Chillington Crime Rate

Chillington is a highly secure urban settlement in the South Hams local authority, featuring an impressive safety score of 93/100. This score places it well above the UK average of 78, indicating a peaceful and low-risk environment for its 2,096 residents. The overall crime rate stands at 25.8 per 1,000 people per year, which is significantly lower than the UK national average of 93.1. While the crime trend has recently shown an increase of 12.5% year-over-year, the absolute volume of crime remains very low, particularly regarding property-related offences. With a property crime rate of just 2.9 per 1,000, Chillington is one of the safer locations in the region for homeowners. The following sections provide a deeper analysis of the crime types, trends, and safety advice for the area.

Crime Breakdown in Chillington

Chillington's crime profile is heavily weighted toward violence and sexual offences, which constitute 63.0% of all reported incidents. In the last year, there were 34 such reports. The second most common category is anti-social behaviour, accounting for 14.8% (8 crimes), followed by public order offences at 5.6% (3 crimes). While the high percentage of violent reports may seem concerning, the absolute numbers remain low for a population of over 2,000.

Property crime in Chillington is exceptionally low, with a rate of just 2.9 per 1,000 people. This encompasses burglary, theft, and criminal damage, all of which appear as minor factors in the local statistics. Burglary, for instance, accounted for only 2 reports (3.7% of total crime) over the 12-month period. For residents, this indicates that the primary security concerns are not related to large-scale theft or organised property crime, but rather to interpersonal incidents and occasional social disturbances. Homeowners can take confidence in the very low levels of residential intrusion.

Crime Trends in Chillington

The crime trend in Chillington is currently on an upward trajectory, with a 12.5% increase in total recorded crimes compared to the previous year. While a double-digit percentage increase can sound alarming, it is important to contextualise this within Chillington's very low baseline; a small number of additional incidents can result in a significant percentage jump.

Monthly data from late 2024 and 2025 shows a fluctuating pattern. The area saw very low activity in December 2024 and January 2025, with a rate of just 0.5 crimes per 1,000 people. However, there was a noticeable peak in August 2025, where the rate rose to 5.3. By October 2025, the rate had settled back to 1.9. These fluctuations are typical for small settlements where a single event or a short-lived spree can temporarily impact the statistics. For residents, the overall message remains one of high safety, but the slight upward trend suggests that maintaining good home and personal security is becoming increasingly important.

How To Keep Safe in Chillington

The most common crime type in Chillington is violence and sexual offences, making up 63% of reports. While the total number of incidents is low, personal safety and awareness are key to maintaining the village's secure atmosphere.

1. Practice situational awareness when walking in the village, especially during the darker evening hours. Stick to well-lit routes and let someone know your expected arrival time if you are out alone.
2. If you are involved in or witness a social dispute, it is best to de-escalate and move away from the situation. Report any aggressive behaviour to the local police to help them track patterns.
3. Keep your home's exterior well-lit. Motion-sensor lighting is an effective way to illuminate paths and deter anti-social behaviour near your property.
4. Join the local Neighbourhood Watch or community social media groups. Staying informed about local issues is one of the best ways to collectively maintain a safe environment.
5. Even though property crime is low, always ensure your vehicles and home are locked. Most thefts in low-crime areas are opportunistic, targeting unlocked doors or windows.

Time Patterns of Crime in Chillington

Crime in Chillington exhibits clear temporal trends. During the morning and afternoon hours, theft is the most frequent concern, representing 57% and 56% of crimes respectively. This suggests that the majority of property-related incidents occur when residents are active or away from home during the day.

As night falls, the nature of crime shifts. Between 12am and 6am, the percentage of burglary reports rises to 35% of the total crimes for that period. While the absolute numbers are very small, this indicates that the late-night hours are the primary window for residential security threats. The 'other' crime category, which includes violence and anti-social behaviour, also remains a significant factor during the evening and night, accounting for roughly half of the reports. Overall, Chillington is a very quiet village at night, with most incidents being isolated rather than part of a larger pattern of nocturnal disorder.

Chillington is situated in a remarkably safe part of Devon. When compared to nearby areas, it sits in a middle ground; immediate neighbours like Stokenham, Slapton, and West Charleton all recorded 0.0 crimes per 1,000 people, representing total tranquility. However, Chillington is vastly safer than the nearby market town of Kingsbridge, which has a much higher crime rate of 85.9 per 1,000. This regional context shows that while Chillington experiences some level of criminal activity, it remains a bastion of safety compared to larger urban hubs. For those looking for a balance between village life and security, Chillington offers a very low-risk profile within the South Hams district.

With Chillington's property crime rate sitting at a very low 2.9 per 1,000 people, residents may feel that standard security is unnecessary. However, the 12.5% increase in overall crime suggests that maintaining a secure perimeter is a wise investment. Traditional security systems, such as standard CCTV or doorbell cameras, are reactive—they provide evidence after a crime has been committed. For homeowners in Chillington, a proactive approach is far more effective. The scOS operating system uses advanced AI to monitor your property boundaries 24/7. It doesn't just record; it detects threats in real-time. By identifying suspicious patterns before a breach occurs, scOS can trigger autonomous responses like activating security lights or engaging speakers to warn off intruders. This 'prevention over reaction' philosophy is the core of scOS, ensuring that your home remains a hard target. In a community where burglary is rare, the visible presence of an intelligent security system is often enough to make any opportunistic intruder move on to an easier target.