Dawlish is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Devon, and is the 38th most dangerous overall out of Devon's 403 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Dawlish in 2021 was 47 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 10% lower than the Devon rate of 52 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Dawlish is the 309th safest small town, and the 3,577th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In April 2021, Dawlish was the worst SmallTown.ToInlineText() in Devon for burglary, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.20 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Dawlish residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous SmallTown.ToInlineText() for possession of weapons, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents. Dawlish recorded 8 reports of shoplifting during February 2021, making its crime rate of 0.53 the worst SmallTown.ToInlineText() for shoplifting in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Dawlish are violence and sexual offences, with 402 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 10% higher than 2020's figure of 360 offences and a difference of 2.76 from 2020's crime rate of 24. Dawlish's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2021, a decrease of 300% from 2020's figure of 4 crimes.
Top 10 Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Devon
24% lower, regional crime rate
South West
54% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Dawlish is 24% lower than the South West and 54% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Dawlish | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Dawlish 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 | 47 | 720 |
| 2020 | 42 | 636 |
| 2019 | 48 | 734 |
| 2018 | 44 | 662 |
| 2017 | 44 | 671 |
| 2016 | 36 | 552 |
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| Dawlish | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 222 | 14.60 | 23,779 | 19.81 | 36% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1 | 0.07 | 336 | 0.28 | 300% safer |
| Burglary | 30 | 1.97 | 2,114 | 1.76 | 11% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 90 | 5.92 | 7,956 | 6.63 | 12% safer |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.18 | 2,929 | 2.44 | 107% safer |
| Other Crime | 8 | 0.53 | 1,709 | 1.42 | 168% safer |
| Other Theft | 42 | 2.76 | 4,111 | 3.43 | 24% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.39 | 777 | 0.65 | 67% safer |
| Public Order | 58 | 3.81 | 5,058 | 4.21 | 10% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.20 | 380 | 0.32 | 60% safer |
| Shoplifting | 43 | 2.83 | 2,932 | 2.44 | 14% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.07 | 312 | 0.26 | 271% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 18 | 1.18 | 2,019 | 1.68 | 42% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 402 | 26.43 | 31,910 | 26.59 | 0.61% safer |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brixham | 673 | 39.63 | 19% safer |
| Honiton | 471 | 42.04 | 13% safer |
| Cullompton | 456 | 44.56 | 6% safer |
| Crediton | 357 | 45.05 | 5% safer |
| Axminster | 346 | 45.18 | 4.8% safer |
| Dawlish | 720 | 47.34 | - |
| Totnes | 396 | 48.24 | 1.9% more dangerous |
| Bideford | 938 | 51.25 | 8% more dangerous |
| Tiverton | 1,251 | 55.76 | 15% more dangerous |
| Ilfracombe | 696 | 61.67 | 23% more dangerous |
| Barnstaple | 2,250 | 91.95 | 49% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Littleweek Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Albert Street | Offender given a caution |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Barton Crescent | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near The Strand | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Williams Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Veryan Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Gatehouse Rise | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Public order | On or near Old Gatehouse Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ashcombe Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Wychwood Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Other theft | On or near Regent Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Olive Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Beach Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Princes Street | Offender given a caution |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Veryan Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Olive Grove | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ashcombe Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| February 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Veryan Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 16 | 21 | 15 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Burglary | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 6 | 4.7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.85 | 0.59 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 0.59 | 0.79 | 0.53 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.39 | 0.33 | 0.85 | 0.39 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.0 | 5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.33 | - | 0.39 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 0.46 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.46 | 0.39 | 0.07 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.46 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 27 | 24 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 19% safer |
| Dawlish | 47.34 | - |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 29% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 43% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 47% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 58% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 62% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 64% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 69% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawlish North | 379 | 45 | Second |
| Dawlish South | 341 | 51 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Dawlish change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Dawlish saw a 700% increase in shoplifting. Dawlish saw a large fall in public order during October, when it fell by 88% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -6% | +15% | +52% | -23% | +8% | +38% | +71% | +129% | +127% | +50% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -50% | -80% | -50% | - | -20% | +200% | -17% | - | - | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +25% | -43% | -56% | -17% | -56% | +29% | -80% | - | +22% | -43% |
| Drugs | -50% | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - | +400% | - |
| Other Crime | -50% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -83% | -50% | -60% | -80% | -83% | -44% | -70% | - | - | +200% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | +100% |
| Public Order | -50% | -86% | +20% | +100% | -9% | +67% | +167% | -88% | -50% | +100% |
| Shoplifting | -67% | -67% | - | - | - | +125% | - | - | - | +700% |
| Vehicle Crime | -67% | -50% | - | -50% | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -29% | -21% | -31% | -28% | -47% | -12% | +23% | +15% | +48% | +40% |
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