East Devon Crime Rate April 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Violence and sexual offences dominated East Devon’s crime picture in April 2023, accounting for 38% of all reported incidents. This category, with a rate of 1.2 per 1,000 residents, was 54% below the UK average, underscoring the area’s relatively low levels of violent crime. Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson followed as the second and third most common categories, each significantly below national benchmarks. The overall crime rate for the area stood at 3.2 per 1,000, a figure 57.3% lower than the UK average of 7.5 per 1,000. This stark contrast suggests that East Devon’s socio-economic and geographic characteristics — likely including its mix of rural and semi-urban environments — contribute to a crime profile that diverges from the UK norm. Seasonal factors, such as the Easter period and spring weather, may have influenced patterns of activity, with increased outdoor engagement potentially linked to the rise in public order offences and shoplifting. However, the overall stability in violent crime and the decline in burglary suggest that local initiatives or environmental factors may be exerting a mitigating influence. The absence of significant spikes in property crime, despite the sharp increase in shoplifting, highlights the complexity of East Devon’s crime profile, where targeted retail thefts appear to be a more pressing concern than broader property-related incidents.

April 2023 saw sharp increases in shoplifting, which rose by 241.7% from 12 to 41 incidents, a surge that may partly explain the rise in property-related crimes. Other theft also climbed by 57.1%, reflecting a broader trend in non-violent crime. Conversely, burglary decreased by 41.2%, from 17 to 10 incidents, suggesting a possible shift in criminal activity away from residential areas. Violence and sexual offences remained the dominant category, with a rate of 1.2 per 1,000 — 54% below the UK average — highlighting a persistent gap in East Devon’s crime profile compared to national trends. For residents, the sharp rise in shoplifting may signal a need for heightened awareness during peak retail periods, such as Easter, which falls within the month.

East Devon’s crime rate in April 2023 rose by 7.1% compared to March, moving from 2.9 to 3.2 per 1,000 residents. While this increase is modest, it highlights a slight upward trend in reported incidents. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 17 crimes per day, a figure that, while notable, remains significantly lower than the UK average. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 318 residents, a monthly exposure rate that underscores the relatively low frequency of crime in East Devon. This figure, when contextualised against the local population of 158,239, illustrates that the majority of residents are unlikely to encounter crime in their daily lives. The modest rise in the overall rate may be influenced by seasonal factors, such as increased outdoor activity during spring, but the broader context of East Devon’s crime picture remains one of relative safety compared to the UK as a whole.