Vagrancy Act Arrests & Charges
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/008983/T
Version Date: 14/11/2025
The Performance & Analysis Department has provided the following information:
Data Source
Crimes recorded on crime information system - NICHE
Data Processing:
Arrests
Qliksense Detainee Management Report
Filtered on the following offences:
182/0 - Begging And Wandering Abroad
182/0 - Begging In A Public Place
182/0 - Begging In A Public Place - Second Or Subsequent Occasion
182/0 - Persistently Beg In A Public Place ( Second Or Subsequent Offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824
185/1 - Vagrant - Being Found In Or Upon Enclosed Premises
188/5 - Gather / Collect Alms / Charitable Donations By False Pretence / Fraud
Data exported
Excel filtered on Arrest Date:22/02/2022 - 20/10/2025
Qliksense Offence Management Report
Filtered on the following offences:
182/0 - Begging And Wandering Abroad
182/0 - Begging In A Public Place
182/0 - Begging In A Public Place - Second Or Subsequent Occasion
182/0 - Persistently Beg In A Public Place ( Second Or Subsequent Offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824
185/1 - Vagrant - Being Found In Or Upon Enclosed Premises
188/5 - Gather / Collect Alms / Charitable Donations By False Pretence / Fraud
Data exported
Excel filtered on Offence Creation Date: 22/02/2022 - 20/10/2025
Excel filtered on Latest Disposal Groups.
Charge and Remand
Postal Charge
Charge and Bailed
Caveats/Limitations
Restricted Crimes Excluded
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding arrests and charges under the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Arrests:
Total number of people arrested under the Vagrancy Act 1824 during the period:
* 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023
Between 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023 the number of people arrested in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by arrest offence and age range. |
||||||||
Arrest Offence |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Begging in a public place (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Grand Total |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
* 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
Between 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 the number of people arrested in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by arrest offence and age range. |
||||||||
Arrest Offence |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Begging in a public place (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises (recordable) |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
Grand Total |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
* 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
Between 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 the number of people arrested in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by arrest offence and age range. |
||||||||
Arrest Offence |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Begging in a public place (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Grand Total |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
* 22 February 2022 - most recent date available For each, please provide the reasons for arrest and the frequency of each reason.
Between 22/02/2022 - 20/10/2025 the number of people arrested in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by arrest offence and age range. |
||||||||
Arrest Offence |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Begging in a public place (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises (recordable) |
0 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
Total |
0 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
* 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023
Between1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023 the number of people charged in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by Offence Title and Age Range |
||||||||
Offence Title |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
* 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
Between 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 the number of people charged in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by Offence Title and Age Range |
||||||||
Offence Title |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
* 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
Between 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025 the number of people charged in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by Offence Title and Age Range |
||||||||
Offence Title |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Total |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
* 22 February 2022 - most recent date available For each, please provide the subject of the charges and the frequency of each charge.
Between 22/02/2022 - 20/10/2025 the number of people charged in Devon and Cornwall under the Vagrancy Act 1824 by Offence Title and Age Range |
||||||||
Offence Title |
16-17 |
18-25 |
26-35 |
36-45 |
46-55 |
56-65 |
66+ |
Total |
Begging in a public place |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Begging in a public place - second or subsequent occasion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Persistently beg in a public place ( second or subsequent offence ) - Vagrancy Act 1824 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Vagrant - being found in or upon enclosed premises |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Total |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
Format:
* Please segment the data by each of the requested time periods
* Where possible, provide data by date of arrest and charge
* Please provide data segmented by age using the following groups: 16-17, 18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66+
* Preferred format: CSV, with labelled columns for age group, date, reason/charge, and frequency