other Theft | - | -60% | -67% | +133% | +25% | -40% | -33% | -17% | +67% | -25% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +250% | -33% | -67% | +29% | -67% | +250% | -13% | +200% | -71% | - |
| Shoplifting | - | +33% | +67% | +233% | -75% | +67% | +33% | -40% | -41% | -67% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | -40% | -50% | - | - | -90% | -91% | +250% | -67% | +100% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +28% | -33% | -24% | +178% | +150% | +113% | -43% | -18% | -33% | -36% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Rustington
What police force serves Rustington?
Rustington's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Rustington?
Rustington is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex.What is Rustington's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Rustington are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Rustington?
Rustington's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021