Bideford Crime Overview
Bideford is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Devon, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Devon's 430 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bideford in 2020 was 59 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 14% higher than the Devon rate of 51 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bideford is the 325th most dangerous small town, and the 2,151st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2020, Bideford was the worst small town in Devon for other crime, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.27 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2020 was also a bad month for Bideford residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.16 per 1,000 residents. Bideford recorded 9 reports of drugs during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.49 the worst small town for drugs in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Bideford are violence and sexual offences, with 526 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 13% lower than 2019's figure of 594 offences and a difference of 3.71 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Bideford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 300% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Bideford to other towns and cities
See how Bideford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bideford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bideford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Bideford This Year
| Bideford | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 490 | 26.77 | 28,259 | 23.54 | 12% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.16 | 439 | 0.37 | 131% safer |
| Burglary | 34 | 1.86 | 2,644 | 2.20 | 18% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 160 | 8.74 | 8,119 | 6.76 | 23% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 58 | 3.17 | 3,313 | 2.76 | 13% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 22 | 1.20 | 1,615 | 1.35 | 12% safer |
| Other Theft | 65 | 3.55 | 4,370 | 3.64 | 2.5% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 20 | 1.09 | 839 | 0.70 | 36% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 83 | 4.53 | 4,841 | 4.03 | 11% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.27 | 387 | 0.32 | 19% safer |
| Shoplifting | 77 | 4.21 | 2,897 | 2.41 | 43% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.05 | 275 | 0.23 | 360% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 33 | 1.80 | 2,262 | 1.88 | 4.4% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 526 | 28.74 | 29,573 | 24.64 | 14% more dangerous |
Crime in Bideford Compared To Devon
Bideford Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honiton | 482 | 43.02 | 38% safer |
| Axminster | 343 | 44.78 | 33% safer |
| Brixham | 773 | 45.52 | 30% safer |
| Tiverton | 1,054 | 46.98 | 26% safer |
| Crediton | 400 | 50.47 | 18% safer |
| Bideford | 1,087 | 59.39 | - |
| Totnes | 508 | 61.88 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Ilfracombe | 720 | 63.80 | 7% more dangerous |
| Barnstaple | 1,983 | 81.03 | 27% more dangerous |
Bideford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 27 | 24 | 27 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.16 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.98 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 4.8 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.38 | 0.60 | 0.71 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.22 | 0.05 | 0.22 | 0.27 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 14 | 12 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.38 | 0.16 | 0.22 | 0.05 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 29 | 32 | 29 | Getting worse |
Changes In Bideford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Bideford to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Bideford | 59.39 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 12% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 39% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 57% more dangerous |
Crime in Bideford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bideford North | 490 | 82 | First |
Crime in Bideford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bideford
What police force serves Bideford?
Bideford's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Bideford?
Bideford is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Devon.What is Bideford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bideford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bideford?
Bideford's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021