Sompting Crime Overview
Sompting is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex, and is the 39th most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sompting in 2020 was 57 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to West Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 3.6% lower than the West Sussex rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sompting is the 365th most dangerous small town, and the 2,380th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Sompting was the worst small town in West Sussex for other crime, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.34 per 1,000 inhabitants. January 2020 was also a bad month for Sompting residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 13 crimes at a rate of 1.5 per 1,000 residents. Sompting recorded 2 reports of possession of weapons during March 2020, making its crime rate of 0.23 the worst small town for possession of weapons in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Sompting are violence and sexual offences, with 199 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 13% higher than 2019's figure of 174 offences and a difference of 2.82 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Sompting's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020.
Compare Sompting to other towns and cities
See how Sompting shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sompting and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Sompting Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sompting This Year
| Sompting | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 148 | 16.70 | 20,276 | 23.49 | 41% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.34 | 1,035 | 1.20 | 253% safer |
| Burglary | 37 | 4.17 | 2,620 | 3.04 | 27% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 67 | 7.56 | 5,808 | 6.73 | 11% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 22 | 2.48 | 2,356 | 2.73 | 10% safer |
| Other Crime | 18 | 2.03 | 1,236 | 1.43 | 30% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 23 | 2.59 | 3,734 | 4.33 | 67% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.90 | 756 | 0.88 | 2.2% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 56 | 6.32 | 5,392 | 6.25 | 1.1% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.23 | 385 | 0.45 | 96% safer |
| Shoplifting | 39 | 4.40 | 3,351 | 3.88 | 12% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.11 | 352 | 0.41 | 273% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 26 | 2.93 | 3,137 | 3.63 | 24% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 199 | 22.45 | 20,384 | 23.61 | 5% safer |
Crime in Sompting Compared To West Sussex
Sompting Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felpham | 476 | 41.29 | 37% safer |
| Angmering | 375 | 44.94 | 26% safer |
| Rustington | 639 | 45.49 | 24% safer |
| Selsey | 545 | 50.65 | 12% safer |
| Billingshurst | 532 | 55.77 | 1.3% safer |
| Sompting | 501 | 56.52 | - |
| Lancing | 1,160 | 59.79 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bersted | 641 | 62.91 | 10% more dangerous |
| Southwick | 790 | 65.68 | 14% more dangerous |
| Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common | 715 | 92.62 | 39% more dangerous |
Sompting Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 8 | 13 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.23 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.34 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 0.68 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.9 | 0.34 | 1.4 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.23 | 0.90 | 1.1 | 0.90 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.3 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | - | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.23 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 1.1 | 0.56 | 0.34 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.11 | - | - | 0.11 | No change |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 13 | 15 | 20 | 22 | Getting worse |
Changes In Sompting's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Sompting to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sompting | 56.52 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 17% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 27% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 32% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 42% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 45% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 47% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 59% more dangerous |
Crime in Sompting's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cokeham & Sompting | 470 | 65 | First |
Crime in Sompting During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sompting change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Sompting saw a 600% increase in public order. Sompting saw a large fall in anti-social behaviour during November, when it fell by 82% compared to November in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +67% | +88% | +167% | +280% | -59% | +11% | +200% | +30% | -82% | -60% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +100% | - | - | +200% | +100% | - | - | - | -60% | -33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +200% | +150% | -43% | +133% | +67% | -17% | -40% | +75% | -29% | - |
| Drugs | +100% | -33% | - | - | +100% | +50% | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +200% | - |
| Other Theft | -50% | - | +200% | -67% | - | +33% | +150% | - | - | - |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | -50% | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -25% | -80% | +600% | +60% | +150% | +40% | -17% | +500% | - | -50% |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +400% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | +100% | - | -50% | -50% | - | -60% | +50% | - | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +64% | +9% | -18% | +44% | +133% | +89% | +7% | -71% | -28% | -15% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sompting
What police force serves Sompting?
Sompting's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Sompting?
Sompting is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in West Sussex.What is Sompting's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sompting are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sompting?
Sompting's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021