Exeter Crime Rate September 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Exeter's crime profile in September 2024 reveals a striking balance between violent and property crimes, with both categories contributing nearly equally to the total figure. The area's overall crime rate of 8.9 per 1,000 residents places it 15.6% above the UK average, a figure that reflects sustained pressures in specific categories. Violence and sexual offences dominate with 35.1% of all reported crimes, significantly outpacing the UK average by 18%. This contrasts with property crimes, which accounted for 36.5% of the total, though shoplifting alone was 106% above the UK average. The seasonal context of September—marked by university freshers' week and the return to school—likely contributes to the elevated levels of violence and anti-social behaviour, which were 28% and 18% above national averages respectively. While the area's retail sector may explain shoplifting rates, the persistent overrepresentation of violent crime compared to property crime suggests a different dynamic at play, possibly linked to the city's status as a major university town with a transient population. The data also highlights a combination of local factors and national trends, with anti-social behaviour and violence emerging as particularly pressing issues in this academic month.

September 2024 saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with other crime categories rising sharply by 50% compared to August, driven largely by an increase in reported incidents of 'other crime' from 16 to 24. Bicycle theft also rose by 20%, reflecting a 2-percentage-point increase in the rate from 1.0 to 1.4 per 1,000 residents. Conversely, vehicle crime dropped by 29.2% as the number of incidents fell from 24 to 17—a decline that may be linked to the end of summer holidays and reduced traffic in residential areas. The violent crime rate remained 18% above the UK average, with 3.1 per 1,000 residents compared to the national figure of 2.6 per 1,000. This imbalance between violent and property crimes is particularly noteworthy, as property crime rates in Exeter are generally lower than the UK average for categories like burglary (35% below) and vehicle crime (78% below). However, shoplifting remains a persistent issue, with rates more than doubling the UK average. For residents, the most immediate concern appears to be the 106% above-average rate of shoplifting, which may indicate targeted activity in retail areas during the busy back-to-school period.

Exeter's crime rate in September 2024 (8.9 per 1,000) represents a 4.2% decrease from the previous month's rate of 9.3 per 1,000, suggesting a slight but measurable decline in overall crime activity. On a daily basis, the city experienced an average of 41 crimes per day, a figure that contextualises the monthly total of 1,230 crimes. When viewed through the lens of population, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 113 residents over the course of the month—a monthly exposure rate that is slightly higher than the UK average but not significantly so. The decline from August may be partly explained by the transition from summer to autumn, with fewer late-night gatherings and reduced tourism activity. However, the persistent overrepresentation of violent crime compared to property crime remains a key distinction for Exeter. While the city's burglary rate (0.2 per 1,000) is 35% below the UK average, its violence and sexual offences rate is 18% above, highlighting a unique challenge. This contrast may reflect the city's dual role as both a commuter hub and a major university town, where transient populations and academic calendars create distinct patterns of criminal activity compared to more static residential areas.