Crime in Lye Valley: statistics, rates and trends
689 crimes were recorded in Lye Valley in the 12 months to August 2026, 78.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 11% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Lye Valley at a glance
- Crime trends in Lye Valley
- Types of crime in Lye Valley
- Lye Valley compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Lye Valley
- What happened after crimes were reported in Lye Valley
- Demographics of Lye Valley
- Questions about crime in Lye Valley
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (208), shoplifting (132) and vehicle crime (58) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,901st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Lye Valley | Oxford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 689 | 17,767 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 78.4 | 107.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +11% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 8,783 | 166,034 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Lye Valley of any year here (689 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 92%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 689 | 78.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 623 | 70.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 638 | 72.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 633 | 72.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 612 | 69.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 629 | 71.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 563 | 64.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 494 | 56.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 359 | 40.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 62 |
| July 2026 | 60 |
| June 2026 | 61 |
| May 2026 | 49 |
| April 2026 | 55 |
| March 2026 | 37 |
| February 2026 | 63 |
| January 2026 | 49 |
| December 2025 | 54 |
| November 2025 | 65 |
| October 2025 | 65 |
| September 2025 | 69 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lye Valley recorded notably more bicycle theft (4.8 times the national rate), shoplifting (78% above the national rate) and drugs (46% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (61% below) and public order (45% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 23 to 42 and bicycle theft rose from 25 to 35, while public order fell from 38 to 32.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 208 | 23.7 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Shoplifting | 132 | 15.0 | 8.5 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 58 | 6.6 | 5.0 | +12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 53 | 6.0 | 15.4 | -15% |
| Other theft | 46 | 5.2 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Drugs | 42 | 4.8 | 3.3 | +83% |
| Bicycle theft | 35 | 4.0 | 0.8 | +40% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 34 | 3.9 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Public order | 32 | 3.6 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Burglary | 16 | 1.8 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Robbery | 11 | 1.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 8 | 0.9 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Lye Valley; the highest is St Clement's, Oxford (144.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Quarry & Risinghurst (52.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lye Valley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Cowley | 284 | 76.4 | -3% |
| Churchill | 699 | 86.8 | +11% |
| Cowley | 1,154 | 126.3 | +61% |
| Donnington | 725 | 81.6 | +4% |
| Quarry & Risinghurst | 357 | 52.6 | -33% |
| Blackbird Leys | 763 | 114.5 | +46% |
| St Clement's | 912 | 144.5 | +84% |
| Headington | 1,105 | 118.8 | +51% |
The 10 locations below account for 55% of the crime recorded in Lye Valley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (159).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 159 |
| On or near Burbush Road | 32 |
| On or near Hundred Acres Close | 27 |
| On or near The Slade | 26 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 25 |
| On or near Alec Issigonis Way | 23 |
| On or near Ivy Close | 23 |
| On or near Peat Moors | 21 |
| On or near Eastfield Place | 20 |
| On or near Normandy Crescent | 20 |
Of the 636 crimes in Lye Valley with a recorded outcome, 45% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 53 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 284 | 44.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 164 | 25.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 73 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 32 | 5.0% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 29 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 24 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 13 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Lye Valley has an estimated population of 8,783 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (22.8%, against 7.9%), more private renting (32%, against 20%) and fewer retired residents (11%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lye Valley average decile 6.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Lye Valley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 22.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 49.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Lye Valley a safe place to live?
Lye Valley recorded 78.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,901st of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Lye Valley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 208 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (132).
Is crime in Lye Valley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lye Valley was up 11% on the year before: 689 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 623 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lye Valley?
About 8,783 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lye Valley?
Lye Valley is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.