Crime in Dawlish
Recorded crime in Dawlish is 1.2 times the Teignbridge average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 50%. 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 Dawlish: about 11,119 residents in 9 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.0/10Fair
- 5-year change
- +50%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Teignbridge average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dawlish.
Crime over 5 years
Up 50% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Dawlish, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Teignbridge average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 49 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 77% of the harm here
- Burglary: 8% of the harm here
- Other theft: 3% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 77% 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: 16 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Teignbridge (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Teignbridge partnership area, not only Dawlish. Figures for the South Devon and Dartmoor community safety partnership, which covers South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon. 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 | 159 | 0.55 | Down 9% |
| Cars broken into | 166 | 0.57 | Down 11% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 704 | 2.4 | Down 22% |
| Burglary of homes | 250 | 0.86 | Down 5% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in EX7
In EX7, the postcode district at the centre of Dawlish, 7% 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) | 510 | 4% | 3% | 74% | 12% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 109 | 3% | 4% | 46% | 43% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 91 | 33% | 2% | 40% | 22% | 3% |
| Public order | 67 | 3% | 0% | 69% | 22% | 6% |
| Other theft | 58 | 7% | 2% | 26% | 59% | 7% |
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.
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 | 1.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 25.3 |
| Drugs | 1.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 3.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.8 |
| Public order | 3.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.2 |
| Shoplifting | 3.3 |
Postcode districts in Dawlish
Nearby towns
Council: Teignbridge
Questions about crime in Dawlish
- Is Dawlish a safe place to live?
- Dawlish scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Teignbridge average.
- Is crime going up or down in Dawlish?
- Up 50% over 5 years, from 511 recorded crimes a year to 767.
- What is the most common crime in Dawlish?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 25 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Dawlish compare with Teignbridge?
- Crime severity in Dawlish is 1.2 times the Teignbridge average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Dawlish?
- In EX7, the postcode district at the centre of Dawlish, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 24% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Dawlish?
- In 2025/26, in the South Devon and Dartmoor partnership area, which includes Dawlish, the police recorded 159 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.5 per 1,000 residents, down 9% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Dawlish?
- 704 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the South Devon and Dartmoor partnership area, which includes Dawlish, 2.4 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Dawlish last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the South Devon and Dartmoor partnership area, which includes Dawlish, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.