Crime in Penryn: statistics, rates and trends
736 crimes were recorded in Penryn in the 12 months to August 2026, 84.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 17% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (283), shoplifting (121) and other theft (82) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 540th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Penryn | Cornwall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 736 | 41,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 84.5 | 71.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +17% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 8,712 | 583,289 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Penryn of any year here (736 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 736 | 84.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 630 | 72.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 442 | 50.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 474 | 54.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 484 | 55.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 508 | 58.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 553 | 63.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 588 | 67.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 50 |
| July 2026 | 57 |
| June 2026 | 66 |
| May 2026 | 52 |
| April 2026 | 48 |
| March 2026 | 51 |
| February 2026 | 65 |
| January 2026 | 62 |
| December 2025 | 63 |
| November 2025 | 90 |
| October 2025 | 62 |
| September 2025 | 70 |
Compared with England and Wales, Penryn recorded notably more shoplifting (64% above the national rate) and other theft (46% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (45% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 51 to 121 and other theft rose from 58 to 82, while anti-social behaviour fell from 125 to 73 and criminal damage and arson fell from 92 to 71.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 283 | 32.5 | 34.2 | +39% |
| Shoplifting | 121 | 13.9 | 8.5 | +137% |
| Other theft | 82 | 9.4 | 6.4 | +41% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 73 | 8.4 | 15.4 | -42% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 71 | 8.1 | 6.7 | -23% |
| Public order | 52 | 6.0 | 6.7 | +30% |
| Other crime | 14 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 14 | 1.6 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 7 | 0.8 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Penryn; the highest is Truro (128.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Carbis Bay (43.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penryn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | 1,961 | 82.3 | -3% |
| Redruth | 1,193 | 98.7 | +17% |
| Truro | 2,962 | 128.6 | +52% |
| Pool and Illogan | 1,078 | 108.4 | +28% |
| Helston | 622 | 60.2 | -29% |
| Camborne | 2,199 | 98.3 | +16% |
| Hayle | 793 | 86.8 | +3% |
| Carbis Bay | 239 | 43.0 | -49% |
Penryn is the one area listed within Penryn, with 84.5 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penryn | Neighbourhood | 8,712 | 736 | 84.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 49% of the crime recorded in Penryn over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Lower Market Street” (114).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Lower Market Street | 114 |
| On or near Parking Area | 55 |
| On or near Chapel Lane | 38 |
| On or near Permarin Road | 34 |
| On or near Supermarket | 28 |
| On or near Greenwood Road | 20 |
| On or near New Street | 20 |
| On or near Broad Street | 18 |
| On or near Poltisko Terrace | 16 |
| On or near Shute Meadow | 16 |
Of the 663 crimes in Penryn with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 73 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 298 | 44.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 185 | 27.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 66 | 10.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 38 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 23 | 3.5% | 0.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 17 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 12 | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 0.5% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
Penryn has an estimated population of 8,712 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (22.1%, against 7.9%), more private renting (29%, against 20%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penryn average decile 6.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Penryn | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 22.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Penryn a safe place to live?
Penryn recorded 84.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 540th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and other theft.
What is the most common crime in Penryn?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 283 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (121).
Is crime in Penryn going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penryn was up 17% on the year before: 736 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 630 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penryn?
About 8,712 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penryn?
Penryn 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.