Crime in Cheltenham
Recorded crime in Cheltenham is 1.5 times the Cheltenham council average and 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 4 years it has fallen 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 Cheltenham: about 37,902 residents in 40 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 4-year change
- −9%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.5×the Cheltenham council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Cheltenham.
Crime over 5 years
Down 9% in 4 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Cheltenham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.5× the Cheltenham council average (1.3× the England and Wales average). 117 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Robbery: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 52 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Cheltenham (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Cheltenham council area, not only the town of Cheltenham. 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 | 198 | 1.6 | Down 8% |
| Cars broken into | 459 | 3.8 | Up 14% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 580 | 4.8 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 292 | 2.4 | Up 25% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in GL50
In GL50, the postcode district at the centre of Cheltenham, 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) | 1,190 | 6% | 9% | 61% | 18% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 440 | 27% | 7% | 22% | 43% | 1% |
| Public order | 314 | 15% | 5% | 44% | 33% | 3% |
| Other theft | 305 | 3% | 1% | 26% | 68% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 224 | 4% | 5% | 25% | 65% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 220 | 20% | 0% | 7% | 70% | 3% |
| Burglary | 142 | 8% | 2% | 18% | 68% | 4% |
| Bicycle theft | 101 | 2% | 2% | 8% | 87% | 1% |
| Drugs | 87 | 10% | 62% | 13% | 0% | 15% |
| Other crime | 63 | 24% | 8% | 43% | 22% | 3% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 1.2 |
| Burglary | 7.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 40.4 |
| Drugs | 3.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.8 |
| Other theft | 10.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.2 |
| Public order | 11.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.7 |
| Shoplifting | 14.5 |
Postcode districts in Cheltenham
Nearby towns
Council: Cheltenham
Questions about crime in Cheltenham
- Is Cheltenham a safe place to live?
- Cheltenham scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.5 times the Cheltenham council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Cheltenham?
- Down 9% over 4 years, from 5,158 recorded crimes a year to 4,709.
- What is the most common crime in Cheltenham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Cheltenham compare with Cheltenham council?
- Crime severity in Cheltenham is 1.5 times the Cheltenham council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Cheltenham?
- In GL50, the postcode district at the centre of Cheltenham, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 40% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Cheltenham?
- Of 142 burglaries reported in GL50, the postcode district at the centre of Cheltenham between September 2024 and August 2025, 8% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 68% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Cheltenham?
- In the Cheltenham council area, the police recorded 198 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.6 per 1,000 residents, down 8% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Cheltenham?
- 580 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cheltenham council area, 4.8 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Cheltenham last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cheltenham council area, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.