Crime in Barnstaple
Recorded crime in Barnstaple is 1.9 times the North Devon average and 1.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Barnstaple: about 18,173 residents in 17 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 8.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- +9%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.9×the North Devon average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Barnstaple.
Crime over 5 years
Up 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Barnstaple, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.9× the North Devon average (1.2× the England and Wales average). 103 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Drugs: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 69% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 34 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in North Devon (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole North Devon partnership area, not only Barnstaple. Figures for the Northern Devon community safety partnership, which covers North Devon and Torridge. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 87 | 0.51 | Up 7% |
| Cars broken into | 90 | 0.53 | Up 88% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 564 | 3.3 | Down 13% |
| Burglary of homes | 140 | 0.82 | Down 6% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in EX31
In EX31, the postcode district at the centre of Barnstaple, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 859 | 7% | 7% | 70% | 10% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 284 | 25% | 4% | 42% | 27% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 186 | 10% | 7% | 37% | 45% | 2% |
| Public order | 164 | 18% | 9% | 54% | 17% | 2% |
| Other theft | 152 | 2% | 3% | 30% | 59% | 6% |
| Drugs | 71 | 23% | 30% | 38% | 1% | 8% |
| Burglary | 57 | 7% | 4% | 35% | 53% | 2% |
| Other crime | 55 | 9% | 16% | 53% | 7% | 15% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.6 |
| Burglary | 4.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 44.4 |
| Drugs | 5.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.3 |
| Other crime | 2.0 |
| Other theft | 7.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.8 |
| Public order | 8.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.5 |
| Shoplifting | 12.2 |
Postcode districts in Barnstaple
Nearby towns
Council: North Devon
Questions about crime in Barnstaple
- Is Barnstaple a safe place to live?
- Barnstaple scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.9 times the North Devon average.
- Is crime going up or down in Barnstaple?
- Up 9% over 5 years, from 1,941 recorded crimes a year to 2,107.
- What is the most common crime in Barnstaple?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 44 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Barnstaple compare with North Devon?
- Crime severity in Barnstaple is 1.9 times the North Devon average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Barnstaple?
- In EX31, the postcode district at the centre of Barnstaple, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 23% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Barnstaple?
- Of 57 burglaries reported in EX31, the postcode district at the centre of Barnstaple between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 53% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Barnstaple?
- In 2025/26, in the Northern Devon partnership area, which includes Barnstaple, the police recorded 87 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.5 per 1,000 residents, up 7% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Barnstaple?
- 564 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Northern Devon partnership area, which includes Barnstaple, 3.3 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Barnstaple last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Northern Devon partnership area, which includes Barnstaple, against 0 the year before.