Crime in Exeter
Recorded crime in Exeter is 1.1 times the Exeter council average and about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 36%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Exeter: about 97,702 residents in 68 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 8.1/10Good
- 5-year change
- +36%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Exeter council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Exeter.
Crime over 5 years
Up 36% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Exeter, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Exeter council average (about the England and Wales average). 80 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 69% 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: 26 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Exeter (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Exeter council area, not only the city of Exeter. 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 | 153 | 1.1 | Up 47% |
| Cars broken into | 126 | 0.91 | Down 17% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 690 | 5.0 | Down 5% |
| Burglary of homes | 169 | 1.2 | Down 6% |
| 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 EX4
In EX4, the postcode district at the centre of Exeter, 9% 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) | 2,605 | 6% | 5% | 70% | 14% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 1,138 | 17% | 2% | 46% | 33% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 491 | 6% | 4% | 47% | 38% | 5% |
| Public order | 429 | 11% | 3% | 59% | 22% | 5% |
| Other theft | 401 | 1% | 0% | 38% | 56% | 3% |
| Drugs | 194 | 14% | 23% | 42% | 9% | 11% |
| Burglary | 140 | 11% | 1% | 34% | 49% | 4% |
| Other crime | 119 | 9% | 8% | 61% | 13% | 9% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 99 | 3% | 1% | 31% | 59% | 6% |
| Bicycle theft | 89 | 4% | 1% | 26% | 67% | 1% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 80 | 14% | 10% | 57% | 9% | 10% |
| Robbery | 53 | 11% | 0% | 51% | 34% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% 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 | 0.6 |
| Burglary | 2.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 34.2 |
| Drugs | 3.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.0 |
| Other crime | 1.7 |
| Other theft | 6.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.5 |
| Public order | 6.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.7 |
| Shoplifting | 9.6 |
Postcode districts in Exeter
Nearby towns
Council: Exeter
Questions about crime in Exeter
- Is Exeter a safe place to live?
- Exeter scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Exeter council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Exeter?
- Up 36% over 5 years, from 6,901 recorded crimes a year to 9,386.
- What is the most common crime in Exeter?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 34 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Exeter compare with Exeter council?
- Crime severity in Exeter is 1.1 times the Exeter council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Exeter?
- In EX4, the postcode district at the centre of Exeter, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 26% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Exeter?
- Of 140 burglaries reported in EX4, the postcode district at the centre of Exeter between September 2024 and August 2025, 11% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 49% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Exeter?
- In the Exeter council area, the police recorded 153 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.1 per 1,000 residents, up 47% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Exeter?
- 690 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Exeter council area, 5.0 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Exeter last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Exeter council area, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.