Crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area: statistics, rates and trends
140,138 crimes were recorded in the Devon & Cornwall Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 76.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- Types of crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- The Devon & Cornwall Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- Demographics of the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- Questions about crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (63,780), anti-social behaviour (17,426) and criminal damage and arson (12,823) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 32nd of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | the Devon & Cornwall Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 140,138 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 76.2 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 1,840,161 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area peaked in the year to August 2025 (143,604 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (120,611). 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 | 140,138 | 76.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 143,604 | 78.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 127,279 | 69.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 120,611 | 65.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 124,916 | 67.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 127,669 | 69.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 134,603 | 73.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 139,309 | 75.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 12,885 |
| July 2026 | 13,727 |
| June 2026 | 12,355 |
| May 2026 | 12,520 |
| April 2026 | 11,735 |
| March 2026 | 11,767 |
| February 2026 | 10,204 |
| January 2026 | 10,242 |
| December 2025 | 10,368 |
| November 2025 | 11,044 |
| October 2025 | 11,718 |
| September 2025 | 11,573 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (75% below) and robbery (68% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 637 to 790 and bicycle theft rose from 595 to 694, while anti-social behaviour fell from 25,256 to 17,426 and drugs fell from 4,405 to 3,338.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 63,780 | 34.7 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 17,426 | 9.5 | 15.4 | -31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 12,823 | 7.0 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 10,128 | 5.5 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 9,971 | 5.4 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Public order | 8,793 | 4.8 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Burglary | 3,487 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,399 | 1.8 | 5.0 | +14% |
| Drugs | 3,338 | 1.8 | 3.3 | -24% |
| Other crime | 3,033 | 1.6 | 2.1 | +2% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,695 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +8% |
| Robbery | 790 | 0.4 | 1.4 | +24% |
| Theft from the person | 781 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -13% |
| Bicycle theft | 694 | 0.4 | 0.8 | +17% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
122,351 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Devon & Cornwall Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 66.5 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (121,659), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Devon & Cornwall Police area had the 10th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the Devon & Cornwall Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 22,375 offences (18% of the total). No category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate. Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.23 times), robbery of business property (0.27 times) and robbery of personal property (0.35 times).
The largest rises on the year were in stalking and harassment (+32%) and bicycle theft (+21%). The largest falls were in trafficking of drugs (−37%) and possession of drugs (−27%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 22,375 | 12.2 | 13.2 | 0.92 | +1% |
| Stalking and harassment | 19,180 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 1.03 | +32% |
| Violence with injury | 15,051 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 1.00 | −5% |
| Criminal damage | 12,587 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 1.00 | −7% |
| Shoplifting | 10,124 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 0.68 | – |
| Other theft offences | 9,754 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 0.81 | +2% |
| Public order offences | 8,886 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 0.69 | +2% |
| Other sexual offences | 4,394 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.05 | −1% |
| Vehicle offences | 3,283 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 0.35 | −5% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 2,990 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.77 | +1% |
| Rape | 2,284 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.03 | −6% |
| Possession of drugs | 2,276 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.50 | −27% |
| Residential burglary | 2,276 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.50 | −6% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,671 | 0.91 | 1.00 | 0.91 | +7% |
| Non-residential burglary | 1,355 | 0.74 | 1.1 | 0.66 | −6% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 1,085 | 0.59 | 1.2 | 0.50 | −37% |
| Theft from the person | 759 | 0.41 | 1.8 | 0.23 | −17% |
| Bicycle theft | 701 | 0.38 | 0.85 | 0.45 | +21% |
| Robbery of personal property | 589 | 0.32 | 0.91 | 0.35 | +6% |
| Arson | 417 | 0.23 | 0.38 | 0.60 | −4% |
| Robbery of business property | 235 | 0.13 | 0.47 | 0.27 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 69 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 1.08 | −19% |
| Homicide | 10 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.68 | −29% |
Recorded crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The Devon & Cornwall Police area's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 122,351 | 66.5 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 121,659 | 66.1 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 108,740 | 59.1 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 101,582 | 55.2 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 100,858 | 54.8 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 90,249 | 49.0 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 100,031 | 54.4 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 106,900 | 58.1 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 103,312 | 56.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 84,772 | 46.1 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 77,078 | 41.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 80,243 | 43.6 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 85,207 | 46.3 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 84,007 | 45.7 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Devon & Cornwall Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 4 districts in the Devon & Cornwall Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Exeter had the highest rate (96.1 per 1,000) and Cornwall the lowest (62.7). Isles of Scilly is not in the table because it has too few recorded offences for a reliable rate. East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon are not in the table because the Home Office publishes each of them jointly with a neighbouring district, as one community safety partnership.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 13,296 | 96.1 | 1.15 |
| Torbay | 13,086 | 93.4 | 1.12 |
| Plymouth | 25,339 | 93.1 | 1.12 |
| Cornwall | 36,590 | 62.7 | 0.75 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
5 of the 8 nearest police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Devon & Cornwall Police area; the highest is the Gwent Police area (118.9 per 1,000) and the lowest the Wiltshire Police area (67.3).
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Devon & Cornwall Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Wales | 126,013 | 92.4 | +21% |
| Avon and Somerset | 188,310 | 103.8 | +36% |
| Gwent | 71,512 | 118.9 | +56% |
| Dorset | 57,002 | 71.3 | -6% |
| Dyfed-Powys | 44,753 | 85.4 | +12% |
| Wiltshire | 51,659 | 67.3 | -12% |
| Hampshire | 166,958 | 80.9 | +6% |
| West Mercia | 96,831 | 72.2 | -5% |
Of the 12 areas within the Devon & Cornwall Police area, Plymouth had the highest crime rate (109.5 per 1,000) and Isles of Scilly the lowest (39.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth | District | 272,067 | 29,802 | 109.5 |
| Torbay | District | 140,126 | 15,261 | 108.9 |
| Exeter | District | 138,399 | 15,017 | 108.5 |
| Cornwall | District | 583,289 | 41,480 | 71.1 |
| 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 |
| Isles of Scilly | District | 2,366 | 93 | 39.3 |
Of the 122,712 crimes in the Devon & Cornwall Police area with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 17,426 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 55,646 | 45.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 28,616 | 23.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 18,626 | 15.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5,190 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 4,960 | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 2,447 | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2,087 | 1.7% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,980 | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 1,069 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 772 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 661 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 487 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
The Devon & Cornwall Police area has an estimated population of 1,840,161 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (25%, against 19%), more retired residents (28%, against 22%) and less social housing (13%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Devon & Cornwall Police area average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Devon & Cornwall Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Devon & Cornwall Police area a safe place to live?
The Devon & Cornwall Police area recorded 76.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 32nd of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 63,780 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (17,426).
Is crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Devon & Cornwall Police area was down 2% on the year before: 140,138 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 143,604 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Devon & Cornwall Police area?
About 1,840,161 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 25% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Devon & Cornwall Police area in the year ending March 2026?
122,351 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 66.5 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 121,659.
Which offences are more common in the Devon & Cornwall Police area than across England and Wales?
None: no category with at least 20 offences had a rate a quarter or more above the England and Wales rate in the year ending March 2026. The largest category was violence without injury (22,375).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.