Crime in Looe: statistics, rates and trends
476 crimes were recorded in Looe in the 12 months to August 2026, 84.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 24% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (235), criminal damage and arson (63) and anti-social behaviour (55) made up 74% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 544th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Looe | Cornwall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 476 | 41,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 84.2 | 71.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +24% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 5,654 | 583,289 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Looe peaked in the year to August 2024 (487 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (357). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 33%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 476 | 84.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 385 | 68.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 487 | 86.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 412 | 72.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 400 | 70.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 397 | 70.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 383 | 67.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 357 | 63.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 55 |
| July 2026 | 56 |
| June 2026 | 37 |
| May 2026 | 61 |
| April 2026 | 28 |
| March 2026 | 34 |
| February 2026 | 23 |
| January 2026 | 28 |
| December 2025 | 42 |
| November 2025 | 53 |
| October 2025 | 42 |
| September 2025 | 17 |
Compared with England and Wales, Looe recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (65% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (37% below). On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 133 to 235 and public order rose from 26 to 41, while anti-social behaviour fell from 101 to 55.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 235 | 41.6 | 34.2 | +77% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 63 | 11.1 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 55 | 9.7 | 15.4 | -46% |
| Public order | 41 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +58% |
| Other theft | 40 | 7.1 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 17 | 3.0 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 7 | 1.2 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 6 | 1.1 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 6 | 1.1 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 4 | 0.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Looe; the highest is Bodmin (118.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Tavistock (57.3).
Looe East & Deviock is the one area listed within Looe, with 65.0 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looe East & Deviock | Neighbourhood | 7,828 | 509 | 65.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Looe over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (57).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 57 |
| On or near Barbican Road | 41 |
| On or near Polperro Road | 33 |
| On or near Parking Area | 31 |
| On or near East Cliff | 20 |
| On or near Fore Street | 18 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 16 |
| On or near Tregarrick | 15 |
| On or near Church Street | 14 |
| On or near North Road | 14 |
Of the 421 crimes in Looe with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 1.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 55 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 210 | 49.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 113 | 26.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 59 | 14.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 8 | 1.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 8 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 6 | 1.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Looe has an estimated population of 5,654 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (33%, against 19%), more retired residents (36%, against 22%) and fewer students (4.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Looe average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Looe | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 11.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 33.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 46.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 36.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Looe a safe place to live?
Looe recorded 84.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 544th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Looe?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 235 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (63).
Is crime in Looe going up or down?
Recorded crime in Looe was up 24% on the year before: 476 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 385 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Looe?
About 5,654 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 33% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Looe?
Looe 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.