Canal and river crime
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/008569/J
Version Date: 15/08/2025
The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.
Data Source
Crimes recorded on crime information system - NICHE
Data Processing:
Qliksense Crimes & Outcomes Report
Filtered on MO Locations:
Public/open place - River/canal
Public/open place - River/canal - Other
Public/open place - River/canal - Bridge
Public/open place - River/canal - Picnic area
Filtered on Crimed Date: 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2025
Include No Crimes: Yes
Notifiable Crimes Only: No
Caveats/Limitations
No crimes/Cancelled Crimes included
I would like to find out the number of crimes reported on canals and rivers
(and their banks/towpaths) in your jurisdiction, please, broken down by year
over the past five years. If you record this by calendar year, that would be
2019-2024, if it is by financial year then 2020/21 to 2024/25 please.
If possible, I would also like to know the breakdown of these crimes by type, if
it doesn't mean too much work and invalidating this request.
| The number of crimes with an MO Location of Public/open place - River, reported to Devon and Cornwall police between 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2025 by Financial Year and Offence Group. | ||||||
| Offence Group | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total |
| Arson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Criminal Damage | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| Non Notifiable | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Other Sexual Offences | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Other Theft | 26 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 8 | 80 |
| Possession of Drugs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Possession of Weapons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Public Order Offences | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 18 |
| Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Stalking and Harassment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Theft from the Person | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Trafficking of Drugs | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Vehicle Offences | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Violence with Injury | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 16 |
| Violence without Injury | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Total | 48 | 22 | 28 | 45 | 37 | 180 |