Theft shapes Oxford's crime figures: shoplifting, other theft and bicycle theft together passed 2,000 offences within a mile in a year. We help shops, colleges, clinics and offices in the city respond to that pattern.
Trusted Protection in Oxford
Oxford's recorded crime leans heavily towards stealing. Shoplifting reached 1,002 offences within a mile, rising 18% on the previous year, and bicycle theft added 478, enough to make the top five categories. Other theft contributed 589 more. For shops in the Westgate Centre and Covered Market, for colleges and for hospital sites, that means visible officers, monitored cameras on cycle stores and entrances, and patrols logged through our 24/7 control room.
Oxford Business Profile
Oxford has 4,965 registered businesses. Professional services lead with 1,060, tech and communications number 505 and hospitality 480. Education stands at 4.5% of local firms, more than double the British 1.9%, and campuses typically need gate control, patrols across open grounds and protection over holiday periods when buildings empty. Health and care, at 7.3% compared with 4.4%, adds reception security and lone-worker support.
There are 45 registered security workers in our network with homes inside 10 miles of the city, and 35 of them are licensed and bookable. That suits regular retail posts and campus rounds staffed by recognisable faces. Every officer has cleared BS 7858 vetting and is employed via PAYE, and patrol records are produced digitally after each visit.
New Theatre Oxford, the Sheldonian Theatre and Modern Art Oxford are within 5km, as is the Plush nightclub. Venues holding 200 or more people will need to satisfy Martyn's Law once it takes effect, with 800 or more meaning the enhanced tier, and we can assist with searches, stewards and evacuation planning. What Martyn's Law means for venues.
Sources: Go Security officer network (counts rounded to the nearest 5); ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis; place data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Updated October 2026.
Security Requirements in Oxford
Oxford pairs city-centre retail with hospitals and trading estates. The Westgate Centre, the Covered Market, Botley Road and Seacourt retail parks sit within 5km, alongside Osney Mead and Curtis industrial estates. John Radcliffe, Churchill and Warneford hospitals are nearby. Thames Valley Police are dealing with fast e-bikes on Cornmarket Street and Queen Street, street drinking at Bonn Square and drug activity around Hinksey Park, concerns that touch shopfronts and public spaces.
Services in Oxford
Oxford shops, colleges, hospitals, offices and building contractors can use the services listed below.
Security guarding · Mobile patrols · Key holding · Alarm response · Event security · K9 security · CCTV towers · CCTV monitoring · POD intruder alarms
Crime & Security Data
Inside one mile of Oxford, Police.uk logged 5,989 offences between September 2025 and August 2026.
Violence and sexual offences were the largest group at 1,678, around 28%. Shoplifting was next at 1,002, then other theft at 589, public order at 552 and bicycle theft at 478. The latest quarter ran 7% above its counterpart a year before. Taken together, the theft categories outnumber violence, which makes retail officers, store detectives and secure, camera-covered cycle storage the most relevant measures for many businesses.
Source: Police.uk open data, street-level crime within ~1 mile, September 2025 to August 2026. Locations are approximate.
Local Policing
Oxford Central officers list three issues: e-bikes and cycles ridden too fast on Cornmarket Street and Queen Street, anti-social behaviour at Bonn Square, and drug activity near Hinksey Park.
Current neighbourhood priorities:
Source: Police.uk neighbourhoods, the policing team whose area covers Oxford.
Areas We Cover Near Oxford
Abingdon-on-Thames is 6 miles from Oxford, Woodstock 8 and Witney 10. We cover those and the further towns listed below.
Postcodes We Cover in Oxford
The 4 postcode districts nearest central Oxford, covering parts of Oxford, Vale of White Horse, Cherwell and South Oxfordshire.
Nearest first. Source: ONS postcode data via postcodes.io. Need another postcode? Check coverage.
Oxford Security FAQs
Shoplifting within a mile of Oxford rose 18% to 1,002 offences in a year. Uniformed retail officers deter opportunists, and store detectives target repeat offenders, supporting staff in centres such as the Westgate Centre and Covered Market.
Police.uk recorded 478 bicycle thefts within a mile. Monitored CCTV over cycle stores, regular patrols and access-controlled bike shelters help colleges, offices and hospitals protect staff and student bikes.
Education accounts for 4.5% of Oxford businesses, well above the 1.9% British figure. We offer campus patrols, gate control and protection during holiday periods, using SIA-licensed officers vetted to BS 7858.
Our network has 45 registered security workers within 10 miles, and 35 are SIA-licensed and active for bookings. That allows consistent staffing for regular shop, campus or reception posts across the city.
Health and care makes up 7.3% of Oxford's businesses, against 4.4% nationally, and John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals are nearby. We provide reception security, lone-worker support and night cover for healthcare premises.
Free, no-obligation quote
Tell us about your site and what you need. We'll price it and come back to you, normally within one working day.
Call 0800 471 4792 for a quote, or let us visit your Oxford shop, college or office for a free security audit worth £250.
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