CRIME across Wiltshire has risen over the past year but police say the figures do not tell the whole story.
New data from the Office for National Statistics shows recorded crime increased by just over 6% in the year to December 2025, rising from 39,642 to 42,711 offences.
Increases were seen across all categories, including violent crime, sexual offences, public order and drug-related incidents.
Despite this, Wiltshire remains one of the safest places to live in the region.
The county continues to record the lowest crime rate in the South West, with 55.64 offences per 1,000 residents – well below both the regional and national averages.
Police leaders say the rise is largely down to better reporting and recording, rather than a sudden surge in offending.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Any increase in crime is a concern, as behind every statistic is a victim of crime and these figures rightly remind us that there is more work to do. However, it is vital that these numbers are looked at in proper context.
“The fact that we are seeing rises across every crime type strongly suggests that improved crime recording practices, better identification of offences, and increased public confidence in reporting crime are contributing factors.
“When crimes are reported and recorded accurately, victims are more likely to receive the support they need and offenders are more likely to be held to account.”
Wiltshire Police deputy chief constable Mark Cooper echoed that view, adding: “This consistent pattern across all offence types can be attributed to, in part, to improvements in how crime is identified, recorded and reported, rather than representing a single underlying spike in offending.
“As a force we continue to work closely with our communities and partner agencies, including the OPCC, to robustly tackle criminality and address the underlying factors, in order to keep Wiltshire safe.”
The figures come shortly after a recent police inspection highlighted areas for improvement, including safeguarding and consistent crime recording – changes which officials say are already helping to build trust and encourage more victims to come forward.
Mr Wilkinson added: “While that does not remove the need to tackle offending head on, it does show policing becoming more open, more victim focused and more accountable.”
What is the correlation between the level of police manpower in the Salisbury area and the level of crime, compared with other areas of the county?