Crime in South Oxfordshire
Recorded crime in South Oxfordshire is 0.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 17%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
156,470 residents in 93 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Safety in the world
- 8/10Low crime
- Living
- 5.7/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −17%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 17% in 5 years Recorded crimes in South Oxfordshire, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.5× the England and Wales average. 43 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 62% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 62% 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: 5.9 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 | 2.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 16.9 |
| Drugs | 1.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 4.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.8 |
| Public order | 3.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 2.8 |
What crimes are recorded in South Oxfordshire
40.7 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in South Oxfordshire in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 6,492. Home Office recorded crime: 6,363 (2% apart).
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 | 95 | 0.61 | Up 6% |
| Cars broken into | 188 | 1.2 | Down 28% |
| Vehicle tampering | 54 | 0.35 | Down 13% |
| Vandalism to homes | 107 | 0.68 | Up 13% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 79 | 0.50 | Down 34% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 178 | 1.1 | Down 4% |
| Arson | 30 | 0.19 | Down 9% |
| Burglary of homes | 107 | 0.68 | Down 23% |
| Burglary of businesses | 128 | 0.82 | Up 42% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 24 | 0.15 | Down 27% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 30 | 0.19 | Down 14% |
| Robbery of people | 16 | 0.10 | Down 6% |
| Robbery of businesses | 36 | 0.23 | Up 200% |
| Violence with injury | 640 | 4.1 | Down 8% |
| Violence without injury | 982 | 6.3 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 932 | 6.0 | Up 11% |
| Sexual offences | 306 | 2.0 | Down 6% |
| Shoplifting | 546 | 3.5 | About the same |
| Bicycle theft | 53 | 0.34 | Down 13% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 33 | 0.21 | Down 42% |
| Drug dealing | 57 | 0.36 | Down 22% |
| Drug possession | 151 | 0.97 | Down 15% |
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.
Thames Valley Police area: 920 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,005 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only South Oxfordshire.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In South Oxfordshire, 6% 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) | 3,021 | 5% | 11% | 63% | 10% | 10% |
| Public order | 620 | 7% | 6% | 50% | 30% | 6% |
| Other theft | 609 | 0% | 3% | 22% | 68% | 6% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 597 | 3% | 8% | 27% | 55% | 7% |
| Shoplifting | 531 | 12% | 3% | 12% | 70% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 400 | 3% | 1% | 22% | 74% | 2% |
| Burglary | 278 | 9% | 1% | 17% | 66% | 8% |
| Drugs | 188 | 8% | 53% | 14% | 16% | 10% |
| Other crime | 171 | 13% | 8% | 43% | 17% | 19% |
| Bicycle theft | 71 | 6% | 3% | 8% | 63% | 20% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 62 | 0% | 2% | 19% | 69% | 10% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 54 | 37% | 17% | 35% | 4% | 7% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 8% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in South Oxfordshire
Postcode districts in South Oxfordshire
Questions about crime in South Oxfordshire
- Is South Oxfordshire a safe place to live?
- South Oxfordshire 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 South Oxfordshire?
- Down 17% over 5 years, from 7,969 recorded crimes a year to 6,622.
- What is the most common crime in South Oxfordshire?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 17 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in South Oxfordshire?
- In South Oxfordshire, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 34% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in South Oxfordshire?
- Of 278 burglaries reported in South Oxfordshire between September 2024 and August 2025, 9% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 66% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in South Oxfordshire?
- In South Oxfordshire, the police recorded 95 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.6 per 1,000 residents, up 6% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in South Oxfordshire?
- 364 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in South Oxfordshire in 2025/26, 2.3 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in South Oxfordshire last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in South Oxfordshire in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.