Crime in Forest of Dean
Recorded crime in Forest of Dean is 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 4 years it has fallen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
89,753 residents in 50 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Safety in the world
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 4.6/10Fair
- 4-year change
- −15%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 15% in 4 years Recorded crimes in Forest of Dean, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.6× the England and Wales average. 44 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 16% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 70% 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: 20 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 | 3.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 21.7 |
| Drugs | 1.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.3 |
| Other theft | 3.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.1 |
| Public order | 3.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.2 |
| Shoplifting | 1.5 |
What crimes are recorded in Forest of Dean
46.6 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Forest of Dean 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 | 62 | 0.69 | Up 9% |
| Cars broken into | 62 | 0.69 | Down 17% |
| Vehicle tampering | 19 | 0.21 | Down 42% |
| Vandalism to homes | 177 | 2.0 | Up 36% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 21 | 0.23 | Up 5% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 118 | 1.3 | Up 27% |
| Arson | 50 | 0.56 | Up 19% |
| Burglary of homes | 101 | 1.1 | Down 22% |
| Burglary of businesses | 51 | 0.57 | Up 13% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 6 | - | - |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 37 | 0.41 | Up 95% |
| Robbery of people | 17 | 0.19 | Down 11% |
| Robbery of businesses | 1 | - | - |
| Violence with injury | 492 | 5.5 | Up 6% |
| Violence without injury | 696 | 7.8 | Down 6% |
| Stalking and harassment | 788 | 8.8 | Down 16% |
| Sexual offences | 209 | 2.3 | About the same |
| Shoplifting | 166 | 1.8 | Up 18% |
| Bicycle theft | 21 | 0.23 | Down 9% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 11 | 0.12 | - |
| Drug dealing | 26 | 0.29 | Up 30% |
| Drug possession | 69 | 0.77 | Up 8% |
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 Forest of Dean.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Forest of Dean, 5% 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) | 2,340 | 4% | 8% | 73% | 7% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 445 | 4% | 4% | 28% | 58% | 6% |
| Public order | 386 | 5% | 5% | 66% | 22% | 2% |
| Other theft | 343 | 2% | 0% | 32% | 63% | 3% |
| Burglary | 219 | 4% | 2% | 18% | 72% | 4% |
| Other crime | 181 | 3% | 4% | 68% | 19% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 168 | 17% | 7% | 11% | 60% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 152 | 1% | 1% | 20% | 78% | 1% |
| Drugs | 83 | 11% | 57% | 16% | 5% | 12% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 6% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Forest of Dean
Postcode districts in Forest of Dean
Questions about crime in Forest of Dean
- Is Forest of Dean a safe place to live?
- Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean?
- Down 15% over 4 years, from 5,177 recorded crimes a year to 4,405.
- What is the most common crime in Forest of Dean?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 22 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Forest of Dean?
- In Forest of Dean, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 27% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Forest of Dean?
- Of 219 burglaries reported in Forest of Dean between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 72% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Forest of Dean?
- In Forest of Dean, the police recorded 62 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, up 9% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Forest of Dean?
- 316 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Forest of Dean in 2025/26, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Forest of Dean last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Forest of Dean in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.