Bicester Crime Overview
Bicester is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Oxfordshire, and is the 25th most dangerous overall out of Oxfordshire's 322 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bicester in 2020 was 69 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 14% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bicester is the 89th safest medium-sized town, and the 1,497th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2017, Bicester had the worst crime rate in Oxfordshire for other crime, with 9 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.29 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Bicester are violence and sexual offences, with 823 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 11% higher than 2019's figure of 731 offences and a difference of 3.01 from 2019's crime rate of 24. Bicester's least common crime is robbery, with 16 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 38% from 2019's figure of 22 crimes.
Compare Bicester to other towns and cities
See how Bicester shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bicester and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bicester Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Bicester This Year
| Bicester | Oxfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 395 | 12.90 | 6,391 | 9.24 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 31 | 1.01 | 1,471 | 2.13 | 111% safer |
| Burglary | 73 | 2.38 | 2,188 | 3.16 | 33% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 210 | 6.86 | 4,246 | 6.14 | 10% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 88 | 2.87 | 1,822 | 2.63 | 8% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 36 | 1.18 | 873 | 1.26 | 7% safer |
| Other Theft | 171 | 5.58 | 3,390 | 4.90 | 12% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 26 | 0.85 | 465 | 0.67 | 21% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 164 | 5.36 | 3,237 | 4.68 | 13% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 16 | 0.52 | 250 | 0.36 | 31% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 322 | 10.52 | 2,866 | 4.14 | 61% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 40 | 1.31 | 673 | 0.97 | 26% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 99 | 3.23 | 2,908 | 4.20 | 30% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 823 | 26.88 | 16,291 | 23.55 | 12% more dangerous |
Crime in Bicester Compared To Oxfordshire
Bicester Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.62 | 0.85 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.69 | 0.52 | 0.72 | 0.52 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 17 | 16 | 18 | 11 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 6 | 4.0 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 22 | 24 | 27 | Getting worse |
Changes In Bicester's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Bicester to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.2% safer |
| Bicester | 68.55 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 11% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 18% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 20% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 30% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 33% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 36% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 50% more dangerous |
Crime in Bicester's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicester East | 491 | 67 | Second |
| Bicester North | 241 | 37 | Fourth |
| Bicester South | 936 | 118 | First |
| Bicester West | 428 | 49 | Third |
Bicester Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Bicester for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Bicester North (47) | Bicester South (139) |
| Bicycle Theft | Bicester North (1) | Bicester South (19) |
| Burglary | Bicester North (8) | Bicester South (24) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bicester West (38) | Bicester East (68) |
| Drugs | Bicester West (17) | Bicester South (37) |
| Other Crime | Bicester West (6) | Bicester East (13) |
| Other Theft | Bicester North (8) | Bicester South (92) |
| Possession of Weapons | Bicester North (1) | Bicester South (15) |
| Public Order | Bicester North (21) | Bicester South (77) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Bicester West (1) | Bicester South (13) |
| Shoplifting | Bicester West (12) | Bicester South (254) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Bicester West (1) | Bicester South (28) |
| Vehicle Crime | Bicester North (10) | Bicester East (31) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bicester North (121) | Bicester South (263) |
Crime in Bicester During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bicester change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Bicester saw a 600% increase in theft from the person. Bicester saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 91% compared to April in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Bicester's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +10% | -40% | +18% | +130% | +3% | +28% | +4% | -24% | -41% | -55% |
| Bicycle Theft | -50% | - | -75% | -17% | -29% | -20% | - | -73% | - | +200% |
| Burglary | -80% | -78% | +100% | -25% | +67% | -14% | +29% | -64% | -90% | +100% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -35% | -35% | -71% | -48% | +67% | - | +41% | +27% | -42% | +24% |
| Drugs | -17% | -33% | -47% | +17% | +13% | -25% | +71% | -76% | - | +57% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +25% | -67% | +100% | -40% | +50% | - | -50% | - |
| Other Theft | - | -69% | -20% | -75% | -64% | -50% | +25% | -6% | +14% | -46% |
| Possession of Weapons | +200% | - | +200% | - | - | -25% | -50% | -25% | - | - |
| Public Order | +38% | -29% | +100% | +73% | -7% | +86% | +140% | +200% | +325% | +56% |
| Robbery | +300% | - | -75% | - | +200% | - | - | -67% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -62% | -91% | -58% | -38% | -42% | -22% | -20% | +4% | -56% | -46% |
| Theft From the Person | -56% | - | - | +50% | -75% | -67% | +600% | -29% | -50% | -75% |
| Vehicle Crime | -79% | -75% | +40% | +17% | -87% | -33% | -33% | -36% | -33% | -33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -6% | -48% | +12% | +13% | +69% | +18% | +19% | +34% | +2% | -17% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bicester
What police force serves Bicester?
Bicester's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Bicester?
Bicester is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Oxfordshire.What is Bicester's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bicester are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bicester?
Bicester's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021