Crime in Dorset
Dorset is among the top 20 safest counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in Dorset in 2020 was 60 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 26 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of Dorset's larger towns and cities, Bournemouth is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Weymouth, and Poole comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of Dorset, starting with Christchurch which ranks as the safest area in Dorset, followed up by Poole in second place, and Weymouth in third place.
Crime Map of Dorset
Click to use map
Dorset Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25,481 | 32.94 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,163 | 1.50 |
| Burglary | 2,916 | 3.77 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6,225 | 8.05 |
| Drugs | 1,199 | 1.55 |
| Other Crime | 535 | 0.69 |
| Other Theft | 4,148 | 5.36 |
| Possession of Weapons | 308 | 0.40 |
| Public Order | 3,158 | 4.08 |
| Robbery | 360 | 0.47 |
| Shoplifting | 2,626 | 3.39 |
| Theft From the Person | 330 | 0.43 |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,663 | 4.73 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20,041 | 25.90 |
Dorset's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Dorset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blandford Forum | 529 | 48 | 25% safer |
| Bournemouth | 18,014 | 91 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bridport | 590 | 71 | 15% more dangerous |
| Christchurch | 2,313 | 41 | 47% safer |
| Corfe Mullen | 228 | 22 | 170% safer |
| Dorchester | 1,319 | 62 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Ferndown Town | 737 | 39 | 54% safer |
| Gillingham | 524 | 44 | 38% safer |
| Lytchett Minster and Upton | 178 | 20 | 195% safer |
| Poole | 9,762 | 61 | 1.5% more dangerous |
| Portland | 835 | 63 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Shaftesbury | 418 | 47 | 29% safer |
| Sherborne | 427 | 43 | 40% safer |
| Swanage | 360 | 37 | 65% safer |
| Verwood | 517 | 34 | 77% safer |
| West Moors | 176 | 23 | 161% safer |
| Weymouth | 3,626 | 66 | 8% more dangerous |
Crime Trends in Dorset
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 31 | 26 | 33 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 4.7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 0.68 | 0.77 | 0.72 | 0.69 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.33 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.40 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.1 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.33 | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.47 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.78 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 24 | 26 | 26 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021