Horsham, positioned 21st for its crime rate among nearby areas, reports a low level of crime. The year 2023 saw 9,190 reported incidents among 146,778 residents, resulting in a crime rate of 62.61 per 1,000 residents, an 8.66% increase from the previous year.
The predominant crimes in Horsham include Violence and sexual offences (32.5%), Anti-social behaviour (13.9%), and Shoplifting (11.7%), with the least frequent being possession of weapons, robbery, and theft from the person.
Within its 22 wards, Denne (196.3), Billingshurst (82.5), and Colgate & Rusper (79.9) have the highest crime rates, while West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington, Southwater North, and Rudgwick are the safest.
In Horsham, there has been a noticeable increase in Anti-social behaviour, Shoplifting, Vehicle crime, and Violence and sexual offences, with a particular surge in anti-social behaviour in 2020 and an uptick in shoplifting and vehicle crime in 2023. This reflects a varied crime landscape requiring multifaceted responses. Fortunately, there has been a subsequent decrease in Anti-social behaviour, indicating effective measures against this type of crime, though the challenges in other areas persist.