Crime in Paignton
Recorded crime in Paignton is about the Torbay average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 37%. 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 Paignton: about 27,509 residents in 27 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.4/10Good
- 5-year change
- +37%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.0×the Torbay average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Paignton.
Crime over 5 years
Up 37% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Paignton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the Torbay average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 84 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 11% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% 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: 29 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Torbay (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Torbay council area, not only Paignton. 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 | 191 | 1.4 | Down 9% |
| Cars broken into | 157 | 1.1 | Down 43% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 770 | 5.5 | Down 19% |
| Burglary of homes | 226 | 1.6 | Down 11% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in TQ3
In TQ3, the postcode district at the centre of Paignton, 11% 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) | 1,144 | 6% | 3% | 77% | 10% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 255 | 49% | 7% | 19% | 21% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 239 | 4% | 2% | 41% | 51% | 3% |
| Other theft | 224 | 4% | 1% | 36% | 55% | 4% |
| Public order | 137 | 7% | 4% | 63% | 21% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 129 | 5% | 0% | 16% | 72% | 7% |
| Drugs | 117 | 18% | 23% | 32% | 20% | 8% |
| Burglary | 79 | 5% | 1% | 23% | 61% | 10% |
| Other crime | 63 | 10% | 5% | 70% | 10% | 6% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 0.7 |
| Burglary | 3.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 38.0 |
| Drugs | 3.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.1 |
| Other crime | 1.8 |
| Other theft | 7.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.1 |
| Public order | 6.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.4 |
| Shoplifting | 7.2 |
Postcode districts in Paignton
Nearby towns
Council: Torbay
Questions about crime in Paignton
- Is Paignton a safe place to live?
- Paignton scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is about the Torbay average.
- Is crime going up or down in Paignton?
- Up 37% over 5 years, from 1,993 recorded crimes a year to 2,729.
- What is the most common crime in Paignton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 38 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Paignton compare with Torbay?
- Crime severity in Paignton is about the Torbay average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Paignton?
- In TQ3, the postcode district at the centre of Paignton, 11% 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 Paignton?
- Of 79 burglaries reported in TQ3, the postcode district at the centre of Paignton between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 61% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Paignton?
- In Torbay, the council area Paignton is in, the police recorded 191 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.4 per 1,000 residents, down 9% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Paignton?
- 770 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Torbay, the council area Paignton is in, 5.5 per 1,000 residents, 1.1 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Paignton last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Torbay, the council area Paignton is in, against 1 the year before.