Oxford Crime Overview
Oxford is the most dangerous major 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 Oxford in 2020 was 79 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 25% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Oxford is the 49th safest major town, and the 1,044th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Oxford had the worst crime rate in Oxfordshire for bicycle theft, with 58 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.36 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Oxford residents, when it was Oxfordshire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 56 crimes at a rate of 0.35 per 1,000 residents. Oxford recorded 71 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.44 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Oxfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Oxford are violence and sexual offences, with 4,272 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 12% higher than 2019's figure of 3,780 offences and a difference of 3.03 from 2019's crime rate of 23. Oxford's least common crime is robbery, with 101 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 67% from 2019's figure of 169 crimes.
Compare Oxford to other towns and cities
See how Oxford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Oxford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Oxford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Oxford This Year
| Oxford | Oxfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,800 | 11.09 | 6,391 | 9.24 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,042 | 6.42 | 1,471 | 2.13 | 67% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 680 | 4.19 | 2,188 | 3.16 | 25% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,035 | 6.38 | 4,246 | 6.14 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 606 | 3.73 | 1,822 | 2.63 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 229 | 1.41 | 873 | 1.26 | 11% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 941 | 5.80 | 3,390 | 4.90 | 16% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 157 | 0.97 | 465 | 0.67 | 31% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,075 | 6.62 | 3,237 | 4.68 | 29% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 101 | 0.62 | 250 | 0.36 | 42% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,294 | 7.97 | 2,866 | 4.14 | 48% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 287 | 1.77 | 673 | 0.97 | 45% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,025 | 6.32 | 2,908 | 4.20 | 34% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,272 | 26.32 | 16,291 | 23.55 | 11% more dangerous |
Crime in Oxford Compared To Oxfordshire
Oxford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 15 | 10 | 11 | 6 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.97 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 12 | 11 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.75 | 0.71 | 0.91 | 0.97 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.6 | 4.0 | 5 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.67 | 0.91 | 1.0 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 16 | 23 | 23 | 26 | Getting worse |
Changes In Oxford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Oxford to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 16% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 1.4% safer |
| Oxford | 78.53 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 6% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 8% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 9% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 19% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 24% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 41% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 43% more dangerous |
Crime in Oxford's Neighbourhoods
East Central Oxford is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Oxford, followed by Blackbird Leys in second place, and Oxford Central as the third most dangerous area. Oxford's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Botley & Kennington, Marston, and Summertown.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton | 639 | 92 | Eighth |
| Blackbird Leys | 793 | 139 | Second |
| Botley & Kennington | 388 | 38 | 17th |
| Churchill | 687 | 96 | Sixth |
| Cowley North | 1,159 | 86 | Tenth |
| Cowley South & Iffley | 1,012 | 110 | Fifth |
| East Central Oxford | 1,644 | 155 | First |
| Grandpont & New Hinksey | 505 | 91 | Ninth |
| Greater Leys | 584 | 94 | Seventh |
| Headington | 805 | 54 | 14th |
| Iffley Fields | 410 | 82 | 11th |
| Littlemore & Rose Hill | 1,112 | 114 | Fourth |
| Marston | 297 | 48 | 16th |
| North Central Oxford | 359 | 55 | 13th |
| Oxford Central | 2,378 | 131 | Third |
| Risinghurst & Sandhills | 407 | 55 | 12th |
| Summertown | 344 | 49 | 15th |
Oxford Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
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 | North Central Oxford (24) | Barton (221) |
| Bicycle Theft | Botley & Kennington (9) | Oxford Central (323) |
| Burglary | Summertown (16) | Cowley South & Iffley (74) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | North Central Oxford (13) | Barton (88) |
| Drugs | North Central Oxford (10) | Blackbird Leys (71) |
| Other Crime | Summertown (2) | Greater Leys (27) |
| Other Theft | Botley & Kennington (31) | Oxford Central (222) |
| Possession of Weapons | Churchill (3) | Greater Leys (16) |
| Public Order | Marston (17) | Oxford Central (281) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Botley & Kennington (1) | East Central Oxford (16) |
| Shoplifting | Barton (2) | East Central Oxford (464) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Marston (1) | Oxford Central (131) |
| Vehicle Crime | Oxford Central (46) | Grandpont & New Hinksey (61) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | North Central Oxford (78) | Blackbird Leys (319) |
Crime in Oxford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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 July, when Oxford saw a 130% increase in burglary. Oxford saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 90% compared to May 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 | -28% | -36% | -14% | +3% | -19% | +8% | -1% | -23% | +28% | +19% |
| Bicycle Theft | -52% | -70% | -65% | -53% | -44% | -55% | -45% | -26% | -13% | +14% |
| Burglary | -30% | -36% | -25% | +4% | +130% | -4% | -28% | -25% | +3% | +30% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -1% | -44% | -17% | -30% | +5% | - | +19% | +8% | - | +4% |
| Drugs | +43% | +20% | +88% | +109% | +72% | +114% | +42% | - | +69% | +34% |
| Other Crime | +31% | -50% | +45% | -7% | - | +47% | - | +11% | +27% | -8% |
| Other Theft | -54% | -66% | -51% | -51% | -60% | -49% | -55% | -37% | -34% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | +6% | +11% | +70% | +36% | -26% | +63% | +78% | -33% | -38% | - |
| Public Order | +7% | -24% | +10% | +1% | +71% | +36% | +79% | +34% | +45% | +44% |
| Robbery | -33% | -79% | -6% | -42% | - | +8% | -36% | -80% | -47% | -36% |
| Shoplifting | -20% | -62% | -19% | -26% | +57% | +37% | +32% | +56% | -5% | -34% |
| Theft From the Person | -35% | -88% | -90% | -47% | -43% | -74% | -61% | -69% | -75% | -6% |
| Vehicle Crime | +41% | -38% | +6% | -22% | -14% | -31% | -18% | -36% | -27% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +18% | -13% | - | +10% | +35% | +9% | +19% | +6% | +9% | +18% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Oxford
What police force serves Oxford?
Oxford's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Oxford?
Oxford is the most dangerous major town in Oxfordshire.What is Oxford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Oxford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Oxford?
Oxford's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021