Worthing is the safest major town in West Sussex, and is the 22nd most dangerous overall out of West Sussex's 161 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Worthing in 2021 was 73 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Sussex's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the West Sussex rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Worthing is the 33rd safest major town, and the 1,393rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2021, Worthing had the worst crime rate in West Sussex for bicycle theft, with 18 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.16 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Worthing residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 25 crimes at a rate of 0.22 per 1,000 residents. Worthing recorded 75 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2021, making its crime rate of 0.65 the worst for criminal damage and arson in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Worthing are violence and sexual offences, with 3,333 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 4.4% higher than 2020's figure of 3,187 offences and a difference of 1.26 from 2020's crime rate of 28. Worthing's least common crime is theft from the person, with 44 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 23% from 2020's figure of 54 crimes.
Safest
Major Towns, West Sussex
1.8% higher, regional crime rate
South East
4.4% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Worthing is 1.8% higher than the South East and 4.4% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Worthing | |
| South East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Worthing represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 73 | 8,435 |
| 2020 | 70 | 8,119 |
| 2019 | 79 | 9,064 |
| 2018 | 70 | 8,019 |
| 2017 | 65 | 7,494 |
| 2016 | 58 | 6,657 |
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| Worthing | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,542 | 22.07 | 18,897 | 21.89 | 0.82% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 172 | 1.49 | 880 | 1.02 | 32% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 237 | 2.06 | 1,879 | 2.18 | 6% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 938 | 8.14 | 5,824 | 6.75 | 17% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 336 | 2.92 | 1,877 | 2.17 | 26% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 151 | 1.31 | 1,173 | 1.36 | 3.8% safer |
| Other Theft | 577 | 5.01 | 4,242 | 4.91 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 114 | 0.99 | 566 | 0.66 | 33% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,038 | 9.01 | 6,158 | 7.13 | 21% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 54 | 0.47 | 291 | 0.34 | 28% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 974 | 8.46 | 3,967 | 4.60 | 46% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 44 | 0.38 | 325 | 0.38 | 0% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 467 | 4.05 | 3,407 | 3.95 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,333 | 28.93 | 21,360 | 24.74 | 14% more dangerous |
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worthing | 8,435 | 73.23 | - |
| Crawley | 10,385 | 92.56 | 21% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Leeward Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Rowlands Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Brook Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shakespeare Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Cranleigh Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Chatsmore Crescent | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Mill Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Thalassa Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Alexandra Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Cross Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Northfield Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Richmond Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Fairlawn Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Marine Place | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Mendip Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Pedestrian Subway | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 21 | 19 | 23 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.8 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 4.2 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.99 | Safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.60 | 0.84 | 0.69 | 0.47 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.78 | 0.69 | 0.47 | 0.38 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.5 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.0 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 31 | 28 | 29 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Worthing that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach House Park | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Durrington Recreation Ground | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1.2 |
| Goring Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 1.4 |
| Hill Barn Recreation Ground | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Homefield Park | 10 | 3 | 2 | - | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Pond Lane Recreation Ground | 3 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | 1.8 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 9% safer |
| Worthing | 73.23 | - |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 11% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 19% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 28% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 34% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 40% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 44% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 45% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 51% more dangerous |
Worthing Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Worthing, followed by Heene in second place, and Durrington North as the third most dangerous area. Worthing's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Goring-by-Sea, High Salvington & Findon Valley, and Salvington.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadwater East | 397 | 49 | Ninth |
| Broadwater South | 771 | 83 | Fifth |
| Durrington North | 692 | 85 | Third |
| Durrington South | 667 | 72 | Sixth |
| East Worthing | 547 | 68 | Seventh |
| Goring-by-Sea | 329 | 41 | Tenth |
| Heene | 808 | 92 | Second |
| High Salvington & Findon Valley | 239 | 31 | 12th |
| Northbrook | 793 | 85 | Fourth |
| Salvington | 322 | 40 | 11th |
| West Worthing | 427 | 51 | Eighth |
| Worthing Central | 2,085 | 203 | First |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Worthing for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | High Salvington & Findon Valley (97) | Worthing Central (600) |
| Bicycle Theft | Durrington North (2) | Worthing Central (70) |
| Burglary | High Salvington & Findon Valley (4) | Worthing Central (56) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | High Salvington & Findon Valley (32) | Worthing Central (191) |
| Drugs | Goring-by-Sea (7) | Worthing Central (82) |
| Other Crime | Goring-by-Sea (6) | Worthing Central (32) |
| Other Theft | West Worthing (21) | Worthing Central (166) |
| Possession of Weapons | West Worthing (1) | Worthing Central (26) |
| Public Order | Salvington (27) | Worthing Central (318) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Durrington South (1) | Worthing Central (17) |
| Shoplifting | High Salvington & Findon Valley (2) | Worthing Central (252) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Northbrook (1) | Worthing Central (23) |
| Vehicle Crime | Durrington North (23) | West Worthing (62) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | High Salvington & Findon Valley (105) | Worthing Central (807) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Worthing change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Worthing saw a 214% increase in possession of weapons. Worthing saw a large fall in robbery during October, when it fell by 92% compared to October in 2019. Violence and Sexual Offences saw a fall in every month of Worthing's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +6% | +91% | +59% | +34% | +12% | +32% | +6% | +6% | +2% | -30% |
| Bicycle Theft | -63% | -55% | -68% | - | +35% | +11% | -7% | +5% | +54% | -33% |
| Burglary | -18% | -45% | -72% | -64% | -55% | -6% | -22% | -58% | -19% | -29% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -9% | -49% | -48% | -15% | -23% | -19% | +18% | -56% | -29% | +3% |
| Drugs | -7% | +69% | +14% | +100% | +9% | -37% | - | -35% | +26% | +153% |
| Other Crime | +7% | +13% | -23% | +45% | +11% | +40% | +10% | -50% | +14% | +30% |
| Other Theft | -32% | -58% | -59% | -52% | -9% | -8% | -21% | -22% | -34% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | -54% | +17% | +57% | +214% | +27% | +22% | -7% | -36% | -26% | -17% |
| Public Order | -12% | -17% | +3% | -34% | +3% | +31% | - | +52% | +7% | -6% |
| Robbery | -44% | -20% | +120% | - | -14% | -36% | -30% | -92% | +33% | +60% |
| Shoplifting | -10% | -13% | -3% | -26% | -9% | +11% | +58% | +12% | +12% | +13% |
| Theft From the Person | +40% | -80% | -80% | -75% | -71% | -40% | +20% | +38% | -70% | -71% |
| Vehicle Crime | -16% | +30% | +61% | +39% | +3% | +15% | -15% | -67% | +45% | -30% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -7% | -27% | -16% | -13% | -25% | -7% | +1% | -20% | -25% | -12% |
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