Crime in Chard
Recorded crime in Chard is 1.2 times the Somerset average and about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 30%. 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 Chard: about 12,912 residents in 11 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.5/10Good
- 5-year change
- +30%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Somerset average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chard.
Crime over 5 years
Up 30% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Chard, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Somerset average (about the England and Wales average). 79 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 74% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Robbery: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 74% 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: 19 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Somerset (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Somerset council area, not only Chard. 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 | 691 | 1.2 | Up 34% |
| Cars broken into | 659 | 1.1 | Down 11% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,497 | 2.5 | Down 29% |
| Burglary of homes | 836 | 1.4 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 5 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in TA20
In TA20, the postcode district at the centre of Chard, 10% 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) | 881 | 4% | 9% | 62% | 4% | 21% |
| Public order | 176 | 5% | 4% | 47% | 7% | 36% |
| Shoplifting | 176 | 45% | 0% | 14% | 2% | 39% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 136 | 7% | 3% | 46% | 7% | 37% |
| Other theft | 98 | 8% | 1% | 23% | 8% | 59% |
| Burglary | 68 | 12% | 0% | 7% | 12% | 69% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 32% 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 | 3.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 37.4 |
| Drugs | 1.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 4.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.5 |
| Public order | 10.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.4 |
| Shoplifting | 6.0 |
Postcode districts in Chard
Nearby towns
Council: Somerset
Questions about crime in Chard
- Is Chard a safe place to live?
- Chard scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Somerset average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chard?
- Up 30% over 5 years, from 1,024 recorded crimes a year to 1,336.
- What is the most common crime in Chard?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 37 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chard compare with Somerset?
- Crime severity in Chard is 1.2 times the Somerset average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chard?
- In TA20, the postcode district at the centre of Chard, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 5% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chard?
- Of 68 burglaries reported in TA20, the postcode district at the centre of Chard between September 2024 and August 2025, 12% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 12% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Chard?
- In Somerset, the council area Chard is in, the police recorded 691 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, up 34% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Chard?
- 1,497 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Somerset, the council area Chard is in, 2.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Chard last year?
- 5 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Somerset, the council area Chard is in, against 5 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.