Portland is the second most dangerous small town in Dorset, and is the 21st most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 250 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Portland in 2021 was 61 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 1.1% higher than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Portland is the 347th most dangerous small town, and the 2,139th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2018, Portland had the worst crime rate in Dorset for other crime, with 11 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.83 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The most common crimes in Portland are violence and sexual offences, with 466 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 35. This is 2.4% higher than 2020's figure of 455 offences and a difference of 0.83 from 2020's crime rate of 34. Portland's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2021, a decrease of 500% from 2020's figure of 6 crimes.
Second Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Dorset
4.0% higher, regional crime rate
South West
25% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Portland is 4.0% higher than the South West and 25% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Portland | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Portland represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61 | 814 |
| 2020 | 63 | 835 |
| 2019 | 62 | 829 |
| 2018 | 67 | 893 |
| 2017 | 65 | 864 |
| 2016 | 63 | 840 |
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| Portland | Dorset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 350 | 26.29 | 21,137 | 27.32 | 3.9% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2 | 0.15 | 1,131 | 1.46 | 873% safer |
| Burglary | 28 | 2.10 | 2,757 | 3.56 | 70% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 109 | 8.19 | 5,949 | 7.69 | 6% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 22 | 1.65 | 1,041 | 1.35 | 18% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 21 | 1.58 | 428 | 0.55 | 65% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 66 | 4.96 | 4,221 | 5.46 | 10% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2 | 0.15 | 251 | 0.32 | 113% safer |
| Public Order | 60 | 4.51 | 3,788 | 4.90 | 9% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.15 | 350 | 0.45 | 200% safer |
| Shoplifting | 21 | 1.58 | 2,391 | 3.09 | 96% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.08 | 265 | 0.34 | 325% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 14 | 1.05 | 3,572 | 4.62 | 340% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 466 | 35.01 | 20,621 | 26.65 | 24% more dangerous |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swanage | 444 | 45.23 | 35% safer |
| Gillingham | 544 | 45.28 | 35% safer |
| Ferndown Town | 866 | 45.89 | 33% safer |
| Shaftesbury | 460 | 51.48 | 19% safer |
| Dorchester | 1,116 | 52.06 | 17% safer |
| Portland | 814 | 61.15 | - |
| Bridport | 539 | 64.67 | 5% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Amelia Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Three Yards Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Easton Square | Offender given a caution |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Easton Square | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Wide Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Westcliff Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near High Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Amelia Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Furlands | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Further investigation is not in the public interest |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Easton Square | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Castle Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Westcliff Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Withies Croft | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ventnor Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Castle Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Westcliff Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Yeolands Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 21 | 32 | 26 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.30 | 0.15 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 5 | 3.1 | 5.0 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.30 | 0.15 | 0.38 | 0.15 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5 | 4.5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.15 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.08 | 0.30 | 0.45 | 0.08 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 32 | 32 | 34 | 35 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Portland that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints' Church | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | 61.15 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 9% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 26% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 32% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 32% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 40% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 45% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 50% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 53% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 54% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 59% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell & Weston | 293 | 40 | Second |
| Underhill & The Grove | 521 | 86 | First |
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% |
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