Crime in Chippenham
Recorded crime in Chippenham is 1.2 times the Wiltshire average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 16%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chippenham: about 20,111 residents in 20 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −16%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Wiltshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Chippenham.
Crime over 5 years
Down 16% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Chippenham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Wiltshire average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 56 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 72% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 27 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Wiltshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Wiltshire council area, not only Chippenham. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 350 | 0.67 | Down 10% |
| Cars broken into | 529 | 1.0 | Down 20% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,828 | 3.5 | Up 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 393 | 0.75 | Down 9% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 4 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SN15
In SN15, the postcode district at the centre of Chippenham, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 813 | 7% | 15% | 54% | 16% | 9% |
| Public order | 201 | 11% | 7% | 41% | 32% | 8% |
| Shoplifting | 199 | 20% | 5% | 13% | 60% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 183 | 7% | 10% | 27% | 47% | 9% |
| Other theft | 128 | 2% | 3% | 15% | 71% | 9% |
| Drugs | 89 | 28% | 45% | 10% | 3% | 13% |
| Burglary | 65 | 17% | 5% | 15% | 62% | 2% |
| Other crime | 62 | 10% | 6% | 37% | 21% | 26% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 9% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 2.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 25.4 |
| Drugs | 2.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 3.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 7.1 |
| Public order | 5.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.9 |
| Shoplifting | 4.6 |
Postcode districts in Chippenham
Nearby towns
Council: Wiltshire
Questions about crime in Chippenham
- Is Chippenham a safe place to live?
- Chippenham scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Wiltshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Chippenham?
- Down 16% over 5 years, from 1,365 recorded crimes a year to 1,153.
- What is the most common crime in Chippenham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 25 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Chippenham compare with Wiltshire?
- Crime severity in Chippenham is 1.2 times the Wiltshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Chippenham?
- In SN15, the postcode district at the centre of Chippenham, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 33% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Chippenham?
- Of 65 burglaries reported in SN15, the postcode district at the centre of Chippenham between September 2024 and August 2025, 17% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 62% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Chippenham?
- In Wiltshire, the council area Chippenham is in, the police recorded 350 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, down 10% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Chippenham?
- 1,828 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Wiltshire, the council area Chippenham is in, 3.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Chippenham last year?
- 4 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Wiltshire, the council area Chippenham is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.