Sherborne Crime Overview
Sherborne is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Dorset, and is the 49th most dangerous overall out of Dorset's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Sherborne in 2020 was 43 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Dorset's overall crime rate, coming in 40% lower than the Dorset rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sherborne is the 291st safest small town, and the 3,903rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2019, Sherborne was the worst small town in Dorset for possession of weapons, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.20 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2019 was also a bad month for Sherborne residents, when it was Dorset's most dangerous small town for bicycle theft, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.10 per 1,000 residents. Sherborne recorded 1 report of robbery during September 2019, making its crime rate of 0.10 the worst small town for robbery in Dorset that month.
The most common crimes in Sherborne are violence and sexual offences, with 198 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 20. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 180 offences and a difference of 1.82 from 2019's crime rate of 18. Sherborne's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 1 crime.
Compare Sherborne to other towns and cities
See how Sherborne shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Sherborne and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Sherborne Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sherborne This Year
| Sherborne | Dorset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 241 | 24.36 | 25,481 | 32.94 | 35% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1 | 0.10 | 1,163 | 1.50 | 1400% safer |
| Burglary | 22 | 2.22 | 2,916 | 3.77 | 70% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 64 | 6.47 | 6,225 | 8.05 | 24% safer |
| Drugs | 8 | 0.81 | 1,199 | 1.55 | 91% safer |
| Other Crime | 2 | 0.20 | 535 | 0.69 | 245% safer |
| Other Theft | 50 | 5.05 | 4,148 | 5.36 | 6% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 3 | 0.30 | 308 | 0.40 | 33% safer |
| Public Order | 39 | 3.94 | 3,158 | 4.08 | 3.6% safer |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.10 | 360 | 0.47 | 370% safer |
| Shoplifting | 26 | 2.63 | 2,626 | 3.39 | 29% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.10 | 330 | 0.43 | 330% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 1.21 | 3,663 | 4.73 | 291% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 198 | 20.01 | 20,041 | 25.90 | 29% safer |
Crime in Sherborne Compared To Dorset
Sherborne Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corfe Mullen | 228 | 22.31 | 93% safer |
| West Moors | 176 | 23.09 | 87% safer |
| Verwood | 517 | 34.16 | 26% safer |
| Swanage | 360 | 36.67 | 18% safer |
| Ferndown Town | 737 | 39.05 | 11% safer |
| Sherborne | 427 | 43.16 | - |
| Gillingham | 524 | 43.61 | 1.0% more dangerous |
| Shaftesbury | 418 | 46.78 | 8% more dangerous |
| Blandford Forum | 529 | 48.13 | 10% more dangerous |
| Dorchester | 1,319 | 61.53 | 30% more dangerous |
| Portland | 835 | 62.73 | 31% more dangerous |
Sherborne Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 21 | 20 | 16 | 24 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.10 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Burglary | 1.8 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | - | 0.61 | 0.91 | 0.81 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.30 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.8 | 5 | 4.4 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.10 | 0.51 | 0.30 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Public Order | 0.91 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | - | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.51 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 13 | 20 | 18 | 20 | Getting worse |
Changes In Sherborne's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Sherborne to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 43.16 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 36% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 44% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 48% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 50% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 56% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 58% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 60% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 68% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 69% more dangerous |
Crime in Sherborne's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne | 427 | 43 | First |
Crime in Sherborne During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sherborne change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Sherborne saw a 260% increase in anti-social behaviour. Sherborne saw a large fall in burglary during August, when it fell by 75% compared to August in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +150% | +200% | +43% | +107% | +14% | +15% | -47% | +260% | - | +233% |
| Burglary | - | - | - | - | - | -75% | - | - | -50% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +29% | - | - | +133% | - | -33% | -75% | - | -20% | -25% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -67% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | +150% | -33% | -67% | -50% | - | -33% | +20% | +250% | - | +100% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | -75% | - | +100% | +150% | +200% | -67% | +200% | +100% | +150% |
| Shoplifting | +200% | -33% | - | - | +100% | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +67% | -17% | -50% | +43% | - | +8% | +89% | +109% | -18% | +75% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sherborne
What police force serves Sherborne?
Sherborne's local territorial police force is the Dorset Police.How dangerous is Sherborne?
Sherborne is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Dorset.What is Sherborne's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sherborne are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sherborne?
Sherborne's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021