Oxford is the most dangerous major town in Oxfordshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Oxfordshire's 312 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Oxford in 2021 was 101 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 32% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 68 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Oxford is the 38th most dangerous major town, and the 614th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2021, Oxford had the worst crime rate in Oxfordshire for bicycle theft, with 46 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.28 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Oxford residents, when it was Oxfordshire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 53 crimes at a rate of 0.33 per 1,000 residents. Oxford recorded 78 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2021, making its crime rate of 0.48 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Oxfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Oxford are violence and sexual offences, with 6,043 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 19% higher than 2020's figure of 4,919 offences and a difference of 6.93 from 2020's crime rate of 30. Oxford's least common crime is robbery, with 83 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 37% from 2020's figure of 114 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Major Towns, Oxfordshire
29% higher, regional crime rate
South East
25% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Oxford is 29% higher than the South East and 25% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Oxford | |
| South East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Oxford represent the time frame between July 2019 and June 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 04 Aug, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 04 Aug, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 101 | 16,439 |
| 2020 | 88 | 14,298 |
| 2019 | 94 | 15,223 |
| 2018 | 93 | 15,047 |
| 2017 | 92 | 14,866 |
| 2016 | 84 | 13,672 |
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| Oxford | Oxfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,630 | 10.04 | 5,687 | 8.22 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,477 | 9.10 | 1,789 | 2.59 | 72% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 878 | 5.41 | 2,231 | 3.23 | 40% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,158 | 7.14 | 4,216 | 6.10 | 15% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 621 | 3.83 | 1,715 | 2.48 | 35% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 227 | 1.40 | 851 | 1.23 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,166 | 7.18 | 3,734 | 5.40 | 25% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 143 | 0.88 | 360 | 0.52 | 41% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,431 | 14.98 | 6,654 | 9.62 | 36% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 83 | 0.51 | 183 | 0.26 | 49% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,033 | 6.37 | 2,598 | 3.76 | 41% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 346 | 2.13 | 724 | 1.05 | 51% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 833 | 5.13 | 2,472 | 3.57 | 30% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,043 | 37.24 | 19,838 | 28.68 | 23% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Burbush Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Other theft | On or near Petrol Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Petrol Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Burglary | On or near Ulfgar Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Other theft | On or near Quartermain Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Wolsey Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Minster Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Drugs | On or near Routh Road | Offender given a caution |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Cowley Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Public order | On or near Rogers Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Nightclub | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Turl Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Banjo Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| June 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Westgate Shopping Centre | Local resolution |
| June 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Petrol Station | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| June 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near The Grates | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 11 | 11 | 7 | 9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 11 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.76 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.88 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.4 | 6 | 7 | 15 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.70 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 3.6 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 27 | 30 | 37 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Oxford that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milham Ford Nature Park | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.27 |
| Sandy Lane Recreation Ground | - | 3 | - | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3.0 |
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 51% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 23% safer |
| Sheffield | 91.10 | 11% safer |
| Bristol | 93.77 | 8% safer |
| Oxford | 101.29 | - |
| Coventry | 102.37 | 1.1% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.75 | 9% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 127.90 | 21% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 137.17 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 145.60 | 30% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 153.06 | 34% more dangerous |
Blackbird Leys is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Oxford, followed by Oxford Central in second place, and East Central Oxford as the third most dangerous area. Oxford's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Botley & Kennington, North Central Oxford, and Summertown.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton | 743 | 107 | Seventh |
| Blackbird Leys | 943 | 165 | First |
| Botley & Kennington | 503 | 50 | 17th |
| Churchill | 740 | 104 | Eighth |
| Cowley North | 1,334 | 99 | Ninth |
| Cowley South & Iffley | 1,121 | 122 | Fifth |
| East Central Oxford | 1,639 | 155 | Third |
| Grandpont & New Hinksey | 446 | 81 | 11th |
| Greater Leys | 709 | 114 | Sixth |
| Headington | 946 | 63 | 13th |
| Iffley Fields | 470 | 94 | Tenth |
| Littlemore & Rose Hill | 1,224 | 125 | Fourth |
| Marston | 326 | 53 | 14th |
| North Central Oxford | 343 | 52 | 15th |
| Oxford Central | 2,997 | 165 | Second |
| Risinghurst & Sandhills | 510 | 68 | 12th |
| Summertown | 360 | 51 | 16th |
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Oxford for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Headington (49) | Churchill (168) |
| Bicycle Theft | Greater Leys (8) | Oxford Central (458) |
| Burglary | Greater Leys (20) | Risinghurst & Sandhills (65) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Botley & Kennington (33) | Blackbird Leys (78) |
| Drugs | Summertown (7) | Blackbird Leys (52) |
| Other Crime | Botley & Kennington (2) | Blackbird Leys (12) |
| Other Theft | Marston (22) | Blackbird Leys (73) |
| Possession of Weapons | Summertown (2) | Cowley South & Iffley (14) |
| Public Order | Marston (28) | Oxford Central (549) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Botley & Kennington (1) | East Central Oxford (14) |
| Shoplifting | Barton (1) | Blackbird Leys (123) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | North Central Oxford (2) | Oxford Central (154) |
| Vehicle Crime | Oxford Central (31) | Iffley Fields (45) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Summertown (101) | Blackbird Leys (362) |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Oxford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Oxford saw a 126% increase in drugs. Oxford saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019. Bicycle Theft saw a fall in every month of Oxford's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -30% | -34% | -8% | +8% | -17% | +8% | +2% | -21% | +27% | +15% |
| Bicycle Theft | -52% | -70% | -62% | -52% | -45% | -54% | -44% | -26% | -15% | +29% |
| Burglary | -30% | -31% | -20% | -3% | +94% | -8% | -31% | -35% | +4% | +16% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -5% | -30% | -22% | -33% | +7% | +1% | +4% | +14% | +4% | +1% |
| Drugs | +40% | +34% | +90% | +118% | +89% | +126% | +49% | +13% | +74% | +36% |
| Other Crime | - | -50% | +68% | +13% | +6% | +75% | +8% | +21% | +5% | -6% |
| Other Theft | -48% | -64% | -49% | -49% | -58% | -46% | -51% | -33% | -41% | -27% |
| Possession of Weapons | +44% | +22% | +67% | +23% | -38% | +56% | +73% | -37% | -23% | +15% |
| Public Order | +8% | -22% | +17% | +9% | +60% | +39% | +69% | +29% | +53% | +56% |
| Robbery | -50% | -80% | -14% | -42% | +7% | +8% | -38% | -77% | -44% | -35% |
| Shoplifting | -21% | -65% | -22% | -25% | +56% | +20% | +16% | +39% | -2% | -31% |
| Theft From the Person | -37% | -88% | -88% | -44% | -44% | -73% | -57% | -67% | -68% | -6% |
| Vehicle Crime | +24% | -42% | +14% | -21% | -20% | -27% | -11% | -45% | -25% | -1% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +16% | -9% | +4% | +9% | +28% | +15% | +22% | +3% | +9% | +15% |
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