Plymouth Crime Overview
Plymouth is the most dangerous city in the South West, and the 44th most dangerous overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Plymouth in 2020 was 72 crimes per 1,000 people.
In October 2020, Plymouth had the worst crime rate in the South West for drugs, with 104 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.40 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Plymouth residents, when it was the South West's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 29 crimes at a rate of 0.11 per 1,000 residents. Plymouth recorded 41 reports of other crime during October 2019, making its crime rate of 0.16 the worst for other crime in the South West that month.
The most common crimes in Plymouth are violence and sexual offences, with 9,230 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 35. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 9,763 offences and a difference of 2.03 from 2019's crime rate of 37. Plymouth's least common crime is theft from the person, with 113 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 81% from 2019's figure of 205 crimes.
Plymouth Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Plymouth This Year
| Plymouth | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 8,403 | 32.06 |
| Bicycle Theft | 122 | 0.47 |
| Burglary | 860 | 3.28 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,357 | 8.99 |
| Drugs | 1,082 | 4.13 |
| Other Crime | 399 | 1.52 |
| Other Theft | 1,205 | 4.60 |
| Possession of Weapons | 309 | 1.18 |
| Public Order | 1,367 | 5.22 |
| Robbery | 176 | 0.67 |
| Shoplifting | 956 | 3.65 |
| Theft From the Person | 113 | 0.43 |
| Vehicle Crime | 650 | 2.48 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,230 | 35.22 |
Plymouth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 38 | 33 | 31 | 32 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.62 | 0.72 | 0.61 | 0.47 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.71 | 0.77 | 1.0 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Robbery | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.76 | 0.67 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.93 | 0.69 | 0.78 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 32 | 38 | 37 | 35 | Safer |
Comparing Plymouth to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 0.46% safer |
| Plymouth | 71.83 | - |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 2.9% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 9% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 11% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 30% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 32% more dangerous |
Crime in Plymouth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Plymouth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Plymouth saw a 380% increase in bicycle theft. Plymouth saw a large fall in bicycle theft during November, when it fell by 95% compared to November in 2019. Plymouth saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including other theft, shoplifting, and theft from the person.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -7% | +39% | +13% | +8% | +8% | +1% | +27% | +16% | +20% |
| Bicycle Theft | -36% | +380% | -10% | -32% | -24% | -50% | -71% | +9% | -95% |
| Burglary | -8% | +30% | -19% | -24% | -1% | +7% | -13% | -29% | -48% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -11% | -19% | -13% | +5% | +3% | +28% | +10% | -21% | -15% |
| Drugs | +20% | +31% | +114% | +51% | +27% | +23% | -8% | +65% | +30% |
| Other Crime | -6% | -3% | +48% | -33% | -29% | -14% | -21% | +12% | -3% |
| Other Theft | -23% | -30% | -36% | -23% | -26% | -31% | -11% | -2% | -20% |
| Possession of Weapons | -19% | +56% | +18% | +35% | - | +111% | +36% | -7% | +61% |
| Public Order | -28% | -18% | -25% | -7% | +13% | +19% | +22% | +5% | -5% |
| Robbery | -9% | -17% | +43% | -28% | - | -6% | +73% | -19% | -67% |
| Shoplifting | -23% | -54% | -63% | -30% | -5% | -31% | -30% | -41% | -38% |
| Theft From the Person | -24% | -73% | -79% | -54% | -36% | -60% | -23% | -56% | -31% |
| Vehicle Crime | -16% | +24% | -51% | -49% | -48% | -26% | -19% | -38% | -62% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | +1% | -11% | -4% | +9% | +3% | +21% | +21% | -10% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Plymouth
What police force serves Plymouth?
Plymouth's local territorial police force is the Devon & Cornwall Police.How dangerous is Plymouth?
Plymouth is the most dangerous city in the South West.What is Plymouth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Plymouth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Plymouth?
Plymouth's least common crime is theft from the person.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021