Crime in Witney
Recorded crime in Witney is 1.4 times the West Oxfordshire average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 26%. 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 Witney: about 21,546 residents in 21 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.6/10Good
- 5-year change
- −26%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the West Oxfordshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Witney.
Crime over 5 years
Down 26% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Witney, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the West Oxfordshire average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 61 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% 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: 12 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in West Oxfordshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole West Oxfordshire council area, not only Witney. 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 | 67 | 0.55 | Down 9% |
| Cars broken into | 182 | 1.5 | Down 32% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 268 | 2.2 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 158 | 1.3 | Up 26% |
| 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 OX28
In OX28, the postcode district at the centre of Witney, 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) | 891 | 4% | 9% | 71% | 8% | 9% |
| Shoplifting | 210 | 22% | 6% | 21% | 48% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 163 | 5% | 4% | 33% | 52% | 6% |
| Public order | 156 | 4% | 6% | 57% | 26% | 6% |
| Other theft | 109 | 2% | 3% | 27% | 65% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% 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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 2.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 25.9 |
| Drugs | 2.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 6.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.5 |
| Public order | 5.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.3 |
| Shoplifting | 6.8 |
Postcode districts in Witney
Nearby towns
Council: West Oxfordshire
Questions about crime in Witney
- Is Witney a safe place to live?
- Witney scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the West Oxfordshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Witney?
- Down 26% over 5 years, from 1,739 recorded crimes a year to 1,293.
- What is the most common crime in Witney?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 26 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Witney compare with West Oxfordshire?
- Crime severity in Witney is 1.4 times the West Oxfordshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Witney?
- In OX28, the postcode district at the centre of Witney, 6% 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 cars are stolen in Witney?
- In West Oxfordshire, the council area Witney is in, the police recorded 67 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.6 per 1,000 residents, down 9% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Witney?
- 268 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in West Oxfordshire, the council area Witney is in, 2.2 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Witney last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in West Oxfordshire, the council area Witney is in, against 0 the year before.