Crime in Hastings
Recorded crime in Hastings is 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
91,219 residents in 53 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- +9%more crimes
Crime over 5 years
Up 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Hastings, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the England and Wales average. 105 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 67% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 67% 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: 28 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 1.0 |
| Burglary | 4.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 44.0 |
| Drugs | 3.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.6 |
| Other crime | 2.2 |
| Other theft | 8.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 13.0 |
| Public order | 10.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 8.4 |
What crimes are recorded in Hastings
110.0 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Hastings in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 10,033. Home Office recorded crime: 10,030 (0% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 168 | 1.8 | Down 13% |
| Cars broken into | 286 | 3.1 | Up 45% |
| Vehicle tampering | 59 | 0.65 | Up 5% |
| Vandalism to homes | 271 | 3.0 | Down 18% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 157 | 1.7 | Down 24% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 273 | 3.0 | Down 15% |
| Arson | 55 | 0.60 | Up 12% |
| Burglary of homes | 110 | 1.2 | Up 6% |
| Burglary of businesses | 130 | 1.4 | Down 6% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 81 | 0.89 | Up 14% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 94 | 1.0 | Up 19% |
| Robbery of people | 55 | 0.60 | Down 13% |
| Robbery of businesses | 111 | 1.2 | Up 909% |
| Violence with injury | 1,211 | 13.3 | Down 12% |
| Violence without injury | 1,551 | 17.0 | Down 2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 818 | 9.0 | Up 10% |
| Sexual offences | 409 | 4.5 | Down 12% |
| Shoplifting | 1,756 | 19.3 | Up 72% |
| Bicycle theft | 76 | 0.83 | Up 43% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 43 | 0.47 | Down 19% |
| Drug dealing | 102 | 1.1 | Up 52% |
| Drug possession | 272 | 3.0 | Up 45% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Sussex Police area: 892 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,043 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Hastings.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Hastings, 11% 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) | 4,050 | 8% | 6% | 53% | 24% | 9% |
| Shoplifting | 1,378 | 26% | 2% | 17% | 49% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 997 | 5% | 7% | 20% | 62% | 6% |
| Public order | 869 | 9% | 3% | 31% | 49% | 8% |
| Other theft | 632 | 2% | 2% | 17% | 75% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 414 | 3% | 0% | 11% | 77% | 9% |
| Drugs | 305 | 24% | 39% | 21% | 4% | 12% |
| Burglary | 274 | 13% | 2% | 21% | 53% | 12% |
| Other crime | 226 | 16% | 6% | 38% | 27% | 13% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 157 | 28% | 13% | 38% | 11% | 10% |
| Robbery | 90 | 13% | 2% | 28% | 48% | 9% |
| Bicycle theft | 75 | 0% | 3% | 8% | 77% | 12% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 53 | 2% | 4% | 19% | 66% | 9% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 8% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Hastings
Postcode districts in Hastings
Questions about crime in Hastings
- Is Hastings a safe place to live?
- Hastings scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Hastings?
- Up 9% over 5 years, from 9,750 recorded crimes a year to 10,661.
- What is the most common crime in Hastings?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 44 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Hastings?
- In Hastings, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 40% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Hastings?
- Of 274 burglaries reported in Hastings between September 2024 and August 2025, 13% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 53% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Hastings?
- In Hastings, the police recorded 168 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.8 per 1,000 residents, down 13% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Hastings?
- 701 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Hastings in 2025/26, 7.7 per 1,000 residents, 1.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Hastings last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Hastings in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.