Chesterton Crime Rate

Chesterton is one of the safest urban settlements in the Cherwell local authority, featuring an exceptionally low overall crime rate of 27.4 per 1,000 residents. This performance earns the area a safety score of 93/100, which is significantly higher than the UK average of 79. Furthermore, the crime trend in Chesterton is moving in a positive direction, with a 12.2% decrease in total offences over the last year. Property crime is also notably low at 8.9 per 1,000 people, compared to the national average of 32.2. These figures paint a picture of a secure, low-risk community where residents can enjoy a high degree of peace and safety.

Chesterton's crime profile is led by violence and sexual offences, which make up 37.6% of all recorded incidents (38 crimes). This is followed by public order offences at 12.9% and anti-social behaviour at 9.9%. These top three categories account for over 60% of the local crime volume. Regarding property-related crime—which encompasses burglary, robbery, theft, criminal damage, and vehicle crime—the rate is 8.9 per 1,000 residents. This is remarkably low compared to the UK average of 32.2. Specifically, vehicle crime (8.9% of total) and criminal damage (7.9%) are the most frequent property issues, while burglary remains rare at just 1.6 per 1,000 people. For homeowners, this suggests a very low-risk environment, though the presence of vehicle crime and criminal damage highlights the need for basic external property security.

Chesterton's crime rate is trending downwards, with a 12.2% year-over-year decrease. Throughout 2025, the monthly crime rate was consistently low, starting at 2.7 in January and hitting a low of 1.6 in March and July. There were minor peaks in April (3.5) and June/August (3.0), but these did not represent a sustained increase. The year ended with a rate of 1.9 in December, mirroring the stable, low-crime environment seen throughout the period. This consistent downward pressure on crime rates suggests that Chesterton remains a very stable and increasingly secure community for its residents.

How To Keep Safe in Chesterton

The most frequent crime type in Chesterton is violence and sexual offences. While the overall numbers are low, staying vigilant and taking basic precautions is always beneficial for personal safety.

1. Be Mindful of Surroundings: When walking through the village at night, stick to familiar, well-lit paths. Even in very safe areas like Chesterton, being aware of your environment is the first step in prevention.
2. Report Public Order Issues: Public order offences are the second most common crime here. If you witness disruptive behaviour or feel unsafe in a public space, reporting it promptly to the authorities helps maintain the community's high safety standards.
3. Secure Your Vehicles: With vehicle crime being one of the more common property offences, always ensure your car is locked, windows are closed, and no valuables are left on display, even when parked on your own driveway.
4. Lighting is Key: Ensure the exterior of your home is well-lit with motion-activated lights. This simple measure can deter anti-social behaviour and criminal damage by removing the cover of darkness.
5. Community Connection: Engage with local neighbourhood watch schemes or community groups. In a small settlement like Chesterton, residents looking out for one another is one of the most effective ways to keep crime rates low.

In Chesterton, crime exhibits specific time-based trends. Morning and afternoon periods are most associated with theft, which accounts for 40-42% of crime during these hours. This likely reflects activity when people are away from home or visiting local amenities. As evening approaches, there is a marked shift toward 'other' crime types and anti-social behaviour. The night-time period (12am - 6am) sees a significant focus on vehicle crime (36%) and burglary (27%). This suggests that property-targeted offences are most likely to occur in the dead of night, while person-to-person or opportunistic theft is more common during the active daylight hours.

Chesterton sits in a region of contrasting safety profiles. Compared to the nearby town of Bicester, which has a much higher crime rate of 77.5 per 1,000 people, Chesterton is a significantly more secure alternative. However, it does have a higher crime volume than some of its immediate, smaller neighbours like Wendlebury, Weston-on-the-Green, and Bucknell, all of which recorded 0.0 crimes per 1,000 people. This suggests that while Chesterton is remarkably safe by national standards, it experiences slightly more activity than the most rural surrounding hamlets, likely due to its larger residential population and proximity to transport links.

With a property crime rate of just 8.9 per 1,000 people, Chesterton is a low-risk area for homeowners. However, the recorded incidents of vehicle crime and criminal damage suggest that even in safe areas, opportunistic threats exist. Traditional security systems often fail because they are reactive; a camera that merely records a theft doesn't stop the loss of your vehicle or damage to your property. The scOS AI-powered operating system offers a proactive alternative. By using sophisticated AI to monitor all your cameras simultaneously, scOS can detect a potential intruder at your property boundary. It doesn't just watch; it acts. Through autonomous responses like activating smart lighting or using speakers to warn off intruders, scOS destroys the element of surprise. For Chesterton residents, this level of professional-grade security ensures that their home remains a hard target, deterring the few opportunistic criminals active in the region and moving them on before any harm is done.