Crime in Petworth
Recorded crime in Petworth is 0.8 times the Chichester average and 0.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 23%. 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 Petworth: about 2,299 residents in 3 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 3.0/10Weak
- 5-year change
- −23%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.8×the Chichester average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Petworth.
Crime over 5 years
Down 23% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Petworth, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the Chichester average (0.5× the England and Wales average). 44 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 21% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 18 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 Petworth. 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 GU28
In GU28, the postcode district at the centre of Petworth, 2% 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) | 98 | 3% | 9% | 41% | 32% | 15% |
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.
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 | 0.1 |
| Burglary | 3.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 15.9 |
| Drugs | 0.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 5.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.8 |
| Public order | 5.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.1 |
| Shoplifting | 0.7 |
Postcode districts in Petworth
Nearby towns
Council: Chichester
Questions about crime in Petworth
- Is Petworth a safe place to live?
- Petworth scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the Chichester average.
- Is crime going up or down in Petworth?
- Down 23% over 5 years, from 106 recorded crimes a year to 82.
- What is the most common crime in Petworth?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 16 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Petworth compare with Chichester?
- Crime severity in Petworth is 0.8 times the Chichester average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Petworth?
- In GU28, the postcode district at the centre of Petworth, 2% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 59% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Petworth?
- In Chichester, the council area Petworth is in, 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 Petworth?
- 663 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Chichester, the council area Petworth is in, 5.1 per 1,000 residents, 1.1 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Petworth last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Chichester, the council area Petworth is in, against 2 the year before.