Crime in Taunton
Recorded crime in Taunton is 2.0 times the Somerset average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 2%. 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 Taunton: about 22,609 residents in 23 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.8/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −2%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 2.0×the Somerset average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Taunton.
Crime over 5 years
Down 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Taunton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 2.0× the Somerset average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 149 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Robbery: 9% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% 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: 36 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Somerset (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Somerset council area, not only Taunton. 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 | 690 | 1.2 | Up 33% |
| Cars broken into | 659 | 1.1 | Down 11% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,493 | 2.5 | Down 29% |
| Burglary of homes | 838 | 1.4 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 5 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
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 | 2.3 |
| Burglary | 5.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 53.5 |
| Drugs | 1.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.0 |
| Other crime | 1.8 |
| Other theft | 11.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.8 |
| Public order | 22.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.6 |
| Shoplifting | 26.4 |
Postcode districts in Taunton
Nearby towns
Council: Somerset
Questions about crime in Taunton
- Is Taunton a safe place to live?
- Taunton scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 2.0 times the Somerset average.
- Is crime going up or down in Taunton?
- Down 2% over 5 years, from 3,686 recorded crimes a year to 3,600.
- What is the most common crime in Taunton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 54 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Taunton compare with Somerset?
- Crime severity in Taunton is 2.0 times the Somerset average.
- How many cars are stolen in Taunton?
- In Somerset, the council area Taunton is in, the police recorded 690 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, up 33% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Taunton?
- 1,493 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Somerset, the council area Taunton is in, 2.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Taunton last year?
- 5 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Somerset, the council area Taunton is in, against 5 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.