North Devon Crime Rate December 2025 | Monthly Statistics

North Devon's crime profile in December 2025 continued to show a marked divergence from the UK average, with an overall rate of 5.0 crimes per 1,000 residents—28.6% below the national figure of 7.0. This discrepancy is most pronounced in violent crimes, where the area's rate of 2.3 per 1,000 (46.2% of total crimes) is 11% below the UK average. The dominance of violent offences over property crimes (46.2% vs 32.6%) contrasts with typical patterns in other regions, where property crime often leads. This imbalance may reflect the area's rural character, where interpersonal conflicts are more likely to occur in isolated settings. The seasonal context of December—marked by Christmas shopping, dark evenings, and empty homes—likely contributes to the spike in theft from the person, which rose sharply by 200% compared to November. However, the area's violent crime rate remains lower than the UK average, suggesting that local factors such as strong community policing or demographic characteristics may be at play. The absence of significant increases in property-related crimes like burglary (0.2 per 1,000) or vehicle crime (0.2 per 1,000) further reinforces this divergence, with both categories recording rates 29% and 46% below the UK average, respectively. These figures indicate a combination of seasonal pressures and long-term trends.

December 2025 saw a sharp 200% increase in theft from the person, rising from 2 to 6 incidents. This spike, though still below the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000, highlights vulnerabilities in personal security during the festive period. Bicycle theft also doubled, with 4 incidents reported, a 100% increase from November's 2. These trends may partly explain the overall crime profile, with property-related offences accounting for 32.6% of total crimes compared to 46.2% for violent crimes. The area's violent crime rate of 2.3 per 1,000 is 11% below the UK average, a stark contrast to the 100% deficit seen in categories like robbery and possession of weapons. Anti-social behaviour, which typically accounts for 8.3% of crimes, fell by 46.6% compared to November, suggesting a possible reduction in alcohol-fuelled disputes during the month. These fluctuations, while not directly tied to specific events, align with the seasonal context of December, when empty homes and dark evenings may influence crime patterns.

North Devon's crime rate in December 2025 dropped by 6.3% compared to November's 5.4 per 1,000, reflecting a continuing downward trend. On a daily basis, the area saw an average of 16 crimes reported each day in December, a figure that contextualises the pace of activity for residents. Over the course of the month, one crime occurred for every 199 residents, a ratio that illustrates the relatively low frequency of incidents compared to the UK average. This monthly exposure figure, while not directly comparable to national data, provides a local perspective on how often residents encounter crime in their daily lives. The population of 101,222 further scales these numbers, showing that the area's crime levels remain significantly below the UK norm despite the seasonal factors typically associated with December. This contrast with the UK average underscores the effectiveness of local policing strategies or community initiatives, though no specific programmes are named in the data.