Falmouth Crime Overview
Falmouth is among the top 20 most dangerous small towns in Cornwall, and is the 24th most dangerous overall out of Cornwall's 218 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Falmouth in 2020 was 46 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cornwall's overall crime rate, coming in 7% higher than the Cornwall rate of 43 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Falmouth is the 339th safest small town, and the 3,500th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Falmouth had the worst crime rate in Cornwall for other crime, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.22 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2020 was also a bad month for Falmouth residents, when it was Cornwall's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents. Falmouth recorded 6 reports of vehicle crime during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.26 the worst for vehicle crime in Cornwall that month.
The most common crimes in Falmouth are violence and sexual offences, with 521 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 23. This is 9% lower than 2019's figure of 569 offences and a difference of 2.08 from 2019's crime rate of 25. Falmouth's least common crime is robbery, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 133% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Falmouth to other towns and cities
See how Falmouth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Falmouth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Falmouth Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Falmouth This Year
| Falmouth | Cornwall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 608 | 26.38 | 13,083 | 22.97 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.17 | 117 | 0.21 | 24% safer |
| Burglary | 28 | 1.21 | 944 | 1.66 | 37% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 170 | 7.38 | 3,741 | 6.57 | 11% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 46 | 2.00 | 1,065 | 1.87 | 6% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 21 | 0.91 | 507 | 0.89 | 2.2% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 68 | 2.95 | 1,911 | 3.35 | 14% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 14 | 0.61 | 275 | 0.48 | 21% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 81 | 3.51 | 1,614 | 2.83 | 19% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.13 | 98 | 0.17 | 31% safer |
| Shoplifting | 66 | 2.86 | 1,095 | 1.92 | 33% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.13 | 71 | 0.12 | 8% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 38 | 1.65 | 733 | 1.29 | 22% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 521 | 22.61 | 12,296 | 21.59 | 4.5% more dangerous |
Crime in Falmouth Compared To Cornwall
Falmouth Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penryn | 347 | 41.61 | 11% safer |
| Helston | 504 | 43.60 | 6% safer |
| St. Ives | 481 | 43.86 | 5% safer |
| Launceston | 481 | 44.06 | 4.7% safer |
| Saltash | 736 | 44.14 | 4.5% safer |
| Falmouth | 1,063 | 46.13 | - |
| Hayle | 496 | 51.59 | 11% more dangerous |
| Newquay | 1,194 | 52.31 | 12% more dangerous |
| Redruth | 907 | 58.51 | 21% more dangerous |
| Bodmin | 1,100 | 66.91 | 31% more dangerous |
| Camborne | 1,608 | 71.38 | 35% more dangerous |
Falmouth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 27 | 27 | 24 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.43 | 0.48 | 0.56 | 0.17 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.1 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 11 | 14 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.43 | 0.87 | 1.0 | 0.91 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.30 | 0.61 | 0.52 | 0.61 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.39 | 0.52 | 0.52 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.1 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 22 | 25 | 23 | Getting worse |
Changes In Falmouth's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Falmouth to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | 46.13 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 32% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 40% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 45% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 46% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 53% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 55% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 57% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 65% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 66% more dangerous |
Crime in Falmouth's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth East | 346 | 49 | Second |
| Falmouth North | 529 | 67 | First |
| Falmouth West & South | 188 | 23 | Third |
Crime in Falmouth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Falmouth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Falmouth saw a 700% increase in drugs. Falmouth saw a large fall in other theft during March, when it fell by 89% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +10% | +52% | +9% | - | +15% | +39% | +48% | -11% | +11% | +13% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Burglary | - | -67% | -43% | -33% | -83% | +50% | - | - | -33% | -86% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -77% | -89% | -64% | -71% | -57% | -35% | +233% | +36% | -42% | -47% |
| Drugs | -75% | +700% | +300% | -33% | +75% | -33% | +700% | - | -80% | -50% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +200% | +25% | -75% | - | +33% | - | +50% | - |
| Other Theft | -89% | -55% | -72% | - | -25% | -25% | -50% | +167% | -64% | -36% |
| Possession of Weapons | +200% | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -17% | -55% | -63% | -43% | -57% | +40% | +17% | -20% | -30% | - |
| Shoplifting | - | -78% | -40% | +75% | -30% | -43% | +150% | -36% | +67% | -11% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +133% | -40% | - | - | - | -50% | - | -33% | +20% | -50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +17% | -19% | -45% | +24% | -5% | +2% | -30% | -2% | -37% | -9% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Falmouth
What police force serves Falmouth?
Falmouth's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Falmouth?
Falmouth is among the top 20 most dangerous small towns in Cornwall.What is Falmouth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Falmouth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Falmouth?
Falmouth's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021