Dartmouth Crime Rate February 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Dartmouth’s crime profile in February 2025 reveals a striking dominance of violent crimes over property offences, a trend that may reflect the area’s character as a coastal town with a mix of residential and tourist activity. The overall crime rate of 3.8 per 1,000 residents—43.3% below the UK average—highlights the area’s relatively low exposure to crime, though this does not eliminate local concerns. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 45% of all reported crimes, the highest share of any category, while shoplifting and other theft made up 25% combined. This balance between violent and property crime contrasts with many UK areas where property crimes often dominate, suggesting a unique dynamic in Dartmouth. The seasonal context of February—a winter month with limited outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may contribute to this pattern, as reduced foot traffic in public spaces could lower opportunities for property-related offences but not necessarily for violent incidents occurring indoors. The UK average for violence and sexual offences is 2.4 per 1,000, compared to Dartmouth’s 1.7 per 1,000, indicating a safer environment for this category, though the local rate remains higher than the UK average for anti-social behaviour, which is 59% below the national figure. This suggests that while violent crime is lower than average, anti-social behaviour is even more suppressed, due to the area’s smaller population and tighter-knit community. The data also shows that shoplifting, though a minor component of Dartmouth’s crime mix, increased sharply by 200% month-on-month, a figure that may warrant closer attention given its sudden rise. Overall, the crime picture in February reflects a town where violent crime is a more pressing concern than property crime, a trend that could be influenced by local factors such as population density, tourism patterns, or the nature of Dartmouth’s built-up area.

February 2025 saw a sharp 200% increase in shoplifting, rising from one to three incidents—a significant spike in property crime that outpaced other categories. This jump, however, was offset by a 50% decline in drugs-related offences and criminal damage and arson, both of which fell from two to one incident. The balance between property and violent crime shifted with violent crimes (9 incidents) slightly outnumbering property crimes (7 incidents), a reversal from previous months. This shift contrasts with the UK average, where violence and sexual offences typically account for a smaller proportion of total crimes. Violent crimes in Dartmouth remained 28% below the UK average, with rates of 1.7 per 1,000 compared to the national figure of 2.4 per 1,000. For residents, the 50% drop in drugs-related incidents may indicate a temporary reduction in activity. The month’s crime mix also revealed anti-social behaviour was 59% below the UK average, suggesting a quieter public space environment during February.

Dartmouth's crime rate in February 2025 fell to 3.8 per 1,000 residents, a 28.6% decline from the previous month’s rate of 5.3 per 1,000. This drop aligns with the seasonal context of February—a winter month marked by low outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull, which may partly explain reduced opportunities for certain crimes. On a daily basis, the area experienced approximately one reported crime every 28 days, translating to roughly one crime per day across Dartmouth’s population of 5,307 residents. When viewed over the course of the month, this equates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 265 residents. This monthly exposure figure underscores the relatively low frequency of crime in the area compared to the UK average, though it remains a local metric without a national counterpart. The population-scaled perspective reveals that residents face a significantly lower risk of experiencing crime than the national average, with violent crimes accounting for 45% of all incidents but still remaining 28% below the UK average for that category. This contrast highlights Dartmouth’s unique position within the broader UK crime profile.