Crime in Devon: statistics, rates and trends
53,502 crimes were recorded in Devon in the 12 months to August 2026, 63.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (24,036), anti-social behaviour (6,340) and criminal damage and arson (4,829) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 19th of the 20 counties covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | Devon | South West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 53,502 | 437,109 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 63.5 | 83.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 842,313 | 5,220,315 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Devon peaked in the year to August 2025 (55,546 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (45,780). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 53,502 | 63.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 55,546 | 65.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 49,069 | 58.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 45,780 | 54.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 46,522 | 55.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 47,063 | 55.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 51,706 | 61.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 53,261 | 63.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,929 |
| July 2026 | 5,287 |
| June 2026 | 4,744 |
| May 2026 | 4,698 |
| April 2026 | 4,411 |
| March 2026 | 4,575 |
| February 2026 | 3,990 |
| January 2026 | 3,808 |
| December 2025 | 3,949 |
| November 2025 | 4,193 |
| October 2025 | 4,425 |
| September 2025 | 4,493 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (81% below) and robbery (74% below) were well below it. On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 967 to 1,303 and bicycle theft rose from 339 to 448, while anti-social behaviour fell from 9,437 to 6,340 and drugs fell from 1,502 to 1,174.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 24,036 | 28.5 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 6,340 | 7.5 | 15.4 | -33% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4,829 | 5.7 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Shoplifting | 4,164 | 4.9 | 8.5 | -13% |
| Other theft | 3,832 | 4.5 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 3,460 | 4.1 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Burglary | 1,530 | 1.8 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,303 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +35% |
| Other crime | 1,235 | 1.5 | 2.1 | +4% |
| Drugs | 1,174 | 1.4 | 3.3 | -22% |
| Possession of weapons | 588 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +1% |
| Bicycle theft | 448 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +32% |
| Robbery | 300 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +32% |
| Theft from the person | 263 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -13% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Every one of the 8 nearest counties has a higher crime rate than Devon.
| County | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Devon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | 93,650 | 64.7 | +2% |
| Worcestershire | 48,472 | 78.0 | +23% |
| Oxfordshire | 51,303 | 67.2 | +6% |
| West Sussex | 76,272 | 83.4 | +31% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | +29% |
| Surrey | 87,794 | 70.3 | +11% |
| Staffordshire | 69,659 | 76.8 | +21% |
| Hertfordshire | 106,430 | 86.1 | +36% |
Of the 8 areas within Devon, Exeter had the highest crime rate (108.5 per 1,000) and West Devon the lowest (44.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | District | 138,399 | 15,017 | 108.5 |
| North Devon | District | 101,222 | 7,112 | 70.3 |
| Teignbridge | District | 138,548 | 8,148 | 58.8 |
| Mid Devon | District | 84,993 | 4,941 | 58.1 |
| Torridge | District | 69,841 | 3,849 | 55.1 |
| South Hams | District | 92,148 | 4,357 | 47.3 |
| East Devon | District | 158,239 | 7,455 | 47.1 |
| West Devon | District | 58,923 | 2,623 | 44.5 |
Of the 47,162 crimes in Devon with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 6,340 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 21,019 | 44.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 11,283 | 23.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 7,045 | 14.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,922 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,896 | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 1,049 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 826 | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 717 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 517 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 322 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 283 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 231 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Devon has an estimated population of 842,313 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (26%, against 19%), more retired residents (29%, against 22%) and fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Devon average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 0.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Devon a safe place to live?
Devon recorded 63.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 19th of the 20 counties on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Devon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 24,036 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (6,340).
Is crime in Devon going up or down?
Recorded crime in Devon was down 4% on the year before: 53,502 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 55,546 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Devon?
About 842,313 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Devon?
Devon is policed by Devon & Cornwall.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.