Gloucester Crime Overview
Gloucester is the most dangerous major town in Gloucestershire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Gloucestershire's 314 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Gloucester in 2020 was 70 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Gloucestershire's overall crime rate, coming in 34% higher than the Gloucestershire rate of 46 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Gloucester is the 38th safest major town, and the 1,409th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2020, Gloucester had the worst crime rate in Gloucestershire for bicycle theft, with 28 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.19 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2020 was also a bad month for Gloucester residents, when it was Gloucestershire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 52 crimes at a rate of 0.35 per 1,000 residents. Gloucester recorded 53 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.36 the worst for drugs in Gloucestershire that month.
The most common crimes in Gloucester are violence and sexual offences, with 4,430 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 0.99% higher than 2019's figure of 4,386 offences and a difference of 0.30 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Gloucester's least common crime is theft from the person, with 59 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 129% from 2019's figure of 135 crimes.
Compare Gloucester to other towns and cities
See how Gloucester shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Gloucester and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Gloucester Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Gloucester This Year
| Gloucester | Gloucestershire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 7,772 | 52.69 | 30,539 | 33.12 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 186 | 1.26 | 852 | 0.92 | 27% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 537 | 3.64 | 2,904 | 3.15 | 13% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,061 | 7.19 | 5,160 | 5.60 | 22% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 537 | 3.64 | 1,654 | 1.79 | 51% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 194 | 1.32 | 837 | 0.91 | 31% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 825 | 5.59 | 3,642 | 3.95 | 29% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 103 | 0.70 | 298 | 0.32 | 54% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,005 | 6.81 | 4,119 | 4.47 | 34% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 148 | 1.00 | 388 | 0.42 | 58% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 710 | 4.81 | 2,802 | 3.04 | 37% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 59 | 0.40 | 186 | 0.20 | 50% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 554 | 3.76 | 3,197 | 3.47 | 8% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,430 | 30.03 | 16,822 | 18.24 | 39% more dangerous |
Crime in Gloucester Compared To Gloucestershire
Gloucester Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham | 7,228 | 61.74 | 14% safer |
| Gloucester | 10,349 | 70.16 | - |
Gloucester Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 48 | 40 | 35 | 53 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.0 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.7 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.82 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.73 | 0.78 | 0.84 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.4 | 3.7 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.92 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 8 | 8 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.86 | 0.88 | 0.92 | 0.40 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 9 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 24 | 30 | 30 | Getting worse |
Changes In Gloucester's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Gloucester to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 3.6% safer |
| Gloucester | 70.16 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 9% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 16% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 19% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 28% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 32% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 47% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 49% more dangerous |
Crime in Gloucester's Neighbourhoods
Central Gloucester & Hempsted is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Gloucester, followed by Kingsholm & Wotton in second place, and Barton as the third most dangerous area. Gloucester's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Abbeymead & Abbeydale, Hucclecote, and Longlevens.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeymead & Abbeydale | 248 | 27 | 12th |
| Barton | 999 | 121 | Third |
| Central Gloucester & Hempsted | 2,834 | 281 | First |
| Coney Hill, Barnwood & Abbeydale | 784 | 66 | Seventh |
| Elmbridge | 208 | 36 | Tenth |
| Hucclecote | 165 | 22 | 13th |
| Kingsholm & Wotton | 1,239 | 136 | Second |
| Longlevens | 217 | 27 | 11th |
| Lower Tuffley | 273 | 48 | Ninth |
| Matson & Robinswood | 824 | 92 | Fourth |
| Podsmead & Linden | 659 | 74 | Sixth |
| Tredworth | 698 | 88 | Fifth |
| Tuffley | 380 | 64 | Eighth |
Gloucester Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Gloucester for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Elmbridge (114) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (1,913) |
| Bicycle Theft | Longlevens (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (82) |
| Burglary | Lower Tuffley (15) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (106) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Hucclecote (12) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (216) |
| Drugs | Longlevens (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (133) |
| Other Crime | Abbeymead & Abbeydale (2) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (45) |
| Other Theft | Abbeymead & Abbeydale (15) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (260) |
| Possession of Weapons | Abbeymead & Abbeydale (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (30) |
| Public Order | Hucclecote (14) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (346) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Longlevens (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (53) |
| Shoplifting | Elmbridge (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (377) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Abbeymead & Abbeydale (1) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (26) |
| Vehicle Crime | Hucclecote (11) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (83) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Hucclecote (73) | Central Gloucester & Hempsted (1,077) |
Crime in Gloucester During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Gloucester change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Gloucester saw a 174% increase in anti-social behaviour. Gloucester saw a large fall in theft from the person during October, when it fell by 83% compared to October in 2019. Rates of criminal damage and arson and theft from the person both fell year-on-year for every month during Gloucester's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -9% | +174% | +108% | +24% | +14% | +34% | +45% | +72% | +90% | +52% |
| Bicycle Theft | -57% | -58% | -58% | -68% | -36% | -46% | -19% | -38% | -48% | -63% |
| Burglary | -29% | -25% | -45% | -31% | -12% | -53% | -33% | -50% | -28% | -32% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +2% | -33% | -19% | -34% | -25% | -19% | -6% | -4% | -31% | -33% |
| Drugs | -6% | +52% | +77% | -15% | -19% | -28% | - | +47% | +21% | +13% |
| Other Crime | +27% | +129% | -44% | +87% | +6% | -43% | - | -21% | -44% | +6% |
| Other Theft | -23% | -38% | -55% | -2% | -13% | -53% | -22% | -47% | -46% | -10% |
| Possession of Weapons | +20% | -11% | -10% | +14% | -42% | -8% | -41% | -18% | - | -57% |
| Public Order | +16% | +51% | +57% | +52% | +31% | -37% | -27% | -36% | -52% | -37% |
| Robbery | -38% | -13% | -52% | +44% | +5% | -58% | -5% | +75% | -77% | +8% |
| Shoplifting | -36% | -75% | -67% | -52% | -48% | -65% | -29% | -39% | -42% | -58% |
| Theft From the Person | -45% | +40% | -55% | -82% | -79% | -80% | -76% | -83% | -56% | -71% |
| Vehicle Crime | -40% | -59% | -51% | -34% | -25% | -42% | -28% | -17% | -43% | -42% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -12% | -5% | +21% | +4% | -13% | -23% | -19% | -16% | -14% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Gloucester
What police force serves Gloucester?
Gloucester's local territorial police force is the Gloucestershire Constabulary.How dangerous is Gloucester?
Gloucester is the most dangerous major town in Gloucestershire.What is Gloucester's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Gloucester are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Gloucester?
Gloucester's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021