Portland Crime Overview
Portland is the second most dangerous small town in Dorset, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Portland in 2020 was 63 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 3.8% higher than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Portland is the 280th most dangerous small town, and the 1,877th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2017, Portland had the worst crime rate in Dorset for other crime, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.98 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Portland are violence and sexual offences, with 455 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 8% higher than 2019's figure of 420 offences and a difference of 2.63 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Portland's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 50% from 2019's figure of 1 crime.
Compare Portland to other towns and cities
See how Portland shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Portland and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Portland Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Portland This Year
| Portland | Dorset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 431 | 32.38 | 25,481 | 32.94 | 1.7% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.30 | 1,163 | 1.50 | 400% safer |
| Burglary | 26 | 1.95 | 2,916 | 3.77 | 93% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 103 | 7.74 | 6,225 | 8.05 | 4.0% safer |
| Drugs | 27 | 2.03 | 1,199 | 1.55 | 24% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 56 | 4.21 | 535 | 0.69 | 84% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 41 | 3.08 | 4,148 | 5.36 | 74% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 5 | 0.38 | 308 | 0.40 | 5% safer |
| Public Order | 70 | 5.26 | 3,158 | 4.08 | 22% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.15 | 360 | 0.47 | 213% safer |
| Shoplifting | 21 | 1.58 | 2,626 | 3.39 | 115% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 6 | 0.45 | 330 | 0.43 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 19 | 1.43 | 3,663 | 4.73 | 231% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 455 | 34.18 | 20,041 | 25.90 | 24% more dangerous |
Crime in Portland Compared To Dorset
Portland Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 427 | 43.16 | 45% safer |
| Gillingham | 524 | 43.61 | 44% safer |
| Shaftesbury | 418 | 46.78 | 34% safer |
| Blandford Forum | 529 | 48.13 | 30% safer |
| Dorchester | 1,319 | 61.53 | 2.0% safer |
| Portland | 835 | 62.73 | - |
| Bridport | 590 | 70.79 | 11% more dangerous |
Portland Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 29 | 21 | 32 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.60 | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.6 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 6 | 5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.45 | 0.30 | 0.15 | 0.38 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.15 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.30 | 0.45 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 31 | 32 | 32 | 34 | Getting worse |
Changes In Portland's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Portland to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | 62.73 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 7% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 19% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 25% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 36% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 39% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 53% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 54% more dangerous |
Crime in Portland's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell & Weston | 310 | 43 | Second |
| Underhill & The Grove | 525 | 87 | First |
Crime in Portland During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Portland change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Portland saw a 375% increase in anti-social behaviour. Portland saw a large fall in vehicle crime during May, when it fell by 83% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -11% | +108% | +114% | +44% | +142% | +46% | +42% | -24% | -12% | +375% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | +25% | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | +50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +20% | -67% | -38% | +40% | -19% | - | - | -81% | +17% | +20% |
| Drugs | +300% | - | - | - | +100% | - | +150% | - | - | -33% |
| Other Crime | - | +120% | +233% | - | - | +133% | -33% | -50% | -67% | - |
| Other Theft | -33% | -50% | -80% | -33% | -33% | -75% | -63% | +150% | - | +100% |
| Public Order | +133% | -33% | +67% | +233% | +80% | -63% | +14% | +14% | -80% | +100% |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | - | -67% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | -83% | -33% | -50% | -67% | - | -67% | -50% | +150% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -15% | -22% | -3% | -12% | +39% | +18% | +28% | +8% | +6% | +46% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Portland
What police force serves Portland?
Portland's local territorial police force is the Dorset Police.How dangerous is Portland?
Portland is the second most dangerous small town in Dorset.What is Portland's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Portland are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Portland?
Portland's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021