Swindon Crime Overview
Swindon is the most dangerous city in Wiltshire, and is the 28th most dangerous overall out of Wiltshire's 276 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Swindon in 2020 was 60 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Wiltshire's overall crime rate, coming in 13% higher than the Wiltshire rate of 52 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Swindon is among the top 5 safest cities, and the 2,111st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Swindon had the worst crime rate in Wiltshire for bicycle theft, with 15 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.08 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Swindon residents, when it was Wiltshire's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 51 crimes at a rate of 0.27 per 1,000 residents. Swindon recorded 113 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.59 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Wiltshire that month.
The most common crimes in Swindon are violence and sexual offences, with 5,006 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 26. This is 1.0% lower than 2019's figure of 5,058 offences and a difference of 0.27 from 2019's crime rate of 26. Swindon's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 98 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 78% from 2019's figure of 174 crimes.
Compare Swindon to other towns and cities
See how Swindon shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Swindon and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Swindon Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Swindon This Year
| Swindon | Wiltshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,605 | 23.93 | 14,474 | 20.06 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 223 | 1.16 | 526 | 0.73 | 37% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 474 | 2.46 | 1,947 | 2.70 | 10% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,339 | 6.96 | 4,907 | 6.80 | 2.3% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 507 | 2.64 | 1,534 | 2.13 | 19% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 214 | 1.11 | 831 | 1.15 | 3.6% safer |
| Other Theft | 733 | 3.81 | 2,830 | 3.92 | 2.9% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 98 | 0.51 | 293 | 0.41 | 20% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,106 | 5.75 | 3,362 | 4.66 | 19% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 129 | 0.67 | 253 | 0.35 | 48% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 870 | 4.52 | 2,458 | 3.41 | 25% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 102 | 0.53 | 205 | 0.28 | 47% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 702 | 3.65 | 2,186 | 3.03 | 17% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 5,006 | 26.02 | 16,322 | 22.62 | 13% more dangerous |
Crime in Swindon Compared To Wiltshire
Swindon Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 32 | 29 | 29 | 24 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.64 | 0.72 | 0.90 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.89 | 0.94 | 0.75 | 0.67 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.0 | 0.75 | 0.93 | 0.53 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | Getting worse |
Changes In Swindon's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Swindon to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Swindon | 59.78 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 12% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 28% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 39% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 44% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 56% more dangerous |
Crime in Swindon's Neighbourhoods
Central South & Eastcott is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Swindon, followed by Central North in second place, and Walcot East as the third most dangerous area. Swindon's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Haydon Wick, Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst, and Roughmoor.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Park | 350 | 43 | 19th |
| Central East & Walcot West | 628 | 82 | Eighth |
| Central North | 1,288 | 122 | Second |
| Central South & Eastcott | 1,158 | 133 | First |
| Covingham | 320 | 38 | 20th |
| Eldene & Dorcan | 554 | 68 | Tenth |
| Freshbrook South & Toothill | 592 | 69 | Ninth |
| Gorse Hill | 598 | 84 | Fifth |
| Groundwell & Abbey Meads | 525 | 55 | 15th |
| Haydon Wick | 251 | 38 | 22nd |
| Kingshill & Okus | 553 | 64 | 11th |
| Lawn & East Wichel | 465 | 51 | 17th |
| Lower Stratton | 629 | 63 | 12th |
| Moredon | 327 | 46 | 18th |
| Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst | 307 | 32 | 23rd |
| Park North & Park South | 734 | 84 | Sixth |
| Penhill | 656 | 106 | Fourth |
| Pinehurst | 390 | 61 | 14th |
| Rodbourne & Cheney Manor | 876 | 83 | Seventh |
| Roughmoor | 222 | 38 | 21st |
| Upper Stratton | 505 | 55 | 16th |
| Walcot East | 749 | 112 | Third |
| Westlea & Shaw | 371 | 62 | 13th |
Swindon Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Swindon for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Covingham (94) | Central South & Eastcott (581) |
| Bicycle Theft | Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst (1) | Central North (38) |
| Burglary | Covingham (10) | Central North (52) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Roughmoor (21) | Penhill (119) |
| Drugs | Roughmoor (3) | Walcot East (57) |
| Other Crime | Lawn & East Wichel (2) | Central North (29) |
| Other Theft | Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst (12) | Central South & Eastcott (82) |
| Possession of Weapons | Upper Stratton (1) | Eldene & Dorcan (12) |
| Public Order | Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst (23) | Central South & Eastcott (108) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst (1) | Central North (36) |
| Shoplifting | Roughmoor (1) | Central South & Eastcott (147) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Groundwell & Abbey Meads (1) | Central South & Eastcott (29) |
| Vehicle Crime | Pinehurst (13) | Rodbourne & Cheney Manor (74) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst (145) | Penhill (360) |
Crime in Swindon During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Swindon change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Swindon saw a 92% increase in other crime. Swindon saw a large fall in bicycle theft during March, when it fell by 82% compared to March in 2019. Swindon saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson, and possession of weapons.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -30% | +21% | -14% | -29% | -29% | -5% | -5% | -34% | -20% | -16% |
| Bicycle Theft | -82% | -66% | -59% | -35% | -50% | -41% | -18% | -53% | -41% | -29% |
| Burglary | -43% | -40% | -64% | -38% | -33% | -38% | -53% | -58% | -60% | -15% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -6% | -33% | -56% | -4% | +28% | -22% | -10% | -10% | -35% | -10% |
| Drugs | -23% | +75% | +34% | +37% | +10% | -44% | -19% | -18% | +27% | +68% |
| Other Crime | +25% | -28% | -35% | -27% | +41% | +22% | +29% | +92% | -7% | -54% |
| Other Theft | -18% | -58% | -43% | -19% | -11% | -26% | -37% | -31% | -25% | -29% |
| Possession of Weapons | -75% | -25% | -65% | -60% | - | -67% | -7% | -23% | -36% | -57% |
| Public Order | -9% | +9% | - | +22% | +51% | +30% | +28% | +26% | -13% | -10% |
| Robbery | -13% | -69% | -50% | +18% | +40% | +13% | +64% | +5% | -50% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -32% | -69% | -66% | -59% | -49% | -56% | -53% | -62% | -49% | -45% |
| Theft From the Person | -31% | -70% | -60% | -63% | -53% | -19% | -42% | -64% | -67% | -56% |
| Vehicle Crime | +20% | -59% | -53% | -13% | +1% | -39% | -9% | +23% | -19% | -8% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -7% | -22% | -4% | -2% | +4% | +0% | +5% | +4% | -9% | -8% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Swindon
What police force serves Swindon?
Swindon's local territorial police force is the Wiltshire Police.How dangerous is Swindon?
Swindon is the most dangerous city in Wiltshire.What is Swindon's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Swindon are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Swindon?
Swindon's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021