Crime in Eastbourne
Recorded crime in Eastbourne is 1.5 times the Eastbourne council average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Eastbourne: about 31,392 residents in 21 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- +15%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.5×the Eastbourne council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Eastbourne.
Crime over 5 years
Up 15% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Eastbourne, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.5× the Eastbourne council average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 135 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 65% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Robbery: 8% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 65% 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: 40 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Eastbourne (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Eastbourne council area, not only the town of Eastbourne. 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 | 144 | 1.4 | Down 37% |
| Cars broken into | 152 | 1.5 | Down 7% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 710 | 6.8 | Down 5% |
| Burglary of homes | 131 | 1.3 | Down 8% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in BN21
In BN21, the postcode district at the centre of Eastbourne, 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) | 1,858 | 9% | 4% | 53% | 25% | 8% |
| Shoplifting | 1,367 | 18% | 2% | 15% | 60% | 5% |
| Public order | 493 | 9% | 5% | 30% | 48% | 9% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 400 | 7% | 6% | 19% | 62% | 7% |
| Other theft | 312 | 1% | 2% | 17% | 75% | 6% |
| Burglary | 163 | 8% | 2% | 15% | 60% | 15% |
| Drugs | 153 | 20% | 44% | 22% | 3% | 10% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 135 | 8% | 0% | 7% | 81% | 4% |
| Robbery | 80 | 11% | 4% | 38% | 38% | 10% |
| Other crime | 76 | 13% | 7% | 37% | 33% | 11% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 73 | 34% | 8% | 32% | 18% | 8% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 71 | 3% | 0% | 20% | 75% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 53 | 2% | 2% | 0% | 77% | 19% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% 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 | 1.9 |
| Burglary | 5.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 54.2 |
| Drugs | 5.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.9 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 11.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.9 |
| Public order | 14.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.9 |
| Shoplifting | 17.1 |
Postcode districts in Eastbourne
Nearby towns
Council: Eastbourne
Questions about crime in Eastbourne
- Is Eastbourne a safe place to live?
- Eastbourne scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.5 times the Eastbourne council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Eastbourne?
- Up 15% over 5 years, from 4,200 recorded crimes a year to 4,816.
- What is the most common crime in Eastbourne?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 54 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Eastbourne compare with Eastbourne council?
- Crime severity in Eastbourne is 1.5 times the Eastbourne council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Eastbourne?
- In BN21, the postcode district at the centre of Eastbourne, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 45% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Eastbourne?
- Of 163 burglaries reported in BN21, the postcode district at the centre of Eastbourne between September 2024 and August 2025, 8% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 60% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Eastbourne?
- In the Eastbourne council area, the police recorded 144 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.4 per 1,000 residents, down 37% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Eastbourne?
- 710 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Eastbourne council area, 6.8 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Eastbourne last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Eastbourne council area, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.