Dawlish Crime Overview
Dawlish is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Devon, and is the 47th most dangerous overall out of Devon's 430 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Dawlish in 2020 was 42 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 23% lower than the Devon rate of 51 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Dawlish is the 275th safest small town, and the 4,108th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2019, Dawlish was the worst small town in Devon for theft from the person, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.13 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2018 was also a bad month for Dawlish residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous small town for robbery, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents. Dawlish recorded 7 reports of vehicle crime during June 2018, making its crime rate of 0.46 the worst small town for vehicle crime in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Dawlish are violence and sexual offences, with 360 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 24. This is 13% lower than 2019's figure of 408 offences and a difference of 3.16 from 2019's crime rate of 27. Dawlish's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 500% from 2019's figure of 6 crimes.
Compare Dawlish to other towns and cities
See how Dawlish shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Dawlish and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Dawlish Crime Map
Crime in Dawlish Compared To Devon
Summary of Crimes in Dawlish This Year
| Dawlish | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 313 | 20.58 | 28,259 | 23.54 | 14% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.26 | 439 | 0.37 | 42% safer |
| Burglary | 20 | 1.32 | 2,644 | 2.20 | 67% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 72 | 4.73 | 8,119 | 6.76 | 43% safer |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.18 | 3,313 | 2.76 | 134% safer |
| Other Crime | 12 | 0.79 | 1,615 | 1.35 | 71% safer |
| Other Theft | 29 | 1.91 | 4,370 | 3.64 | 91% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 13 | 0.85 | 839 | 0.70 | 18% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 67 | 4.41 | 4,841 | 4.03 | 9% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.39 | 387 | 0.32 | 18% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 27 | 1.78 | 2,897 | 2.41 | 35% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.07 | 275 | 0.23 | 229% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 0.46 | 2,262 | 1.88 | 309% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 360 | 23.67 | 29,573 | 24.64 | 4.1% safer |
Dawlish Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavistock | 370 | 29.49 | 42% safer |
| Ivybridge | 351 | 29.85 | 40% safer |
| Kingsteignton | 378 | 33.27 | 26% safer |
| Cullompton | 372 | 36.35 | 15% safer |
| Teignmouth | 617 | 40.39 | 3.5% safer |
| Dawlish | 636 | 41.82 | - |
| Honiton | 482 | 43.02 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Axminster | 343 | 44.78 | 7% more dangerous |
| Brixham | 773 | 45.52 | 8% more dangerous |
| Tiverton | 1,054 | 46.98 | 11% more dangerous |
| Crediton | 400 | 50.47 | 17% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Dawlish
View crime percentage over time forRecent Crimes in Dawlish
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Shoplifting | On or near Shopping Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Shopping Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Public order | On or near Morningside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Public order | On or near Morningside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Morningside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Public order | On or near Elm Grove Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Public order | On or near Leigham Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Leigham Court | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Leigham Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Vehicle crime | On or near Park Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Commercial Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Other theft | On or near Pine Tree Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Vehicle crime | On or near Underwood Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Mount Pleasant Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Other theft | On or near Piermont Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| August 2021 | Other theft | On or near Beach Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Longlands | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Barton Crescent | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| August 2021 | Other theft | On or near Exeter Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
Dawlish Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 16 | 16 | 21 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.39 | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.26 | No change |
| Burglary | 3.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.59 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.85 | 1.3 | 0.59 | 0.79 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.33 | 0.85 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.8 | 3.0 | 5 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.33 | 0.33 | - | 0.39 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.9 | 0.46 | 1.7 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.33 | 0.46 | 0.39 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.46 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 17 | 21 | 27 | 24 | Getting worse |
Changes In Dawlish's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Dawlish to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Dawlish | 41.82 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 38% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 46% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 50% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 51% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 57% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 59% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 61% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 69% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 69% more dangerous |
Crime in Dawlish's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawlish North | 344 | 40 | Second |
| Dawlish South | 293 | 44 | First |
Crime in Dawlish During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Dawlish
What police force serves Dawlish?
Dawlish's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Dawlish?
Dawlish is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Devon.What is Dawlish's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Dawlish are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Dawlish?
Dawlish's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 05 Oct 2021