Car theft and vehicle crime in Crawley
217 vehicle crimes were reported to Sussex Police within about a mile of Crawley from October 2025 to September 2026. The last three months (68) ran 42% above the three before (48), so the recent direction is up.
Crawley month by month
September 2026 stands out at 42 recorded offences, while February 2026 dropped to 7. Offences rose 15% from the first half of the period to the second. Average: 18.1 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 27 | +9 |
| Nov 2025 | 18 | -0 |
| Dec 2025 | 13 | -5 |
| Jan 2026 | 15 | -3 |
| Feb 2026 | 7 | -11 |
| Mar 2026 | 21 | +3 |
| Apr 2026 | 22 | +4 |
| May 2026 | 12 | -6 |
| Jun 2026 | 14 | -4 |
| Jul 2026 | 10 | -8 |
| Aug 2026 | 16 | -2 |
| Sep 2026 | 42 | +24 |
How Crawley compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Crawley comes 60. Its 18 offences a month are close to the typical town in our set, next to 116 for Cardiff.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Crawley averaged 23 vehicle offences a month. That is more than 84% of the sampled British postcodes, but well short of the worst. Our benchmark is 400 random postcodes from England, Scotland and Wales, counted with the same one-mile method over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Sussex Police area, Crawley ranks 2 of the 2 centres we track at 18 offences a month. The others: Brighton (27).
Towns nearest to Crawley
- Guildford (19 miles away): 8 a month, 55% fewer than Crawley
- Croydon (19 miles away): 78 a month, 334% more than Crawley
- Brighton (20 miles away): 27 a month, 47% more than Crawley
Where in Crawley offences were recorded
The top five recorded locations hold 15% of all offences in the radius around Crawley.
- On or near Parking Area: 10
- On or near Loveletts: 6
- On or near Northgate Road: 6
- On or near Shopping Area: 6
- On or near Conference/exhibition Centre: 5
What happened to Crawley cases
The most common recorded outcome near Crawley was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (187 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 187 | 86% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 16 | 7% |
| Under investigation | 9 | 4% |
| Status update unavailable | 3 | 1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1 | 0% |
| Court result unavailable | 1 | 0% |
What this means if you park near Crawley
At about 18 offences a month, Crawley is quieter than a big-city centre, but one theft still costs the full value of the vehicle. The recent rise is the signal to act now rather than after the next September peak.
Against the 217 offences logged here in a year, an aftermarket immobiliser slows thieves who clone or relay keys, and an S5 or S7 tracker covers you if they still get away. See installation options.
Crawley car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Crawley?
217 in the latest 12 months (18 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Crawley centre. Of our 84 towns, Crawley comes 60, among the lower end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Crawley?
September 2026 was the peak with 42 offences, against 7 in February 2026. The latest month, September 2026, recorded 42.
Are car thieves caught in Crawley?
Of the 217 offences, 187 (86%) were closed with no suspect identified, and 2 reached a court or charge stage on police.uk. Prevention and recovery tracking matter more than hoping for an arrest.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Crawley?
The Crawley total of 217 includes thefts of vehicles, thefts from them and interference: police.uk does not split these at street level, so treat it as all car crime rather than stolen cars only.
Source: police.uk, centred on 51.1092, -0.1872, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.