Tavistock Crime Overview
Tavistock is among the top 10 safest small towns in Devon, and is the 121st most dangerous overall out of Devon's 430 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Tavistock in 2020 was 29 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Devon's overall crime rate, coming in 74% lower than the Devon rate of 51 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Tavistock is the 108th safest small town, and the 4,810th safest location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2017, Tavistock was the worst small town in Devon for drugs, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.48 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2017 was also a bad month for Tavistock residents, when it was Devon's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.08 per 1,000 residents. Tavistock recorded 1 report of robbery during October 2016, making its crime rate of 0.08 the worst small town for robbery in Devon that month.
The most common crimes in Tavistock are violence and sexual offences, with 174 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 14. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 188 offences and a difference of 1.12 from 2019's crime rate of 15. Tavistock's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Tavistock to other towns and cities
See how Tavistock shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Tavistock and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Tavistock Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Tavistock This Year
| Tavistock | Devon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 189 | 15.07 | 28,259 | 23.54 | 56% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1 | 0.08 | 439 | 0.37 | 362% safer |
| Burglary | 17 | 1.36 | 2,644 | 2.20 | 62% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 60 | 4.78 | 8,119 | 6.76 | 41% safer |
| Drugs | 11 | 0.88 | 3,313 | 2.76 | 214% safer |
| Other Crime | 9 | 0.72 | 1,615 | 1.35 | 88% safer |
| Other Theft | 28 | 2.23 | 4,370 | 3.64 | 63% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 5 | 0.40 | 839 | 0.70 | 75% safer |
| Public Order | 26 | 2.07 | 4,841 | 4.03 | 95% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.24 | 387 | 0.32 | 33% safer |
| Shoplifting | 19 | 1.51 | 2,897 | 2.41 | 60% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.24 | 275 | 0.23 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 14 | 1.12 | 2,262 | 1.88 | 68% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 174 | 13.87 | 29,573 | 24.64 | 78% safer |
Crime in Tavistock Compared To Devon
Tavistock Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottery St. Mary | 244 | 25.66 | 15% safer |
| Bovey Tracey | 213 | 27.36 | 8% safer |
| Seaton | 208 | 27.60 | 7% safer |
| Northam | 348 | 27.89 | 6% safer |
| Sidmouth | 423 | 29.22 | 0.92% safer |
| Tavistock | 370 | 29.49 | - |
| Ivybridge | 351 | 29.85 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Kingsteignton | 378 | 33.27 | 11% more dangerous |
| Cullompton | 372 | 36.35 | 19% more dangerous |
| Teignmouth | 617 | 40.39 | 27% more dangerous |
| Dawlish | 636 | 41.82 | 29% more dangerous |
Tavistock Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 21 | 17 | 13 | 15 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.16 | 0.08 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.88 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 0.72 | 0.56 | 0.72 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 3.8 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.40 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.40 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.08 | 0.16 | - | 0.24 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.32 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 19 | 15 | 14 | Safer |
Changes In Tavistock's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Tavistock to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Tavistock | 29.49 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 56% 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 | 71% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 73% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 78% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 78% more dangerous |
Crime in Tavistock's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavistock | 370 | 29 | First |
Crime in Tavistock During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Tavistock change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Tavistock saw a 400% increase in public order. Tavistock saw a large fall in vehicle crime during May, when it fell by 86% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +69% | -28% | +35% | +16% | +90% | +20% | - | +129% | -33% | -15% |
| Burglary | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | -25% | -83% | -40% | - | +29% | +33% | +17% | -33% | -67% |
| Drugs | - | -67% | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | +100% | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | - | - | - | - | -20% | -60% | -50% | +20% | - | - |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -75% | - | -60% | +50% | +400% | -40% | -80% | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +300% | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | -33% | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | -86% | - | - | -50% | - | +200% | - | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -77% | +13% | - | -50% | +24% | +167% | -37% | +36% | +56% | -55% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Tavistock
What police force serves Tavistock?
Tavistock's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Tavistock?
Tavistock is among the top 10 safest small towns in Devon.What is Tavistock's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Tavistock are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Tavistock?
Tavistock's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021