Crime in Tavistock: statistics, rates and trends
779 crimes were recorded in Tavistock in the 12 months to August 2026, 57.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Tavistock at a glance
- Crime trends in Tavistock
- Types of crime in Tavistock
- Tavistock compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Tavistock
- Streets with the most crime in Tavistock
- What happened after crimes were reported in Tavistock
- Demographics of Tavistock
- Questions about crime in Tavistock
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (362), anti-social behaviour (91) and criminal damage and arson (80) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,012th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Tavistock | West Devon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 779 | 2,623 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 57.3 | 44.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 13,598 | 58,923 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Tavistock peaked in the year to August 2018 (832 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (587). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 779 | 57.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 752 | 55.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 805 | 59.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 739 | 54.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 620 | 45.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 587 | 43.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 630 | 46.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 832 | 61.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 65 |
| July 2026 | 81 |
| June 2026 | 53 |
| May 2026 | 53 |
| April 2026 | 58 |
| March 2026 | 67 |
| February 2026 | 50 |
| January 2026 | 62 |
| December 2025 | 82 |
| November 2025 | 57 |
| October 2025 | 94 |
| September 2025 | 57 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and anti-social behaviour (56% below) and shoplifting (52% below) were well below it. On the year before, public order rose from 44 to 67 and shoplifting rose from 42 to 55, while other theft fell from 73 to 55.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 362 | 26.6 | 34.2 | +11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 91 | 6.7 | 15.4 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 80 | 5.9 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Public order | 67 | 4.9 | 6.7 | +52% |
| Other theft | 55 | 4.0 | 6.4 | -25% |
| Shoplifting | 55 | 4.0 | 8.5 | +31% |
| Other crime | 25 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +19% |
| Vehicle crime | 14 | 1.0 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 12 | 0.9 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 10 | 0.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Tavistock; the highest is Liskeard (114.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Ivybridge (52.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Tavistock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saltash | 1,112 | 67.6 | +18% |
| Plymouth | 29,787 | 108.9 | +90% |
| Launceston | 841 | 102.1 | +78% |
| Torpoint | 468 | 62.4 | +9% |
| Ivybridge | 626 | 52.5 | -8% |
| Okehampton | 686 | 66.7 | +16% |
| Liskeard | 1,337 | 114.2 | +99% |
| Looe | 476 | 84.2 | +47% |
Of the 3 areas within Tavistock, Tavistock North had the highest crime rate (82.1 per 1,000) and Tavistock South East the lowest (38.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tavistock North | Neighbourhood | 4,410 | 362 | 82.1 |
| Tavistock South West | Neighbourhood | 4,732 | 244 | 51.6 |
| Tavistock South East | Neighbourhood | 4,456 | 173 | 38.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Tavistock over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (70).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 70 |
| On or near Pepper Street | 58 |
| On or near A386 | 30 |
| On or near Canal Road | 29 |
| On or near King Street | 20 |
| On or near Trinity Way | 19 |
| On or near West Street | 18 |
| On or near Brook Street | 15 |
| On or near Pixon Lane | 15 |
| On or near Mulberry Grove | 14 |
Of the 688 crimes in Tavistock with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 91 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 305 | 44.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 160 | 23.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 88 | 12.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 26 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 26 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 20 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 16 | 2.3% | 0.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 14 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 14 | 2.0% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 1.7% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
Tavistock has an estimated population of 13,598 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (31%, against 19%), more retired residents (35%, against 22%) and fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Tavistock average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Tavistock | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 31.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 34.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Tavistock a safe place to live?
Tavistock recorded 57.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,012th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Tavistock?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 362 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (91).
Is crime in Tavistock going up or down?
Recorded crime in Tavistock was up 4% on the year before: 779 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 752 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Tavistock?
About 13,598 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 31% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Tavistock?
Tavistock 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.