Paignton Crime Overview
Paignton is the safest major town 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 Paignton in 2020 was 60 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, Paignton is among the top 20 safest major towns, and the 2,124th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Paignton was the worst major town in Devon for robbery, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.06 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Paignton residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous major town for shoplifting, recording 29 crimes at a rate of 0.43 per 1,000 residents. Paignton recorded 4 reports of theft from the person during June 2020, making its crime rate of 0.06 the worst major town for theft from the person in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Paignton are violence and sexual offences, with 1,903 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 2,113 offences and a difference of 3.14 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Paignton's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 12 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 12 crimes.
Compare Paignton to other towns and cities
See how Paignton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Paignton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Paignton Crime Map
Crime in Paignton Compared To Devon
Summary of Crimes in Paignton This Year
| Paignton | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,841 | 27.53 | 28,259 | 23.54 | 14% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 12 | 0.18 | 439 | 0.37 | 106% safer |
| Burglary | 156 | 2.33 | 2,644 | 2.20 | 6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 538 | 8.05 | 8,119 | 6.76 | 16% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 201 | 3.01 | 3,313 | 2.76 | 8% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 89 | 1.33 | 1,615 | 1.35 | 1.5% safer |
| Other Theft | 283 | 4.23 | 4,370 | 3.64 | 14% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 49 | 0.73 | 839 | 0.70 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 287 | 4.29 | 4,841 | 4.03 | 6% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 16 | 0.24 | 387 | 0.32 | 33% safer |
| Shoplifting | 239 | 3.57 | 2,897 | 2.41 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 15 | 0.22 | 275 | 0.23 | 4.5% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 202 | 3.02 | 2,262 | 1.88 | 38% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,903 | 28.46 | 29,573 | 24.64 | 13% more dangerous |
Paignton Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paignton | 3,990 | 59.67 | - |
| Exeter | 8,058 | 64.04 | 7% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Paignton
View crime percentage over time forPaignton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 28 | 26 | 24 | 28 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.40 | 0.60 | 0.18 | 0.18 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.54 | 0.79 | 0.85 | 0.73 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.7 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.36 | 0.58 | 0.60 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.58 | 0.70 | 0.61 | 0.22 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 31 | 32 | 28 | Safer |
Changes In Paignton's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Paignton's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Paignton that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldway | 6 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 7 | 2.7 |
| Whitley Recreation Ground | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 3.0 |
Comparing Paignton to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Paignton | 59.67 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 12% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 28% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 39% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 44% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 56% more dangerous |
Crime in Paignton's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton & Maidenway | 289 | 41 | Third |
| Goodrington & Roselands | 260 | 36 | Fourth |
| Paignton Central | 1,242 | 130 | First |
| Preston & Shorton | 359 | 41 | Second |
Paignton Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Paignton for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Clifton & Maidenway (102) | Paignton Central (621) |
| Bicycle Theft | Paignton Central (2) | Preston & Shorton (3) |
| Burglary | Clifton & Maidenway (9) | Paignton Central (55) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Goodrington & Roselands (40) | Paignton Central (140) |
| Drugs | Goodrington & Roselands (5) | Paignton Central (70) |
| Other Crime | Goodrington & Roselands (3) | Paignton Central (22) |
| Other Theft | Clifton & Maidenway (13) | Paignton Central (101) |
| Possession of Weapons | Goodrington & Roselands (2) | Paignton Central (17) |
| Public Order | Clifton & Maidenway (9) | Paignton Central (95) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Goodrington & Roselands (1) | Paignton Central (11) |
| Shoplifting | Goodrington & Roselands (3) | Paignton Central (127) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Goodrington & Roselands (1) | Paignton Central (12) |
| Vehicle Crime | Clifton & Maidenway (6) | Paignton Central (32) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Preston & Shorton (137) | Paignton Central (558) |
Crime in Paignton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Paignton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Paignton saw a 800% increase in possession of weapons. Paignton saw a large fall in possession of weapons during May, when it fell by 80% compared to May in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Paignton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -12% | +21% | +54% | +35% | -7% | +20% | -1% | +31% | -9% | +40% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | -33% | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -55% | -29% | -37% | -59% | -57% | -54% | -35% | -46% | - | +8% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -55% | -43% | -43% | +18% | +14% | +23% | -7% | +8% | -34% | +2% |
| Drugs | +29% | - | -20% | +156% | -8% | +60% | -24% | -26% | +189% | +100% |
| Other Crime | -45% | -75% | +86% | -13% | - | - | +17% | +50% | +67% | +17% |
| Other Theft | -20% | -17% | -45% | -38% | -17% | +17% | -6% | -8% | -20% | -12% |
| Possession of Weapons | +20% | -50% | -80% | +100% | -33% | +150% | +67% | -50% | +800% | -20% |
| Public Order | -35% | - | - | -4% | -8% | +7% | +21% | -7% | -32% | +44% |
| Robbery | - | - | -80% | -75% | - | +33% | - | - | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | - | +86% | +53% | -50% | -29% | -53% | +67% | +55% | +25% | +36% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | -20% | -80% | -33% | +200% | -80% | -67% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -39% | -9% | -65% | +100% | -18% | - | -38% | -53% | -57% | -61% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -18% | -28% | -29% | -2% | -15% | +16% | +3% | -1% | -25% | -27% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Paignton
What police force serves Paignton?
Paignton's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Paignton?
Paignton is the safest major town in Devon.What is Paignton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Paignton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Paignton?
Paignton's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021