Crime in Falmouth: statistics, rates and trends
1,961 crimes were recorded in Falmouth in the 12 months to August 2026, 82.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Falmouth at a glance
- Crime trends in Falmouth
- Types of crime in Falmouth
- Falmouth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Falmouth
- Streets with the most crime in Falmouth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Falmouth
- Demographics of Falmouth
- Questions about crime in Falmouth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (729), shoplifting (288) and anti-social behaviour (282) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 570th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Falmouth | Cornwall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,961 | 41,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 82.3 | 71.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 23,831 | 583,289 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Falmouth peaked in the year to August 2025 (2,016 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,547). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 6%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,961 | 82.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,016 | 84.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,547 | 64.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,767 | 74.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,631 | 68.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,720 | 72.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,964 | 82.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,850 | 77.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 164 |
| July 2026 | 170 |
| June 2026 | 166 |
| May 2026 | 158 |
| April 2026 | 209 |
| March 2026 | 170 |
| February 2026 | 123 |
| January 2026 | 174 |
| December 2025 | 126 |
| November 2025 | 156 |
| October 2025 | 143 |
| September 2025 | 202 |
Compared with England and Wales, Falmouth recorded notably more shoplifting (43% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (62% below) and drugs (46% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 37 to 106 and drugs rose from 29 to 42, while anti-social behaviour fell from 530 to 282 and burglary fell from 42 to 32.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 729 | 30.6 | 34.2 | +24% |
| Shoplifting | 288 | 12.1 | 8.5 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 282 | 11.8 | 15.4 | -47% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 178 | 7.5 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Other theft | 137 | 5.7 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Vehicle crime | 106 | 4.4 | 5.0 | +186% |
| Public order | 98 | 4.1 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Drugs | 42 | 1.8 | 3.3 | +45% |
| Burglary | 32 | 1.3 | 3.6 | -24% |
| Other crime | 29 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 10 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 8 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Falmouth; the highest is Truro (128.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Carbis Bay (43.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Falmouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penryn | 736 | 84.5 | +3% |
| Truro | 2,962 | 128.6 | +56% |
| Redruth | 1,193 | 98.7 | +20% |
| Helston | 622 | 60.2 | -27% |
| Pool and Illogan | 1,078 | 108.4 | +32% |
| Camborne | 2,199 | 98.3 | +19% |
| Hayle | 793 | 86.8 | +5% |
| Carbis Bay | 239 | 43.0 | -48% |
Of the 4 areas within Falmouth, Falmouth Arwenack had the highest crime rate (120.7 per 1,000) and Falmouth Boslowick the lowest (38.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth Arwenack | Neighbourhood | 5,404 | 652 | 120.7 |
| Falmouth Penwerris | Neighbourhood | 8,033 | 777 | 96.7 |
| Falmouth Trescobeas & Budock | Neighbourhood | 6,220 | 410 | 65.9 |
| Falmouth Boslowick | Neighbourhood | 6,682 | 258 | 38.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Falmouth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (208).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 208 |
| On or near Market Strand | 168 |
| On or near Gyllyngvase Hill | 67 |
| On or near Nightclub | 60 |
| On or near Webber Street | 50 |
| On or near Ashfield Villas | 35 |
| On or near Market Street | 34 |
| On or near New Street | 34 |
| On or near Supermarket | 33 |
| On or near Laburnum Court | 32 |
Of the 1,679 crimes in Falmouth with a recorded outcome, 30% 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 282 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 665 | 39.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 511 | 30.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 244 | 14.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 70 | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 54 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 29 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 27 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 26 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 14 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 14 | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| Offender given a caution | 13 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Falmouth has an estimated population of 23,831 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (20.2%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%) and fewer children (13%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Falmouth average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Falmouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 20.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Falmouth a safe place to live?
Falmouth recorded 82.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 570th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Falmouth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 729 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (288).
Is crime in Falmouth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Falmouth was down 3% on the year before: 1,961 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,016 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Falmouth?
About 23,831 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Falmouth?
Falmouth 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.