Banbury Crime Overview
Banbury is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Oxfordshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Oxfordshire's 322 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Banbury in 2020 was 90 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 35% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Banbury is the 58th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 693rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In January 2020, Banbury had the worst crime rate in Oxfordshire for drugs, with 39 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.81 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2020 was also a bad month for Banbury residents, when it was Oxfordshire's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.15 per 1,000 residents. Banbury recorded 11 reports of possession of weapons during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.23 the worst for possession of weapons in Oxfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Banbury are violence and sexual offences, with 2,047 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 43. This is 20% higher than 2019's figure of 1,640 offences and a difference of 8.49 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Banbury's least common crime is robbery, with 32 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 12% from 2019's figure of 28 crimes.
Compare Banbury to other towns and cities
See how Banbury shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Banbury and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Banbury Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Banbury This Year
| Banbury | Oxfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 766 | 15.99 | 6,391 | 9.24 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 39 | 0.81 | 1,471 | 2.13 | 163% safer |
| Burglary | 146 | 3.05 | 2,188 | 3.16 | 3.6% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 454 | 9.47 | 4,246 | 6.14 | 35% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 234 | 4.88 | 1,822 | 2.63 | 46% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 83 | 1.73 | 873 | 1.26 | 27% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 331 | 6.91 | 3,390 | 4.90 | 29% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 62 | 1.29 | 465 | 0.67 | 48% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 355 | 7.41 | 3,237 | 4.68 | 37% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 32 | 0.67 | 250 | 0.36 | 46% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 294 | 6.14 | 2,866 | 4.14 | 33% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 80 | 1.67 | 673 | 0.97 | 42% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 177 | 3.69 | 2,908 | 4.20 | 14% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,047 | 42.72 | 16,291 | 23.55 | 45% more dangerous |
Crime in Banbury Compared To Oxfordshire
Banbury Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 17 | 16 | 16 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.81 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5 | 4.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.96 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.90 | 1.2 | 0.58 | 0.67 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 18 | 13 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 31 | 34 | 43 | Getting worse |
Changes In Banbury's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Banbury to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 34% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 17% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 9% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 5% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 4.9% safer |
| Banbury | 90.45 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 7% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 12% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 32% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 34% more dangerous |
Crime in Banbury's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banbury Calthorpe | 336 | 66 | Fourth |
| Banbury Easington | 527 | 63 | Fifth |
| Banbury Grimsbury | 1,670 | 141 | First |
| Banbury Hardwick | 365 | 44 | Sixth |
| Banbury Neithrop | 675 | 115 | Second |
| Banbury Ruscote | 761 | 90 | Third |
Banbury Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Banbury for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Banbury Hardwick (83) | Banbury Grimsbury (289) |
| Bicycle Theft | Banbury Ruscote (1) | Banbury Grimsbury (19) |
| Burglary | Banbury Ruscote (8) | Banbury Grimsbury (76) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Banbury Easington (42) | Banbury Grimsbury (163) |
| Drugs | Banbury Calthorpe (6) | Banbury Grimsbury (106) |
| Other Crime | Banbury Hardwick (3) | Banbury Ruscote (27) |
| Other Theft | Banbury Easington (25) | Banbury Grimsbury (173) |
| Possession of Weapons | Banbury Ruscote (8) | Banbury Grimsbury (21) |
| Public Order | Banbury Hardwick (25) | Banbury Grimsbury (131) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Banbury Hardwick (1) | Banbury Grimsbury (15) |
| Shoplifting | Banbury Ruscote (6) | Banbury Neithrop (71) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Banbury Hardwick (2) | Banbury Grimsbury (42) |
| Vehicle Crime | Banbury Hardwick (13) | Banbury Neithrop (39) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Banbury Hardwick (190) | Banbury Grimsbury (693) |
Crime in Banbury During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Banbury change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Banbury saw a 600% increase in possession of weapons. Banbury saw a large fall in bicycle theft 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 | -18% | -21% | +39% | -13% | -29% | -1% | -19% | +36% | +66% | -2% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -20% | -86% | -43% | -20% | -67% | +200% | -67% | +200% | - |
| Burglary | -46% | +17% | -50% | +27% | -8% | +56% | -21% | -70% | -10% | +117% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -24% | -19% | -13% | +11% | -7% | +32% | +18% | +3% | -5% | +14% |
| Drugs | -38% | -50% | -33% | -21% | +24% | -13% | +23% | -31% | -17% | +46% |
| Other Crime | +14% | -40% | +233% | - | -11% | +20% | -14% | -13% | -80% | -10% |
| Other Theft | +38% | -5% | -45% | -28% | -23% | -48% | -20% | +3% | -9% | -29% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -33% | -67% | +20% | -43% | +150% | - | +450% | +600% | +125% |
| Public Order | +143% | -7% | +164% | +117% | +187% | +48% | +10% | +67% | +118% | +52% |
| Robbery | +250% | -75% | -50% | - | +50% | -50% | -40% | +100% | +200% | +200% |
| Shoplifting | +8% | -65% | -64% | -64% | - | -32% | -11% | -51% | -31% | -54% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -40% | +100% | -75% | -25% | +40% | +200% | +60% | +300% | +133% |
| Vehicle Crime | -7% | -36% | -50% | - | -50% | -8% | +6% | -67% | -9% | -33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +12% | +13% | +5% | +45% | +47% | +3% | +46% | +37% | -7% | +16% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Banbury
What police force serves Banbury?
Banbury's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Banbury?
Banbury is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Oxfordshire.What is Banbury's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Banbury are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Banbury?
Banbury's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021