Godalming Crime Overview
Godalming is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Surrey, and is the 39th most dangerous overall out of Surrey's 105 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Godalming in 2020 was 60 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Surrey's overall crime rate, coming in 15% higher than the Surrey rate of 50 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Godalming is the 321st most dangerous small town, and the 2,138th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Godalming was the worst small town in Surrey for criminal damage and arson, with 21 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.92 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2020 was also a bad month for Godalming residents, when it was Surrey's most dangerous small town for bicycle theft, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.18 per 1,000 residents. Godalming recorded 7 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.31 the worst small town for drugs in Surrey that month.
The most common crimes in Godalming are violence and sexual offences, with 504 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 2.0% higher than 2019's figure of 494 offences and a difference of 0.44 from 2019's crime rate of 22. Godalming's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 33% from 2019's figure of 8 crimes.
Compare Godalming to other towns and cities
See how Godalming shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Godalming and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Godalming Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Godalming This Year
| Godalming | Surrey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 616 | 26.98 | 24,963 | 20.88 | 23% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 0.83 | 1,268 | 1.06 | 28% safer |
| Burglary | 74 | 3.24 | 3,650 | 3.05 | 6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 232 | 10.16 | 7,322 | 6.12 | 40% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 41 | 1.80 | 2,771 | 2.32 | 29% safer |
| Other Crime | 29 | 1.27 | 1,339 | 1.12 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 93 | 4.07 | 4,935 | 4.13 | 1.5% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.26 | 533 | 0.45 | 73% safer |
| Public Order | 184 | 8.06 | 7,521 | 6.29 | 22% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.57 | 369 | 0.31 | 46% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 81 | 3.55 | 2,947 | 2.46 | 31% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.26 | 364 | 0.30 | 15% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 77 | 3.37 | 4,929 | 4.12 | 22% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 504 | 22.08 | 22,380 | 18.72 | 15% more dangerous |
Crime in Godalming Compared To Surrey
Godalming Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warlingham | 402 | 47.56 | 25% safer |
| Frimley | 945 | 48.75 | 22% safer |
| Caterham-on-the-Hill | 684 | 49.55 | 20% safer |
| Reigate | 1,205 | 50.95 | 17% safer |
| Windlesham | 888 | 51.60 | 15% safer |
| Godalming | 1,359 | 59.53 | - |
| Caterham Valley | 577 | 61.44 | 3.1% more dangerous |
| Oxted | 729 | 62.04 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Banstead | 638 | 63.23 | 6% more dangerous |
| Dorking | 1,176 | 66.76 | 11% more dangerous |
| Witley | 584 | 71.98 | 17% more dangerous |
Godalming Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 21 | 23 | 24 | 27 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.66 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.79 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.57 | 0.31 | 0.35 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.18 | 0.35 | 0.74 | 0.57 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 3.5 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.57 | 0.35 | 0.53 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.2 | 4.8 | 5 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 14 | 15 | 22 | 22 | Getting worse |
Changes In Godalming's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Godalming to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Godalming | 59.53 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 12% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 28% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 39% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 57% more dangerous |
Crime in Godalming's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farncombe | 545 | 74 | First |
| Godalming North | 468 | 58 | Second |
| Godalming South | 348 | 47 | Third |
Crime in Godalming During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Godalming change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Godalming saw a 600% increase in drugs. Godalming saw a large fall in shoplifting during September, when it fell by 92% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +42% | +34% | +141% | +136% | +17% | -20% | -38% | -20% | +2% | -13% |
| Bicycle Theft | -67% | -50% | - | - | -63% | -80% | +100% | +300% | - | - |
| Burglary | -55% | -30% | -75% | -25% | -33% | -13% | +33% | +233% | - | -86% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +7% | -54% | -21% | -3% | - | -20% | +50% | -55% | -70% | -68% |
| Drugs | -57% | -43% | +100% | +200% | - | -33% | +100% | -40% | -50% | +600% |
| Other Crime | +300% | - | - | - | - | - | +300% | - | +200% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -68% | -50% | +60% | -56% | -43% | -40% | +22% | -56% | -85% | -40% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - |
| Public Order | +14% | -41% | -14% | -45% | +100% | -8% | - | +17% | -42% | -67% |
| Robbery | -50% | -67% | - | - | -50% | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -29% | -33% | -17% | +17% | +13% | -22% | -92% | -67% | -70% | -46% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -76% | -80% | - | -82% | -70% | +75% | -38% | +100% | +80% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +79% | -7% | +55% | -17% | +45% | -25% | +2% | -48% | -13% | -27% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Godalming
What police force serves Godalming?
Godalming's local territorial police force is the Surrey Police.How dangerous is Godalming?
Godalming is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Surrey.What is Godalming's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Godalming are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Godalming?
Godalming's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021