Bourton-on-the-Water Crime Rate October 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Bourton-on-the-Water's crime profile in October 2025 reveals a stark contrast to national trends, with violence and sexual offences dominating the landscape. At 3.9 crimes per 1,000 residents, the area's rate is 49.4% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000, a gap that underscores the town's unique character. The breakdown shows violence and sexual offences (12 cases) account for 52.2% of all reported crimes, far exceeding the UK average of 2.7 per 1,000 (25% below the national rate for this category). This dominance of violent crime contrasts with the UK's broader mix, where property crimes often lead. Anti-social behaviour (3 cases) and other theft (2 cases) follow, both significantly below UK averages. The seasonal context of October—shorter days, Halloween activities, and the clocks going back—may contribute to patterns seen in the data. While violent crime remains the primary concern, the low levels of property crime align with the area's rural-urban hybrid nature, where tourist infrastructure and historic architecture may deter burglary but not necessarily reduce interpersonal disputes. The absence of major retail hubs or high-density housing likely explains the minimal shoplifting and burglary figures, which are 68% and 33% below UK averages respectively. This suggests that while the town's charm and small size foster a low-crime environment, its social dynamics and seasonal transitions create unique challenges for law enforcement.

October 2025 saw significant fluctuations in specific crime categories, with burglary and other theft both rising by 100% compared to September. This increase, from zero to one burglary and one to two other thefts, may reflect seasonal factors such as Halloween-related disturbances or the impact of darker evenings on property security. Conversely, anti-social behaviour decreased by 40% (from five to three cases), and public order offences fell by 50% (from two to one case), potentially linked to reduced foot traffic during October's quieter tourist season. The violent crime category remained the largest share of total crimes (52.2%), but its rate of 2.0 per 1,000 is 25% below the UK average for this category, suggesting that while violence is prevalent locally, its scale is comparatively contained. Shoplifting—typically a concern in retail-heavy areas—was 68% below the UK average, consistent with the town's limited commercial density. Residents may find the daily crime count of one incident per day (23 total crimes over 31 days) a useful benchmark for assessing local safety, though the month-on-month rise in burglary highlights the need for vigilance during October's darker evenings.

Bourton-on-the-Water's crime rate in October 2025 rose by 28.1% compared to September's 3.0 per 1,000, reflecting a shift in crime patterns despite remaining well below the UK average. This increase, though modest in absolute terms (23 total crimes), translates to one reported crime for every 258 residents over the course of the month—a figure that contextualises the scale of incidents within the town's population of 5,933. The daily crime context reveals a relatively low frequency of incidents, with one crime occurring roughly every day, a rate that contrasts sharply with larger urban centres where daily crime counts often exceed ten. When viewed through a population-scaled lens, the 3.9 per 1,000 rate means that over the course of a year, an individual in Bourton-on-the-Water would statistically face a 1-in-258 chance of being directly involved in a crime. This statistic, while illustrative of the area's overall safety, does not account for the uneven distribution of crime types—violent offences remain represented compared to property crimes. The rise in burglary, for instance, may be influenced by seasonal factors such as increased home occupancy during the autumn months, whereas the decline in anti-social behaviour could be attributed to reduced visitor numbers during October's less busy tourist period. These dynamics highlight the interplay between local demographics, seasonal rhythms, and the town's geographic isolation, which collectively shape its distinct crime profile.