Portsmouth Crime Overview
Portsmouth is the safest city in Hampshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Hampshire's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Portsmouth in 2020 was 100 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Hampshire's overall crime rate, coming in 30% higher than the Hampshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Portsmouth is among the top 20 most dangerous cities, and the 499th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Portsmouth had the worst crime rate in Hampshire for drugs, with 88 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.38 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Portsmouth residents, when it was Hampshire's most dangerous area for shoplifting, recording 163 crimes at a rate of 0.71 per 1,000 residents. Portsmouth recorded 43 reports of other crime during July 2020, making its crime rate of 0.19 the worst for other crime in Hampshire that month.
The most common crimes in Portsmouth are violence and sexual offences, with 10,202 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 44. This is 2.4% higher than 2019's figure of 9,958 offences and a difference of 1.07 from 2019's crime rate of 43. Portsmouth's least common crime is theft from the person, with 152 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 27% from 2019's figure of 193 crimes.
Compare Portsmouth to other towns and cities
See how Portsmouth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Portsmouth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Portsmouth Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Portsmouth This Year
| Portsmouth | Hampshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5,744 | 24.99 | 33,040 | 17.86 | 29% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 569 | 2.48 | 2,415 | 1.31 | 47% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 890 | 3.87 | 8,209 | 4.44 | 15% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,109 | 9.18 | 13,551 | 7.33 | 20% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 865 | 3.76 | 4,844 | 2.62 | 30% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 367 | 1.60 | 2,366 | 1.28 | 20% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,071 | 4.66 | 8,190 | 4.43 | 4.9% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 318 | 1.38 | 1,725 | 0.93 | 33% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,893 | 12.59 | 15,526 | 8.39 | 33% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 271 | 1.18 | 1,170 | 0.63 | 47% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 2,427 | 10.56 | 7,920 | 4.28 | 59% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 152 | 0.66 | 791 | 0.43 | 35% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 846 | 3.68 | 7,460 | 4.03 | 10% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 10,202 | 44.39 | 55,481 | 29.99 | 32% more dangerous |
Crime in Portsmouth Compared To Hampshire
Portsmouth Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 22,980 | 99.98 | - |
| Southampton | 29,332 | 108.74 | 8% more dangerous |
Portsmouth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 40 | 14 | 20 | 25 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 5 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14 | 12 | 12 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.91 | 0.86 | 1.1 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 10 | 9 | 11 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.90 | 1.0 | 0.84 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 11 | 7 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 38 | 42 | 43 | 44 | Getting worse |
Changes In Portsmouth's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Portsmouth to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 48% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 29% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 17% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 16% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 2.6% safer |
| Portsmouth | 99.98 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 25% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 27% more dangerous |
Crime in Portsmouth's Neighbourhoods
Landport is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Portsmouth, followed by Wymering in second place, and Fratton West & Portsea as the third most dangerous area. Portsmouth's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Drayton & Farlington, Portchester North West, and Portchester South East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Park | 502 | 66 | 18th |
| Anchorage Park & Copnor | 808 | 105 | Tenth |
| Baffins | 789 | 76 | 16th |
| Cosham North | 342 | 51 | 21st |
| Cosham South | 419 | 50 | 22nd |
| Drayton & Farlington | 324 | 49 | 23rd |
| Eastney | 551 | 64 | 19th |
| Fratton Kingston | 1,366 | 129 | Fifth |
| Fratton North | 580 | 59 | 20th |
| Fratton West & Portsea | 3,268 | 199 | Third |
| Hilsea | 792 | 102 | 11th |
| Landport | 1,829 | 223 | First |
| Milton | 880 | 91 | 13th |
| North End East | 894 | 99 | 12th |
| North End West & Whale Island | 631 | 110 | Ninth |
| Paulsgrove East | 956 | 120 | Seventh |
| Portchester North West | 292 | 37 | 25th |
| Portchester South East | 319 | 43 | 24th |
| Somers Town | 1,459 | 115 | Eighth |
| Southsea Fawcett Road | 1,100 | 124 | Sixth |
| Southsea Haslemere Road | 620 | 66 | 17th |
| Southsea Prince Albert Road | 519 | 82 | 15th |
| Southsea Waverley Road | 569 | 84 | 14th |
| Southsea West | 1,145 | 153 | Fourth |
| Wymering | 1,384 | 215 | Second |
Portsmouth Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Portsmouth for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Cosham North (66) | Landport (632) |
| Bicycle Theft | Cosham North (2) | Fratton West & Portsea (154) |
| Burglary | Portchester North West (11) | Southsea West (65) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Portchester North West (24) | Landport (192) |
| Drugs | Southsea Prince Albert Road (4) | Cosham North (79) |
| Other Crime | Cosham North (2) | Landport (43) |
| Other Theft | Cosham North (8) | Wymering (86) |
| Possession of Weapons | Portchester North West (1) | Landport (33) |
| Public Order | Cosham North (26) | Landport (268) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Drayton & Farlington (1) | Fratton West & Portsea (62) |
| Shoplifting | Southsea Waverley Road (1) | Southsea West (330) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Fratton North (1) | Fratton West & Portsea (38) |
| Vehicle Crime | Cosham North (10) | Landport (59) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Portchester South East (147) | Landport (874) |
Crime in Portsmouth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Portsmouth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Portsmouth saw a 146% increase in anti-social behaviour. Portsmouth saw a large fall in vehicle crime during May, when it fell by 75% compared to May in 2019. Criminal Damage and Arson saw a fall in every month of Portsmouth's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +146% | +9% | +9% | +22% | 0% | +24% | +18% | +12% | +19% | +2% |
| Bicycle Theft | -4% | -54% | -56% | -43% | -60% | -36% | -10% | -32% | -18% | -11% |
| Burglary | -23% | -42% | -43% | -25% | -41% | -18% | -13% | -30% | -46% | -24% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -6% | -49% | -38% | -27% | +3% | -6% | -13% | -14% | -33% | -31% |
| Drugs | -14% | -7% | +13% | +17% | +38% | - | +34% | -22% | +26% | +49% |
| Other Crime | +9% | -28% | -14% | +21% | +59% | +16% | -3% | +5% | +3% | -22% |
| Other Theft | -28% | -41% | -61% | -23% | -28% | -23% | -31% | -11% | -43% | -18% |
| Possession of Weapons | -13% | +47% | +4% | +52% | +72% | -6% | +14% | +13% | -14% | -17% |
| Public Order | +31% | +2% | +22% | +45% | +22% | +40% | +20% | +18% | +0% | -9% |
| Robbery | -7% | -7% | +12% | +19% | +16% | -18% | +75% | +33% | +36% | -33% |
| Shoplifting | -29% | -62% | -25% | +5% | +33% | +97% | +75% | +8% | +12% | -13% |
| Theft From the Person | +31% | -71% | -44% | +6% | -48% | +17% | -29% | -14% | -20% | +20% |
| Vehicle Crime | -18% | -52% | -75% | -50% | -47% | -43% | -65% | -56% | -67% | -54% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +3% | -11% | -6% | +7% | +27% | +14% | 0% | -9% | -8% | -14% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Portsmouth
What police force serves Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's local territorial police force is the Hampshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Portsmouth?
Portsmouth is the safest city in Hampshire.What is Portsmouth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Portsmouth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021