Sidmouth Crime Overview
Sidmouth is among the top 10 safest small towns in Devon, and is the 124th most dangerous overall out of Devon's 430 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sidmouth in 2020 was 29 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 76% lower than the Devon rate of 51 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sidmouth is the 105th safest small town, and the 4,756th safest location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Sidmouth was the worst small town in Devon for other crime, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.28 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Sidmouth residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous small town for shoplifting, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.48 per 1,000 residents. Sidmouth recorded 1 report of theft from the person during February 2020, making its crime rate of 0.07 the worst small town for theft from the person in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Sidmouth are violence and sexual offences, with 171 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 12. This is 1.2% lower than 2019's figure of 173 offences and a difference of 0.14 from 2019's crime rate of 12. Sidmouth's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 75% from 2019's figure of 1 crime.
Compare Sidmouth to other towns and cities
See how Sidmouth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sidmouth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Sidmouth Crime Map
Crime in Sidmouth Compared To Devon
Summary of Crimes in Sidmouth This Year
| Sidmouth | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 270 | 18.65 | 28,259 | 23.54 | 26% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 7 | 0.48 | 439 | 0.37 | 23% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 30 | 2.07 | 2,644 | 2.20 | 6% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 68 | 4.70 | 8,119 | 6.76 | 44% safer |
| Drugs | 18 | 1.24 | 3,313 | 2.76 | 123% safer |
| Other Crime | 12 | 0.83 | 1,615 | 1.35 | 63% safer |
| Other Theft | 35 | 2.42 | 4,370 | 3.64 | 50% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.28 | 839 | 0.70 | 150% safer |
| Public Order | 34 | 2.35 | 4,841 | 4.03 | 71% safer |
| Shoplifting | 19 | 1.31 | 2,897 | 2.41 | 84% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.28 | 275 | 0.23 | 18% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 21 | 1.45 | 2,262 | 1.88 | 30% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 171 | 11.81 | 29,573 | 24.64 | 109% safer |
Sidmouth Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fremington | 297 | 25.11 | 16% safer |
| Ottery St. Mary | 244 | 25.66 | 14% safer |
| Bovey Tracey | 213 | 27.36 | 7% safer |
| Seaton | 208 | 27.60 | 6% safer |
| Northam | 348 | 27.89 | 4.8% safer |
| Sidmouth | 423 | 29.22 | - |
| Tavistock | 370 | 29.49 | 0.92% more dangerous |
| Ivybridge | 351 | 29.85 | 2.1% more dangerous |
| Kingsteignton | 378 | 33.27 | 12% more dangerous |
| Cullompton | 372 | 36.35 | 20% more dangerous |
| Teignmouth | 617 | 40.39 | 28% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Sidmouth
View crime percentage over time forSidmouth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14 | 15 | 15 | 19 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.76 | 0.62 | 0.55 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.35 | 1.2 | 0.97 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.83 | 0.48 | 0.41 | 0.83 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 5 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.07 | 0.28 | 0.07 | 0.28 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.35 | 0.76 | 0.28 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.1 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | Safer |
Changes In Sidmouth's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Sidmouth to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sidmouth | 29.22 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 57% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 62% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 65% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 66% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 66% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 70% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 72% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 73% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 78% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 79% more dangerous |
Crime in Sidmouth's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidmouth Sidford | 242 | 34 | First |
| Sidmouth Town | 121 | 23 | Second |
Crime in Sidmouth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sidmouth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Sidmouth saw a 600% increase in criminal damage and arson. Sidmouth saw a large fall in shoplifting during October, when it fell by 86% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -38% | +57% | +83% | -13% | +109% | +37% | +41% | +7% | +36% | -35% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -33% | - | -60% | - | +200% | +100% | - | +50% | - | -75% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -64% | -13% | -50% | +75% | +400% | -33% | +17% | +200% | - | +600% |
| Drugs | - | - | -33% | +100% | - | -50% | - | - | +150% | +300% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +300% | -50% | - |
| Other Theft | - | -50% | -40% | +300% | - | - | -50% | -25% | -44% | +33% |
| Public Order | - | +200% | -80% | -50% | +100% | - | -20% | -67% | -33% | +100% |
| Shoplifting | +33% | - | - | - | - | - | - | -86% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | +250% | -33% | +100% | - | -50% | - | +100% | -67% | -67% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +73% | +15% | - | -46% | +100% | -36% | +46% | -35% | -26% | -25% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sidmouth
What police force serves Sidmouth?
Sidmouth's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Sidmouth?
Sidmouth is among the top 10 safest small towns in Devon.What is Sidmouth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sidmouth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sidmouth?
Sidmouth's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021