Cowes Crime Overview
Cowes is the second safest small town in Isle of Wight, and the among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Isle of Wight's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Cowes in 2020 was 48 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Isle of Wight's overall crime rate, coming in 31% lower than Isle of Wight's rate of 63 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Cowes ranks as the the 342nd safest small town, and the the 2,848th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Cowes had the worst crime rate in Isle of Wight for bicycle theft, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.19 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2020 was also a bad month for Cowes residents, when it was Isle of Wight's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.09 per 1,000 residents. Cowes recorded 1 report of theft from the person during May 2020, making its crime rate of 0.09 the worst for theft from the person in Isle of Wight that month.
The most common crimes in Cowes are violence and sexual offences, with 272 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 25. This is 14% lower than 2019's figure of 310 offences and a difference of 3.55 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Cowes's least common crime is robbery, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 267% from 2019's figure of 11 crimes.
Cowes Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Cowes This Year
| Cowes | Isle of Wight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 109 | 10.20 | 2,403 | 16.95 | 66% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 12 | 1.12 | 41 | 0.29 | 74% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 18 | 1.68 | 301 | 2.12 | 26% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 34 | 3.18 | 965 | 6.81 | 114% safer |
| Drugs | 24 | 2.25 | 431 | 3.04 | 35% safer |
| Other Crime | 8 | 0.75 | 206 | 1.45 | 93% safer |
| Other Theft | 33 | 3.09 | 560 | 3.95 | 28% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 11 | 1.03 | 122 | 0.86 | 17% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 58 | 5.43 | 1,202 | 8.48 | 56% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.28 | 39 | 0.28 | 0% safer |
| Shoplifting | 15 | 1.40 | 345 | 2.43 | 74% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.47 | 36 | 0.25 | 47% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 17 | 1.59 | 207 | 1.46 | 8% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 272 | 25.45 | 4,426 | 31.22 | 23% safer |
Cowes Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Towns | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cowes | 355 | 43.37 | 10% safer |
| Cowes | 510 | 47.72 | - |
| Shanklin | 599 | 65.09 | 27% more dangerous |
| Ryde | 1,963 | 79.00 | 40% more dangerous |
Cowes Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 7 | 10 | 10 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 0.37 | 0.47 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 0.94 | 1.3 | 0.75 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.84 | 0.84 | 0.19 | 1.0 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 4.6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Robbery | 0.19 | 0.28 | 1.0 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.37 | 0.28 | 0.19 | 0.47 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.6 | 0.84 | 0.84 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 23 | 29 | 25 | Getting worse |
Comparing Cowes to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Towns | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Cowes | 47.72 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 33% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 36% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 36% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 40% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 41% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 46% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 53% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 55% more dangerous |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Cowes
What police force serves Cowes?
Cowes's local territorial police force is the Hampshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Cowes?
Cowes is the second safest small town in Isle of Wight.What is Cowes's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Cowes are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Cowes?
Cowes's least common crime is robbery.Last updated: 18 Feb 2021