Bideford is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Devon, and is the 26th most dangerous overall out of Devon's 403 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bideford in 2021 was 51 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 1.7% lower than the Devon rate of 52 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bideford is the 360th safest small town, and the 3,074th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2021, Bideford was the worst SmallTown.ToInlineText() in Devon for criminal damage and arson, with 18 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.98 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2021 was also a bad month for Bideford residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous SmallTown.ToInlineText() for other crime, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.16 per 1,000 residents. Bideford recorded 3 reports of possession of weapons during June 2021, making its crime rate of 0.16 the worst SmallTown.ToInlineText() for possession of weapons in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Bideford are violence and sexual offences, with 535 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 1.7% higher than 2020's figure of 526 offences and a difference of 0.49 from 2020's crime rate of 29. Bideford's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 3 offences recorded in 2021, the same as 2020's figure of 3 crimes.
Top 5 Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Devon
15% lower, regional crime rate
South West
42% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Bideford is 15% lower than the South West and 42% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Bideford | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Bideford represent the time frame between April 2019 and March 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | 938 |
| 2020 | 59 | 1,087 |
| 2019 | 74 | 1,350 |
| 2018 | 74 | 1,360 |
| 2017 | 62 | 1,127 |
| 2016 | 51 | 936 |
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| Bideford | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 425 | 23.22 | 23,779 | 19.81 | 15% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.16 | 336 | 0.28 | 75% safer |
| Burglary | 16 | 0.87 | 2,114 | 1.76 | 102% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 126 | 6.88 | 7,956 | 6.63 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 38 | 2.08 | 2,929 | 2.44 | 17% safer |
| Other Crime | 14 | 0.76 | 1,709 | 1.42 | 87% safer |
| Other Theft | 54 | 2.95 | 4,111 | 3.43 | 16% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 11 | 0.60 | 777 | 0.65 | 8% safer |
| Public Order | 79 | 4.32 | 5,058 | 4.21 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 43 | 2.35 | 2,932 | 2.44 | 3.8% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.22 | 312 | 0.26 | 18% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 15 | 0.82 | 2,019 | 1.68 | 105% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 535 | 29.23 | 31,910 | 26.59 | 9% more dangerous |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullompton | 456 | 44.56 | 15% safer |
| Crediton | 357 | 45.05 | 14% safer |
| Axminster | 346 | 45.18 | 13% safer |
| Dawlish | 720 | 47.34 | 8% safer |
| Totnes | 396 | 48.24 | 6% safer |
| Bideford | 938 | 51.25 | - |
| Tiverton | 1,251 | 55.76 | 8% more dangerous |
| Ilfracombe | 696 | 61.67 | 17% more dangerous |
| Barnstaple | 2,250 | 91.95 | 44% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shopping Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Pynes Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Possession of weapons | On or near Heathfield Road | Local resolution |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Coldharbour | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Chubb Road | Offender given a caution |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near High Park Close | Offender given a caution |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Willet Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Possession of weapons | On or near Southfield Road | Local resolution |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bull Hill | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Drugs | On or near Pollards Place | Offender given a caution |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Meddon Street | Offender given a caution |
| March 2022 | Possession of weapons | On or near Southfield Road | Local resolution |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near New Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 27 | 24 | 27 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.16 | 0.16 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.87 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.76 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.60 | 0.71 | 1.1 | 0.60 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 12 | 4.2 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.16 | 0.22 | 0.05 | 0.22 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.82 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 29 | 32 | 29 | 29 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Bideford that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollyfield | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 28% safer |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 3.3% safer |
| Bideford | 51.25 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 24% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 38% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 43% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 43% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 54% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 58% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 61% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 66% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bideford North | 426 | 71 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bideford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Bideford saw a 700% increase in drugs. Bideford saw a large fall in drugs during July, when it fell by 88% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -3% | +31% | +12% | +48% | +10% | +15% | +22% | +60% | -30% | -8% |
| Burglary | - | - | -25% | +50% | +150% | - | -60% | -80% | +100% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | -65% | +47% | -62% | +25% | +46% | -25% | -48% | -12% | -48% |
| Drugs | +33% | +200% | -50% | +100% | -88% | -29% | -50% | +100% | -10% | +700% |
| Other Crime | - | +25% | -67% | - | - | +100% | - | - | -25% | - |
| Other Theft | -33% | -40% | - | -50% | -38% | -56% | +40% | - | +33% | -67% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | - | +100% | - | +100% | - | +50% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -46% | - | -11% | - | -27% | +43% | +20% | +120% | +40% | -57% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -69% | - | -81% | -84% | -88% | +450% | +50% | +50% | - | -70% |
| Vehicle Crime | +100% | - | - | - | +300% | - | -14% | -33% | - | +33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -6% | -31% | -22% | -26% | +9% | -19% | +2% | +10% | -33% | -26% |
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