Crime in Penzance: statistics, rates and trends
2,029 crimes were recorded in Penzance in the 12 months to August 2026, 124.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Penzance at a glance
- Crime trends in Penzance
- Types of crime in Penzance
- Penzance compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Penzance
- Streets with the most crime in Penzance
- What happened after crimes were reported in Penzance
- Demographics of Penzance
- Questions about crime in Penzance
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (807), anti-social behaviour (351) and criminal damage and arson (202) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 147th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Penzance | Cornwall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,029 | 41,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 124.9 | 71.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 16,247 | 583,289 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Penzance peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,630 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,935). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 23%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,029 | 124.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,240 | 137.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,935 | 119.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,944 | 119.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,217 | 136.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,022 | 124.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,143 | 131.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,630 | 161.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 173 |
| July 2026 | 178 |
| June 2026 | 191 |
| May 2026 | 169 |
| April 2026 | 164 |
| March 2026 | 164 |
| February 2026 | 141 |
| January 2026 | 127 |
| December 2025 | 134 |
| November 2025 | 178 |
| October 2025 | 196 |
| September 2025 | 214 |
Compared with England and Wales, Penzance recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (84% above the national rate), violence and sexual offences (45% above the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (41% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (53% below) and burglary (27% below). On the year before, other theft rose from 101 to 122 and public order rose from 123 to 146, while anti-social behaviour fell from 503 to 351.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 807 | 49.7 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 351 | 21.6 | 15.4 | -30% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 202 | 12.4 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Shoplifting | 175 | 10.8 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Public order | 146 | 9.0 | 6.7 | +19% |
| Other theft | 122 | 7.5 | 6.4 | +21% |
| Drugs | 58 | 3.6 | 3.3 | +18% |
| Burglary | 42 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Vehicle crime | 38 | 2.3 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Other crime | 36 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +16% |
| Robbery | 20 | 1.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 1.0 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 14 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penzance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbis Bay | 239 | 43.0 | -66% |
| St Ives (Cornwall) | 545 | 104.6 | -16% |
| Hayle | 793 | 86.8 | -31% |
| Helston | 622 | 60.2 | -52% |
| Camborne | 2,199 | 98.3 | -21% |
| Pool and Illogan | 1,078 | 108.4 | -13% |
| Redruth | 1,193 | 98.7 | -21% |
| Penryn | 736 | 84.5 | -32% |
Of the 3 areas within Penzance, Penzance East had the highest crime rate (176.2 per 1,000) and Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval & Heamoor the lowest (61.6).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penzance East | Neighbourhood | 7,989 | 1,408 | 176.2 |
| Penzance Promenade | Neighbourhood | 4,951 | 445 | 89.9 |
| Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval & Heamoor | Neighbourhood | 7,025 | 433 | 61.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Penzance over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (240).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 240 |
| On or near Parking Area | 91 |
| On or near Old Brewery Yard | 54 |
| On or near The Greenmarket | 52 |
| On or near Union Street | 50 |
| On or near Bread Street | 47 |
| On or near Albert Street | 46 |
| On or near Jelbert Way | 35 |
| On or near Branwell Lane | 33 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 32 |
Of the 1,678 crimes in Penzance with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 351 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 775 | 46.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 406 | 24.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 243 | 14.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 73 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 63 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 33 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 32 | 1.9% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 25 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 9 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Penzance has an estimated population of 16,247 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (28%, against 19%), more retired residents (30%, against 22%) and more households without a car (32%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penzance average decile 2.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Penzance | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 28.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 47.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 29.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 53.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 21.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Penzance a safe place to live?
Penzance recorded 124.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 147th 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 and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Penzance?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 807 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (351).
Is crime in Penzance going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penzance was down 9% on the year before: 2,029 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,240 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penzance?
About 16,247 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 28% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penzance?
Penzance 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.