Derby is a city in the East Midlands, well known for its industrial history, rich shopping districts, and artistic culture. Unfortunately, the city also grapples with its own crime rate. Crime is an important concern for any community, and understanding the Derby crime rate can help residents and business owners to combat it.
This guide provides an in-depth look into Derby’s current crime landscape and focuses on what measures are in place to fight against it.
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Crime Rate in Derby
Over the last year, the Derby crime rate has seen a worrying increase up to 124 crimes per 1,000 people, as reported by CrimeRate. This has ranked it as the most dangerous city in the county of Derbyshire. With the crime rate in Derby being at its peak, the type of crimes being committed are becoming a concern.
The most commonly committed crimes in the city are violent and sexual offences. According to Plumplot, roughly 38.8% of all offences in the area were made up by violent crimes, contributing to around 14,300 in total. This puts the violent crime rate at 157% of the national crime rate.
The Derby crime rate is 33% higher than that of the regional average, and a concerning 43% higher than the national crime rate. With these figures, concerns about the safety of Derby might naturally rise. That’s why it is so important to understand what measures you can take to prevent crime from affecting you or your business.
What Crimes Are Affecting Derby?
In order to gain a clear picture of the crime landscape in Derby, it’s crucial to explore the types of criminal activity that have recently taken place. These statistics not only reveal the current crime trends, but also identify which offences are affecting the city the most.
Last year, Derby reported a total of 38,519 crimes. These offences included:
| Crime | Crime Count | Percentage of Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 14,481 | 37.6 |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,214 | 16.1 |
| Public Order | 3,969 | 10.3 |
| Other Theft | 2,749 | 7.1 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,700 | 7.0 |
| Shoplifting | 2,335 | 6.1 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,587 | 4.1 |
| Burglary | 1,311 | 3.4 |
| Drugs | 976 | 2.5 |
| Other Crime | 641 | 1.7 |
| Bicycle Theft | 431 | 1.1 |
| Robbery | 417 | 1.1 |
| Possession of Weapons | 388 | 1.0 |
| Theft from the Person | 320 | 0.8 |
Is it Safe to Live in Derby?
Given the higher crime rate in Derby, both residents and people looking to move into the city are growing more concerned and uneasy about their safety. This trend has the potential to significantly influence students’ choices about studying in the area and impact tourists’ interest in visiting.
However, despite how bad the statistics may look on paper, it often helps to look at the impact that these crimes have on residents and businesses within the city. Having the perspective of how frequently the crimes are happening, and where they happen most often can help to recognise how dangerous Derby really is.
It often helps to consider where crime tends to concentrate, to either avoid or take extra care in and around those areas. According to ADT, the most dangerous areas in Derby are Arboretum, Alvaston and Abbey. This is because they have an average number of 163, 51, and 50 crimes per week, respectively.
Fortunately, just as Derby has areas with higher crime rates, it also has areas that are much safer and experience much less crime. CrimeRate mentions Allestree, Littleover, and Spondon are among the safest wards in Derby. Respectively, they have crime rates of 40, 69, and 74 per 1,000 people, a stark contrast the most dangerous wards.
A city’s reputation often suffers due to high crime rates in specific wards or areas, making it essential to consider the full scope of the city. If you’re thinking about visiting Derby, whether as a student or tourist, there are many wonderful places that you can visit with low crime rates. It would be a shame to pass up visiting the city because of the Derby crime rate, given the diverse range of activities and experiences they have on offer.
Crime’s Impact on Businesses in Derby
Business owners in Derby face unique challenges when operating in areas with high crime rates:
- Common Crimes: Theft, vandalism, and on occasion, cybercrime, are significant threats. For example, storefronts may commonly experience break-ins where crime rates are higher. Restaurants or retailers may have to grapple with theft or property damage, and corporate spaces may struggle with trespassing and cyberattacks.
- Economic Impact: Beyond property loss, crime can increase operational costs by causing higher insurance premiums or having to close because of repairs. In extreme cases, some businesses may lose customers, because they feel the business isn’t doing enough to accommodate their safety.
- Reputation: Frequent crime in an area can affect a company’s reputation, making customers or employees feel unsafe whilst on the premises. This can result in hesitance in visiting or coming back again. Establishing a safe environment is key to fostering customer trust and retaining clients.
How Derby Council and Local Authorities Are Addressing Crime
Understandably, many residents have concerns about their safety, and rely on the local authorities or council to help prevent crime within the area. There are a few initiatives and measures that are being taken in an attempt to reduce the Derby crime rate.
Project Zao
The local council of Derby have launched a campaign under the name of Project Zao, which aims to educate and discourage youth in the city from carrying knives. The initiative explores the dangers and consequences of knife crime, as there are growing concerns among the public that younger generations consistently carry knives around. Additionally, they have already worked with schools in the area to begin actioning their plan, educating young people on the consequences of carrying weapons.
Prevent
In addition to their own campaign, the Derby council is part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, called CONTEST. However, they have their own strand of the strategy, which is Prevent. Prevent focuses on providing support to people in order to stop them from supporting radical acts, or turning to radicalisation themselves. Generally, those at risk of getting involved with drugs, exploitation, gangs, and other forms of harm are offered support.
They offer numerous services under this prevention act, including nipping radicalisation in the bud, safeguarding those at risk of radicalising, and offering to rehabilitate those who have been radicalised. It is worth noting that this is a non-compulsory service, giving people the final say in whether they’d like to accept the support or not.
CCTV Installations
In 2022-23, Derby had one of the highest rates of violence against women and girls crimes in the country. To combat this, Derby will see the installation of new CCTV cameras across five key locations, including car parks. The initiative is funded by more than £83,000 from the government. Plans are to install camera columns at Thorntree Lane, Gower Street, and Castleward Boulevard.
On top of installing new cameras, there are extra plans that cover the replacement of older surveillance systems in car parks and other areas of the city. The upgraded cameras can be described as “state of the art”, and can be moved to different areas if necessary.
What Can You Do to Stay Safe Against the Derby Crime Rate?
The Derby crime rate, while challenging, is a manageable issue with the right precautions and community involved.
For business owners, understanding local crime patterns and engaging in safety measures is essential for maintaining security and peace of mind.
One of the most straightforward solutions to safeguard your business is to hire bespoke private security services. They offer an unrivalled sense of security, to both employees and clients, as well as help to secure your assets and property.
At Region Security Guarding, we provide security guards to a wide variety of service sectors, including retail, corporate, construction, and more. We take a unique approach that ensures your business gets the protection it needs, by performing risk assessments to tailor your security solutions entirely to your site.
You can rest assured that our team members will help to keep your property under lock and key, creating a safe environment that customers will want to return to, time and time again.
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