Crime in Test Valley
Recorded crime in Test Valley is 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 22%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
135,201 residents in 81 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 5.6/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −22%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 22% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Test Valley, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.7× the England and Wales average. 57 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 19% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 63% 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: 9.8 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 4.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 24.0 |
| Drugs | 1.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.2 |
| Other theft | 4.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.3 |
| Public order | 5.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.6 |
| Shoplifting | 3.8 |
What crimes are recorded in Test Valley
52.1 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Test Valley in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 7,096. Home Office recorded crime: 7,050 (1% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 111 | 0.82 | Down 16% |
| Cars broken into | 211 | 1.6 | Down 13% |
| Vehicle tampering | 56 | 0.41 | Down 42% |
| Vandalism to homes | 142 | 1.1 | Down 2% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 87 | 0.64 | Down 23% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 158 | 1.2 | Down 19% |
| Arson | 25 | 0.18 | Up 92% |
| Burglary of homes | 99 | 0.73 | Down 20% |
| Burglary of businesses | 156 | 1.2 | Down 12% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 35 | 0.26 | Up 9% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 58 | 0.43 | Up 41% |
| Robbery of people | 27 | 0.20 | Down 7% |
| Robbery of businesses | 26 | 0.19 | - |
| Violence with injury | 799 | 5.9 | About the same |
| Violence without injury | 1,080 | 8.0 | Down 5% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,036 | 7.7 | Up 11% |
| Sexual offences | 321 | 2.4 | Down 15% |
| Shoplifting | 629 | 4.7 | Down 11% |
| Bicycle theft | 42 | 0.31 | Down 24% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 20 | 0.15 | Down 41% |
| Drug dealing | 49 | 0.36 | Down 9% |
| Drug possession | 240 | 1.8 | Down 9% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Hampshire Police area: 988 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (945 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Test Valley.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Test Valley, 6% 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) | 3,689 | 4% | 9% | 63% | 14% | 11% |
| Shoplifting | 638 | 23% | 5% | 11% | 59% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 575 | 4% | 6% | 24% | 61% | 5% |
| Public order | 567 | 5% | 7% | 47% | 32% | 8% |
| Other theft | 496 | 1% | 3% | 19% | 72% | 5% |
| Burglary | 379 | 6% | 1% | 11% | 77% | 6% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 370 | 2% | 1% | 9% | 85% | 4% |
| Drugs | 269 | 10% | 60% | 19% | 6% | 6% |
| Other crime | 182 | 12% | 7% | 50% | 14% | 16% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 109 | 6% | 15% | 45% | 16% | 18% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 8% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Test Valley
Postcode districts in Test Valley
Questions about crime in Test Valley
- Is Test Valley a safe place to live?
- Test Valley scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Test Valley?
- Down 22% over 5 years, from 9,174 recorded crimes a year to 7,154.
- What is the most common crime in Test Valley?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Test Valley?
- In Test Valley, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 34% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Test Valley?
- Of 379 burglaries reported in Test Valley between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 77% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Test Valley?
- In Test Valley, the police recorded 111 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 16% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Test Valley?
- 387 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Test Valley in 2025/26, 2.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Test Valley last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in Test Valley in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.