Alton Crime Overview
Alton is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Hampshire, and is the 69th most dangerous overall out of Hampshire's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Alton in 2020 was 56 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Hampshire's overall crime rate, coming in 25% lower than the Hampshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Alton is the 373rd most dangerous small town, and the 2,437th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Alton was the worst small town in Hampshire for criminal damage and arson, with 23 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2020 was also a bad month for Alton residents, when it was Hampshire's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.36 per 1,000 residents. Alton recorded 2 reports of possession of weapons during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.10 the worst small town for possession of weapons in Hampshire that month.
The most common crimes in Alton are violence and sexual offences, with 526 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 20% higher than 2019's figure of 422 offences and a difference of 5.41 from 2019's crime rate of 22. Alton's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 250% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Alton to other towns and cities
See how Alton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Alton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Alton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Alton This Year
| Alton | Hampshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 324 | 16.84 | 33,040 | 17.86 | 6% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.16 | 2,415 | 1.31 | 719% safer |
| Burglary | 44 | 2.29 | 8,209 | 4.44 | 94% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 147 | 7.64 | 13,551 | 7.33 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 31 | 1.61 | 4,844 | 2.62 | 63% safer |
| Other Crime | 16 | 0.83 | 2,366 | 1.28 | 54% safer |
| Other Theft | 69 | 3.59 | 8,190 | 4.43 | 23% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 22 | 1.14 | 1,725 | 0.93 | 18% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 136 | 7.07 | 15,526 | 8.39 | 19% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.10 | 1,170 | 0.63 | 530% safer |
| Shoplifting | 42 | 2.18 | 7,920 | 4.28 | 96% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.21 | 791 | 0.43 | 105% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 34 | 1.77 | 7,460 | 4.03 | 128% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 526 | 27.34 | 55,481 | 29.99 | 10% safer |
Crime in Alton Compared To Hampshire
Alton Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet | 1,083 | 46.66 | 20% safer |
| Hook | 376 | 46.89 | 19% safer |
| Fair Oak and Horton Heath | 518 | 48.05 | 16% safer |
| Bishopstoke | 505 | 48.64 | 15% safer |
| Hythe and Dibden | 1,103 | 53.19 | 5% safer |
| Alton | 1,076 | 55.92 | - |
| Romsey | 828 | 56.63 | 1.3% more dangerous |
| Whitehill | 758 | 58.60 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Petersfield | 906 | 58.64 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Fawley | 860 | 61.22 | 9% more dangerous |
| Ringwood | 927 | 63.45 | 12% more dangerous |
Alton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 8 | 13 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.62 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.16 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 0.73 | 0.83 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5 | 4.9 | 5 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.36 | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.10 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.0 | 6 | 3.8 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.47 | 1.8 | 0.68 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20 | 21 | 22 | 27 | Getting worse |
Changes In Alton's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Alton to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Alton | 55.92 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 17% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 28% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 33% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 43% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 46% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 48% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 59% more dangerous |
Crime in Alton's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alton Ashdell, Whitedown & Amery | 414 | 38 | Second |
| Alton Westbrooke & Eastbrooke | 563 | 89 | First |
Crime in Alton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Alton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Alton saw a 800% increase in anti-social behaviour. Alton saw a large fall in vehicle crime during October, when it fell by 92% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +800% | -30% | -22% | +17% | +31% | +30% | +9% | -24% | -18% | +192% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -63% | -50% | - | -89% | -50% | -38% | -67% | -71% | -57% | +33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +23% | -29% | +100% | -59% | -86% | +22% | -8% | -55% | +130% | -40% |
| Drugs | - | - | +200% | -25% | +50% | +50% | +40% | -25% | +200% | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -80% | +300% | -50% | - | -50% | +100% | +100% |
| Other Theft | -13% | -10% | +40% | -91% | -78% | - | +100% | -60% | - | - |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -50% | +100% | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +57% | +40% | +57% | +11% | +15% | +200% | -27% | -7% | +14% | +10% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +33% | -86% | -82% | -50% | -50% | -50% | -33% | +25% | -75% | -60% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +25% | -60% | - | - | - | -67% | - | -92% | -15% | -40% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +6% | -20% | -3% | +38% | +48% | +50% | +67% | +32% | +3% | -15% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Alton
What police force serves Alton?
Alton's local territorial police force is the Hampshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Alton?
Alton is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Hampshire.What is Alton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Alton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Alton?
Alton's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021