Shaftesbury is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Dorset, and is the 34th most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 250 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Shaftesbury in 2021 was 51 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 17% lower than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Shaftesbury is the 357th safest small town, and the 3,089th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2021, Shaftesbury was the worst small town in Dorset for burglary, with 9 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.0 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2021 was also a bad month for Shaftesbury residents, when it was Dorset's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 14 crimes at a rate of 1.6 per 1,000 residents. Shaftesbury recorded 1 report of possession of weapons during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.11 the worst small town for possession of weapons in Dorset that month.
The most common crimes in Shaftesbury are violence and sexual offences, with 226 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 25. This is 14% higher than 2020's figure of 194 offences and a difference of 3.58 from 2020's crime rate of 22. Shaftesbury's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 2 offences recorded in 2021.
Top 5 Most Dangerous
Small Towns, Dorset
14% lower, regional crime rate
South West
48% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Shaftesbury is 14% lower than the South West and 48% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Shaftesbury | |
| South West | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Shaftesbury 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 | 51 | 460 |
| 2020 | 47 | 418 |
| 2019 | 55 | 490 |
| 2018 | 57 | 513 |
| 2017 | 52 | 465 |
| 2016 | 39 | 347 |
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| Shaftesbury | Dorset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 201 | 22.50 | 21,137 | 27.32 | 21% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2 | 0.22 | 1,131 | 1.46 | 564% safer |
| Burglary | 23 | 2.57 | 2,757 | 3.56 | 39% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 82 | 9.18 | 5,949 | 7.69 | 16% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 14 | 1.57 | 1,041 | 1.35 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 3 | 0.34 | 428 | 0.55 | 62% safer |
| Other Theft | 40 | 4.48 | 4,221 | 5.46 | 22% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 3 | 0.34 | 251 | 0.32 | 6% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 38 | 4.25 | 3,788 | 4.90 | 15% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.34 | 350 | 0.45 | 32% safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 1.01 | 2,391 | 3.09 | 206% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 17 | 1.90 | 3,572 | 4.62 | 143% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 226 | 25.29 | 20,621 | 26.65 | 5% safer |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 425 | 42.96 | 20% safer |
| Blandford Forum | 492 | 44.76 | 15% safer |
| Swanage | 444 | 45.23 | 14% safer |
| Gillingham | 544 | 45.28 | 14% safer |
| Ferndown Town | 866 | 45.89 | 12% safer |
| Shaftesbury | 460 | 51.48 | - |
| Dorchester | 1,116 | 52.06 | 1.1% more dangerous |
| Portland | 814 | 61.15 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bridport | 539 | 64.67 | 20% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Tobys Court | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Greenacre Way | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Mampitts Road | Further investigation is not in the public interest |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Mampitts Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lyons Walk | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Police Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Great Ground | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Coles Crescent | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Church Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Hawthorn Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Maple Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Mampitts Lane | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Salisbury Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Petrol Station | Further investigation is not in the public interest |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bleke Street | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Hawkesdene Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Mampitts Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Blackmore Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Bleke Street | Action to be taken by another organisation |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 24 | 28 | 22 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.22 | 0.34 | - | 0.22 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 0.22 | 0.67 | 0.34 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 11 | 8 | 5 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.45 | - | 0.11 | 0.34 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.34 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.34 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 21 | 22 | 25 | Getting worse |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury | 51.48 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 38% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 43% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 43% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 54% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 58% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 60% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 61% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 66% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury | 460 | 51 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Shaftesbury change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Shaftesbury saw a 400% increase in public order. Shaftesbury saw a large fall in burglary during June, when it fell by 80% compared to June in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +18% | +20% | - | -16% | +75% | -11% | - | +89% | +8% | +67% |
| Burglary | -75% | +100% | +25% | -80% | -80% | -75% | -33% | +100% | +100% | -78% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +67% | -50% | +75% | +40% | -42% | -30% | -50% | -14% | - | -57% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -17% | -38% | - | -33% | -13% | -67% | - | - | -67% | -20% |
| Public Order | - | +200% | -67% | - | -67% | - | +400% | - | +67% | - |
| Shoplifting | +50% | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -57% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +33% | -57% | -31% | -27% | +53% | +6% | -33% | +8% | -19% | +46% |
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