Worthing Crime Overview
Worthing is the safest 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 Worthing in 2020 was 71 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 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Worthing is the 40th safest major town, and the 1,358th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Worthing had the worst crime rate in West Sussex for bicycle theft, with 30 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2020 was also a bad month for Worthing residents, when it was West Sussex's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 29 crimes at a rate of 0.25 per 1,000 residents. Worthing recorded 78 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.68 the worst for criminal damage and arson in West Sussex that month.
The most common crimes in Worthing are violence and sexual offences, with 3,223 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 13% lower than 2019's figure of 3,628 offences and a difference of 3.52 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Worthing's least common crime is theft from the person, with 54 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 46% from 2019's figure of 79 crimes.
Compare Worthing to other towns and cities
See how Worthing shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Worthing and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Worthing Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Worthing This Year
| Worthing | West Sussex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,739 | 23.78 | 20,276 | 23.49 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 243 | 2.11 | 1,035 | 1.20 | 43% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 328 | 2.85 | 2,620 | 3.04 | 7% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 829 | 7.20 | 5,808 | 6.73 | 7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 491 | 4.26 | 2,356 | 2.73 | 36% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 162 | 1.41 | 1,236 | 1.43 | 1.4% safer |
| Other Theft | 491 | 4.26 | 3,734 | 4.33 | 1.6% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 159 | 1.38 | 756 | 0.88 | 36% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 901 | 7.82 | 5,392 | 6.25 | 20% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 80 | 0.69 | 385 | 0.45 | 35% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 686 | 5.96 | 3,351 | 3.88 | 35% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 54 | 0.47 | 352 | 0.41 | 13% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 552 | 4.79 | 3,137 | 3.63 | 24% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,223 | 27.98 | 20,384 | 23.61 | 16% more dangerous |
Crime in Worthing Compared To West Sussex
Worthing Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worthing | 8,199 | 71.18 | - |
| Crawley | 9,762 | 87.01 | 18% more dangerous |
Worthing Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24 | 21 | 19 | 24 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.83 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.68 | 0.63 | 0.84 | 0.69 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.69 | 0.47 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.7 | 3.6 | 5 | 4.8 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 26 | 32 | 28 | Getting worse |
Changes In Worthing's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Worthing to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 5% safer |
| Worthing | 71.18 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 8% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 14% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 17% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 27% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 31% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 48% more dangerous |
Crime in Worthing's Neighbourhoods
Worthing Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Worthing, followed by Heene in second place, and Broadwater South 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 | 430 | 53 | Eighth |
| Broadwater South | 780 | 84 | Third |
| Durrington North | 532 | 66 | Sixth |
| Durrington South | 500 | 54 | Seventh |
| East Worthing | 536 | 67 | Fifth |
| Goring-by-Sea | 328 | 41 | 11th |
| Heene | 801 | 92 | Second |
| High Salvington & Findon Valley | 264 | 35 | 12th |
| Northbrook | 681 | 73 | Fourth |
| Salvington | 344 | 43 | Tenth |
| West Worthing | 430 | 52 | Ninth |
| Worthing Central | 2,029 | 197 | First |
Worthing Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 | Salvington (70) | Worthing Central (729) |
| Bicycle Theft | High Salvington & Findon Valley (1) | Worthing Central (71) |
| Burglary | Durrington North (7) | Worthing Central (84) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Goring-by-Sea (33) | Worthing Central (172) |
| Drugs | Durrington South (17) | Worthing Central (120) |
| Other Crime | Goring-by-Sea (5) | Worthing Central (32) |
| Other Theft | High Salvington & Findon Valley (12) | Worthing Central (141) |
| Possession of Weapons | High Salvington & Findon Valley (3) | Worthing Central (38) |
| Public Order | West Worthing (29) | Worthing Central (305) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Goring-by-Sea (1) | Worthing Central (20) |
| Shoplifting | High Salvington & Findon Valley (2) | Worthing Central (224) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Northbrook (1) | Worthing Central (42) |
| Vehicle Crime | Durrington North (22) | West Worthing (80) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | High Salvington & Findon Valley (108) | Worthing Central (738) |
Crime in Worthing During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 83% 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% | +93% | +56% | +33% | +12% | +32% | +8% | +6% | +2% | -30% |
| Bicycle Theft | -63% | -55% | -62% | -4% | +35% | +11% | -7% | +5% | +54% | -33% |
| Burglary | -20% | -43% | -70% | -64% | -54% | -6% | -22% | -58% | -17% | -29% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -8% | -49% | -47% | -16% | -22% | -18% | +16% | -56% | -31% | +3% |
| Drugs | -7% | +69% | +17% | +100% | +9% | -34% | - | -35% | +32% | +167% |
| Other Crime | +7% | +13% | -15% | +45% | +11% | +40% | +10% | -50% | +14% | +30% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -58% | -60% | -52% | -12% | -7% | -21% | -22% | -32% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | -54% | +8% | +71% | +214% | +19% | +22% | -7% | -36% | -22% | -17% |
| Public Order | -15% | -16% | +1% | -31% | +1% | +29% | - | +47% | +5% | -8% |
| Robbery | -44% | -20% | +120% | - | -14% | -36% | -30% | -83% | +33% | +60% |
| Shoplifting | -10% | -13% | -2% | -26% | -10% | +14% | +58% | +9% | +10% | +11% |
| Theft From the Person | +40% | -80% | -80% | -75% | -71% | -40% | +20% | +38% | -70% | -71% |
| Vehicle Crime | -16% | +26% | +61% | +36% | - | +15% | -15% | -67% | +60% | -30% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -7% | -27% | -12% | -13% | -24% | -7% | - | -22% | -24% | -13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Worthing
What police force serves Worthing?
Worthing's local territorial police force is the Sussex Police.How dangerous is Worthing?
Worthing is the safest major town in West Sussex.What is Worthing's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Worthing are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Worthing?
Worthing's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021