Crime reports from Eastbourne town centre jump to highest monthly number in three years

On Police.UK it says there were 513 crime reports from the town centre in July, which is the most recent month with available data, compared to 358 in June. This is a jump of 155 reports (43 per cent) and the highest monthly number on the system, which goes back to August 2020.

For context, the website states that in February 2023 there were 253 crime reports from the town centre - which is less than half of July’s total number.

The only category which did not increase in reports in July was ‘possession of a weapon’ as it dropped from three to two, according to the data.

On the website it says the biggest jumps were with reports of burglary, which went up more than 200 per cent from six to 20, criminal damage and arson, which doubled from 15 to 30, shoplifting, which went up from 120 to 204, and theft from a person, which more than doubled from three to seven.

The number of reports of violence and sexual offences jumped from 107 to 113, anti-social behaviour reports went up from 50 to 56, bike thefts increased from zero to five, drug offences jumped from nine to 10, ‘other thefts’ went from 12 to 22, public offences rose from 26 to 31, robbery reports increased from two to five, vehicle crimes went up from two to four, and ‘other crime’ reports went up from three to four, according to the website.

Inspector Sarah Taylor of the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We are dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Eastbourne and the reports provide us with an insight into the most prevalent issues.

“We are able to target our action to address these concerns, utilising campaigns such as Project WAVE (Wellbeing and Vulnerability Engagement), with dedicated patrol vehicles aimed specifically at protecting women and girls from violence in the night-time economy, or Operation Safety - the force’s response to knife crime and serious violence.

“Last month we launched an engagement hub in the town centre to give the public an opportunity to voice issues and concerns to police and partners directly. The hub is used by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), neighbourhood policing teams, response teams and other partner agencies as a base for engagement and events.

“We are continually working with partners such as Eastbourne Borough Council, the youth services team and the Eastbourne Business Crime Reduction Partnership to identify offenders, reduce crime and provide support and guidance.