Cotswold Crime Rate December 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Cotswold’s December 2025 crime rate of 5.0 per 1,000 residents marked a 28.6% deficit compared to the UK average of 7.0 per 1,000. This stark contrast with national trends underscores the area’s relatively safe profile, particularly in violent crime, where rates were 49% below the UK average. Violence and sexual offences, the most common category at 25.2% of total crimes, saw a 19.4% decline from November, likely influenced by seasonal factors such as shorter evenings and reduced social activity. Anti-social behaviour followed closely at 18.3% of total crimes, a figure that aligns with the district’s character as a largely rural and commuter-focused area, where noise complaints and disputes may be more common. However, shoplifting emerged as an outlier, with a rate of 0.7 per 1,000—23% above the UK average. This anomaly may reflect the area’s retail hubs, such as the historic market towns of Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold, where festive shopping could have driven opportunistic theft. The data also reveals a nuanced picture: while property crimes dominated (46.5% of total incidents), most categories remained below national averages, with burglary and criminal damage standing out as exceptions. These patterns are consistent with Cotswold’s geography, where rural isolation may contribute to higher burglary rates, while the absence of major urban centres likely limits violent crime. Seasonal factors, including Christmas shopping, dark evenings, and empty homes over the holidays, may have influenced the distribution of crime types. Overall, the data illustrates a district that, despite localized spikes, maintains a crime profile significantly lower than the UK average.

December 2025 saw sharp increases in vehicle crime (+116.7%) and possession of weapons (+166.7%), both of which may partly explain shifts in the crime mix. Vehicle crime, which rose from 12 to 26 incidents, could reflect heightened activity during the Christmas shopping peak, when more vehicles are parked in public spaces. Conversely, violence and sexual offences fell by 19.4%, from 144 to 116, a decline that may align with seasonal patterns of reduced nightlife activity. Shoplifting remained a standout category, with a rate of 0.7 per 1,000—23% above the UK average. This anomaly contrasts with the overall safety of Cotswold, where property crimes accounted for 46.5% of total incidents but remained below the national average for most categories. Residents may find the 23% increase in shoplifting particularly relevant, given the area’s retail presence and the festive season’s impact on local businesses.

Cotswold’s crime rate in December 2025 remained stable compared to November, with a 1.6% increase from 4.9 to 5.0 per 1,000 residents. This consistency suggests no major shifts in overall safety. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 15 crimes per day, a figure that reflects the district’s relatively low crime profile compared to national averages. Over the course of December, one reported crime occurred for every 199 residents, a monthly exposure rate that underscores the area’s safety. When scaled to Cotswold’s population of 91,661, this translates to a manageable level of risk, particularly when contrasted with the UK average. The stability in crime rates may also be influenced by the seasonal context—empty homes over the holidays and reduced foot traffic in certain areas—though these factors are not directly quantifiable in the data.