Melksham is the second most dangerous small town in Wiltshire, and is the 31st most dangerous overall out of Wiltshire's 272 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Melksham in 2021 was 67 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Wiltshire's overall crime rate, coming in 20% higher than the Wiltshire rate of 53 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Melksham is the 280th most dangerous small town, and the 1,718th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2021, Melksham was the worst small town in Wiltshire for bicycle theft, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.33 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2021 was also a bad month for Melksham residents, when it was Wiltshire's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 17 crimes at a rate of 1.1 per 1,000 residents. Melksham recorded 4 reports of burglary during June 2021, making its crime rate of 0.27 the worst small town for burglary in Wiltshire that month.
The most common crimes in Melksham are violence and sexual offences, with 497 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 33. This is 0.60% higher than 2020's figure of 494 offences and a difference of 0.20 from 2020's crime rate of 33. Melksham's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 6 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 33% from 2020's figure of 4 crimes.
Second Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Wiltshire
13% higher, regional crime rate
South West
14% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Melksham is 13% higher than the South West and 14% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Melksham | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Melksham represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 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: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67 | 1,007 |
| 2020 | 71 | 1,064 |
| 2019 | 73 | 1,100 |
| 2018 | 73 | 1,089 |
| 2017 | 68 | 1,017 |
| 2016 | 66 | 987 |
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| Melksham | Wiltshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 430 | 28.66 | 15,273 | 21.16 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 16 | 1.07 | 617 | 0.85 | 21% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 20 | 1.33 | 1,598 | 2.21 | 66% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 151 | 10.06 | 4,970 | 6.89 | 32% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 20 | 1.33 | 1,120 | 1.55 | 17% safer |
| Other Crime | 18 | 1.20 | 740 | 1.03 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 59 | 3.93 | 2,888 | 4.00 | 1.8% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.40 | 358 | 0.50 | 25% safer |
| Public Order | 81 | 5.40 | 3,665 | 5.08 | 6% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.47 | 273 | 0.38 | 19% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 99 | 6.60 | 2,487 | 3.45 | 48% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.40 | 199 | 0.28 | 30% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 27 | 1.80 | 1,883 | 2.61 | 45% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 497 | 33.12 | 17,724 | 24.56 | 26% more dangerous |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westbury | 709 | 44.96 | 49% safer |
| Wroughton | 377 | 47.12 | 42% safer |
| Marlborough | 451 | 52.85 | 27% safer |
| Warminster | 1,013 | 56.83 | 18% safer |
| Amesbury | 751 | 60.79 | 10% safer |
| Melksham | 1,007 | 67.11 | - |
| Devizes | 1,023 | 87.95 | 24% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Wessex Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Burniston Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Beanacre Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Craybourne Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Church Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Quantock Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Further investigation is not in the public interest |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Talbot Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Beanacre Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Quantock Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other crime | On or near Watson'S Court | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26 | 29 | 29 | 29 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.80 | 0.87 | 0.80 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.93 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.87 | 0.87 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.33 | 0.40 | 0.27 | 0.40 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.3 | 6 | 4.3 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.33 | 0.27 | 0.67 | 0.47 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 12 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.73 | 0.80 | 0.27 | 0.40 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 30 | 33 | 33 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Melksham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King George Field | 34 | - | 1 | - | 19 | 6 | 13 |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 0.04% safer |
| Melksham | 67.11 | - |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 26% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 34% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 40% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 45% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 48% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 49% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 56% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melksham North | 315 | 41 | Second |
| Melksham South | 692 | 93 | First |
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% |
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