Crime in Chichester
Recorded crime in Chichester is 1.4 times the Chichester council average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 5%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Chichester: about 40,129 residents in 26 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- +5%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Chichester council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Chichester.
Crime over 5 years
Up 5% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Chichester, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Chichester council average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 88 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 63% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 24 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Chichester (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Chichester council area, not only the city of Chichester. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 103 | 0.80 | Down 15% |
| Cars broken into | 169 | 1.3 | Down 54% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 663 | 5.1 | Up 13% |
| Burglary of homes | 103 | 0.80 | Down 10% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in PO19
In PO19, the postcode district at the centre of Chichester, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,470 | 4% | 6% | 55% | 25% | 10% |
| Shoplifting | 747 | 15% | 2% | 16% | 63% | 4% |
| Public order | 421 | 4% | 2% | 31% | 53% | 11% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 354 | 4% | 5% | 18% | 68% | 6% |
| Other theft | 259 | 1% | 1% | 14% | 77% | 6% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 131 | 1% | 2% | 8% | 82% | 7% |
| Drugs | 130 | 14% | 44% | 16% | 9% | 17% |
| Burglary | 129 | 5% | 2% | 14% | 65% | 14% |
| Bicycle theft | 113 | 0% | 3% | 4% | 83% | 11% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 71 | 24% | 7% | 34% | 23% | 13% |
| Other crime | 68 | 1% | 13% | 41% | 35% | 9% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 9% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.8 |
| Burglary | 4.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 30.6 |
| Drugs | 2.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.1 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 7.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.8 |
| Public order | 9.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 3.5 |
| Shoplifting | 12.9 |
Postcode districts in Chichester
Nearby towns
Council: Chichester
Questions about crime in Chichester
- Is Chichester a safe place to live?
- Chichester scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Chichester council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chichester?
- Up 5% over 5 years, from 4,002 recorded crimes a year to 4,191.
- What is the most common crime in Chichester?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 31 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chichester compare with Chichester council?
- Crime severity in Chichester is 1.4 times the Chichester council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chichester?
- In PO19, the postcode district at the centre of Chichester, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 48% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chichester?
- Of 129 burglaries reported in PO19, the postcode district at the centre of Chichester between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 65% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Chichester?
- In the Chichester council area, the police recorded 103 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 15% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Chichester?
- 663 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Chichester council area, 5.1 per 1,000 residents, 1.1 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Chichester last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Chichester council area, against 2 the year before.