Crime in Cotswold
Recorded crime in Cotswold is 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 4 years it has fallen 14%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
91,661 residents in 56 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Safety in the world
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 3.9/10Weak
- 4-year change
- −14%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 14% in 4 years Recorded crimes in Cotswold, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.6× the England and Wales average. 43 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 54% of the harm here
- Burglary: 28% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 17 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 5.3 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 15.6 |
| Drugs | 0.8 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.2 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 4.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.8 |
| Public order | 3.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 2.3 |
What crimes are recorded in Cotswold
44.3 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Cotswold in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 54 | 0.59 | Down 37% |
| Cars broken into | 134 | 1.5 | Down 22% |
| Vehicle tampering | 32 | 0.35 | Down 14% |
| Vandalism to homes | 149 | 1.6 | Up 12% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 20 | 0.22 | Down 46% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 87 | 0.95 | Down 13% |
| Arson | 29 | 0.32 | Up 4% |
| Burglary of homes | 181 | 2.0 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of businesses | 70 | 0.76 | Down 26% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 10 | 0.11 | Down 17% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 21 | 0.23 | Up 5% |
| Robbery of people | 29 | 0.32 | Up 142% |
| Robbery of businesses | 3 | - | - |
| Violence with injury | 358 | 3.9 | Down 6% |
| Violence without injury | 581 | 6.3 | Down 3% |
| Stalking and harassment | 615 | 6.7 | Down 7% |
| Sexual offences | 218 | 2.4 | Up 35% |
| Shoplifting | 367 | 4.0 | Up 64% |
| Bicycle theft | 19 | 0.21 | Up 6% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 10 | 0.11 | Down 63% |
| Drug dealing | 25 | 0.27 | Up 47% |
| Drug possession | 42 | 0.46 | Down 40% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Gloucestershire Police area: 253 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (255 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Cotswold.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Cotswold, 4% 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) | 1,876 | 3% | 13% | 64% | 10% | 10% |
| Other theft | 411 | 0% | 1% | 17% | 73% | 8% |
| Public order | 367 | 8% | 10% | 47% | 27% | 9% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 340 | 2% | 6% | 17% | 71% | 4% |
| Burglary | 329 | 1% | 0% | 10% | 85% | 4% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 307 | 1% | 1% | 7% | 87% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 217 | 12% | 6% | 6% | 73% | 4% |
| Other crime | 156 | 4% | 8% | 52% | 22% | 14% |
| Drugs | 89 | 12% | 54% | 13% | 3% | 17% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 9% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Cotswold
Postcode districts in Cotswold
Questions about crime in Cotswold
- Is Cotswold a safe place to live?
- Cotswold scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Cotswold?
- Down 14% over 4 years, from 4,843 recorded crimes a year to 4,183.
- What is the most common crime in Cotswold?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 16 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Cotswold?
- In Cotswold, 4% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 38% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Cotswold?
- Of 329 burglaries reported in Cotswold between September 2024 and August 2025, 1% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 85% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Cotswold?
- In Cotswold, the police recorded 54 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.6 per 1,000 residents, down 37% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Cotswold?
- 256 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Cotswold in 2025/26, 2.8 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Cotswold last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Cotswold in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.