Crime in Witney: statistics, rates and trends
1,763 crimes were recorded in Witney in the 12 months to August 2026, 64.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 12% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (727), anti-social behaviour (237) and shoplifting (215) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 879th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Witney | West Oxfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,763 | 5,924 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 64.1 | 49.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -12% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 27,501 | 120,941 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Witney peaked in the year to August 2022 (2,283 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,655). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,763 | 64.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,993 | 72.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,851 | 67.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,204 | 80.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,283 | 83.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,832 | 66.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,806 | 65.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,772 | 64.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,655 | 60.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 107 |
| July 2026 | 159 |
| June 2026 | 141 |
| May 2026 | 170 |
| April 2026 | 133 |
| March 2026 | 137 |
| February 2026 | 121 |
| January 2026 | 138 |
| December 2025 | 165 |
| November 2025 | 155 |
| October 2025 | 160 |
| September 2025 | 177 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and drugs (76% below) and vehicle crime (71% below) were well below it. On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 30 to 39, while drugs fell from 39 to 22 and criminal damage and arson fell from 162 to 127.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 727 | 26.4 | 34.2 | -16% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 237 | 8.6 | 15.4 | -20% |
| Shoplifting | 215 | 7.8 | 8.5 | +2% |
| Public order | 163 | 5.9 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 127 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -22% |
| Other theft | 104 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 39 | 1.4 | 5.0 | +30% |
| Burglary | 36 | 1.3 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Other crime | 34 | 1.2 | 2.1 | +10% |
| Bicycle theft | 23 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Drugs | 22 | 0.8 | 3.3 | -44% |
| Robbery | 22 | 0.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Witney; the highest is Oxford (103.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Eynsham (43.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Witney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eynsham | 298 | 43.9 | -32% |
| Carterton | 898 | 46.7 | -27% |
| Kidlington | 937 | 58.8 | -8% |
| Faringdon | 693 | 66.7 | +4% |
| Chipping Norton | 465 | 62.3 | -3% |
| Oxford | 17,690 | 103.9 | +62% |
| Abingdon-on-Thames | 2,257 | 68.5 | +7% |
| Grove (Vale of White Horse) | 597 | 55.4 | -14% |
Of the 5 areas within Witney, Witney South had the highest crime rate (129.3 per 1,000) and Witney East the lowest (31.3), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witney South | Neighbourhood | 6,388 | 826 | 129.3 |
| Witney Central | Neighbourhood | 6,365 | 447 | 70.2 |
| Witney West | Neighbourhood | 6,982 | 312 | 44.7 |
| Witney North | Neighbourhood | 3,896 | 159 | 40.8 |
| Witney East | Neighbourhood | 7,985 | 250 | 31.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Witney over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (166).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 166 |
| On or near Market Square | 90 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 62 |
| On or near Avenue Four | 51 |
| On or near Avenue Three | 36 |
| On or near Beechgate | 34 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 34 |
| On or near Elm Close | 32 |
| On or near Bakers Piece | 29 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 29 |
Of the 1,526 crimes in Witney with a recorded outcome, 31% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 237 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 604 | 39.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 471 | 30.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 182 | 11.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 78 | 5.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 63 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 48 | 3.1% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 42 | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 16 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 15 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Witney has an estimated population of 27,501 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Witney average decile 7.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Witney | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Witney a safe place to live?
Witney recorded 64.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 879th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Witney?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 727 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (237).
Is crime in Witney going up or down?
Recorded crime in Witney was down 12% on the year before: 1,763 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,993 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Witney?
About 27,501 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Witney?
Witney is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.