Melksham Crime Overview
Melksham is the second most dangerous small town in Wiltshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Wiltshire's 276 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Melksham in 2020 was 71 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Wiltshire's overall crime rate, coming in 26% higher than the Wiltshire rate of 52 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Melksham is the 189th most dangerous small town, and the 1,370th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Melksham was the worst small town in Wiltshire for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.27 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Melksham residents, when it was Wiltshire's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.47 per 1,000 residents. Melksham recorded 16 reports of criminal damage and arson during May 2020, making its crime rate of 1.1 the worst small town for criminal damage and arson in Wiltshire that month.
The most common crimes in Melksham are violence and sexual offences, with 494 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 33. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 450 offences and a difference of 2.93 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Melksham's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 50% from 2019's figure of 6 crimes.
Compare Melksham to other towns and cities
See how Melksham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Melksham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Melksham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Melksham This Year
| Melksham | Wiltshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 434 | 28.92 | 14,474 | 20.06 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 12 | 0.80 | 526 | 0.73 | 9% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 47 | 3.13 | 1,947 | 2.70 | 14% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 129 | 8.60 | 4,907 | 6.80 | 21% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 34 | 2.27 | 1,534 | 2.13 | 6% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 18 | 1.20 | 831 | 1.15 | 4.2% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 55 | 3.67 | 2,830 | 3.92 | 7% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.27 | 293 | 0.41 | 52% safer |
| Public Order | 64 | 4.26 | 3,362 | 4.66 | 9% safer |
| Robbery | 10 | 0.67 | 253 | 0.35 | 48% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 142 | 9.46 | 2,458 | 3.41 | 64% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.27 | 205 | 0.28 | 3.7% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 51 | 3.40 | 2,186 | 3.03 | 11% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 494 | 32.92 | 16,322 | 22.62 | 31% more dangerous |
Crime in Melksham Compared To Wiltshire
Melksham Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laverstock | 393 | 43.97 | 61% safer |
| Westbury | 702 | 44.51 | 59% safer |
| Wootton Bassett | 604 | 45.95 | 54% safer |
| Amesbury | 689 | 55.77 | 27% safer |
| Warminster | 1,038 | 58.24 | 22% safer |
| Melksham | 1,064 | 70.90 | - |
| Devizes | 988 | 84.95 | 17% more dangerous |
Melksham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.6 | 0.80 | 0.87 | 0.80 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 13 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.1 | 0.93 | 1.5 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.87 | 0.87 | 0.87 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.20 | 0.33 | 0.40 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.7 | 4.3 | 6 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.13 | 0.33 | 0.27 | 0.67 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.47 | 0.73 | 0.80 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 30 | 30 | 33 | Getting worse |
Changes In Melksham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Melksham to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 4.7% safer |
| Melksham | 70.90 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 8% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 15% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 18% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 27% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 31% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 47% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 48% more dangerous |
Crime in Melksham's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melksham North | 338 | 44 | Second |
| Melksham South | 726 | 98 | First |
Crime in Melksham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Melksham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Melksham saw a 400% increase in vehicle crime. Melksham saw a large fall in other theft during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +41% | +31% | +10% | -35% | -15% | +10% | +40% | +33% | +54% | +21% |
| Bicycle Theft | -75% | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -50% | +33% | - | - | -25% | -25% | - | -14% | +75% | -83% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -14% | +14% | +23% | -36% | -10% | +9% | -72% | +38% | -35% | -54% |
| Drugs | - | +100% | - | - | +300% | - | - | - | -75% | +33% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +100% | +100% | +67% | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -50% | -90% | +40% | -63% | -29% | - | +33% | -86% | -33% | -67% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +50% | -50% | -77% | -22% | - | +14% | +40% | +29% | -78% | -40% |
| Robbery | - | - | -50% | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -61% | -82% | -68% | -18% | -50% | +31% | - | -44% | -25% | +43% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +133% | -20% | +400% | - | +200% | -50% | -33% | +300% | -67% | +200% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -26% | -47% | -9% | +5% | +11% | +15% | +29% | +37% | +24% | +74% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Melksham
What police force serves Melksham?
Melksham's local territorial police force is the Wiltshire Police.How dangerous is Melksham?
Melksham is the second most dangerous small town in Wiltshire.What is Melksham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Melksham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Melksham?
Melksham's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021