Southampton Crime Overview
Southampton is the most dangerous city in Hampshire, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Hampshire's 274 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Southampton in 2020 was 109 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Hampshire's overall crime rate, coming in 36% higher than the Hampshire rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Southampton is among the top 10 most dangerous cities, and the 373rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Southampton had the worst crime rate in Hampshire for burglary, with 176 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.65 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Southampton residents, when it was Hampshire's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 252 crimes at a rate of 0.93 per 1,000 residents. Southampton recorded 52 reports of bicycle theft during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.19 the worst for bicycle theft in Hampshire that month.
The most common crimes in Southampton are violence and sexual offences, with 12,148 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 45. This is 2.4% lower than 2019's figure of 12,441 offences and a difference of 1.09 from 2019's crime rate of 46. Southampton's least common crime is theft from the person, with 223 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 27% from 2019's figure of 284 crimes.
Compare Southampton to other towns and cities
See how Southampton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Southampton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Southampton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Southampton This Year
| Southampton | Hampshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 6,554 | 24.30 | 33,040 | 17.86 | 27% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 834 | 3.09 | 2,415 | 1.31 | 58% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 2,051 | 7.60 | 8,209 | 4.44 | 42% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,967 | 11.00 | 13,551 | 7.33 | 33% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 1,193 | 4.42 | 4,844 | 2.62 | 41% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 482 | 1.79 | 2,366 | 1.28 | 28% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,703 | 6.31 | 8,190 | 4.43 | 30% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 394 | 1.46 | 1,725 | 0.93 | 36% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 3,305 | 12.25 | 15,526 | 8.39 | 32% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 363 | 1.35 | 1,170 | 0.63 | 53% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,714 | 6.35 | 7,920 | 4.28 | 33% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 223 | 0.83 | 791 | 0.43 | 48% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,955 | 7.25 | 7,460 | 4.03 | 44% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12,148 | 45.03 | 55,481 | 29.99 | 33% more dangerous |
Crime in Southampton Compared To Hampshire
Southampton Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 22,980 | 99.98 | 9% safer |
| Southampton | 29,332 | 108.74 | - |
Southampton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 45 | 17 | 24 | 24 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 37 | 42 | 46 | 45 | Getting worse |
Changes In Southampton's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Southampton to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Southampton's Neighbourhoods
Central Southampton West is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Southampton, followed by Newtown & Nicholstown in second place, and Shirley Warren as the third most dangerous area. Southampton's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Bassett Green, Highfield & University, and Sholing East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldermoor & Lordswood | 559 | 72 | 25th |
| Banister Park & Howard Road | 757 | 84 | 23rd |
| Bassett Green | 425 | 47 | 32nd |
| Bevois Town | 803 | 107 | 15th |
| Bitterne East | 916 | 119 | 12th |
| Bitterne South | 681 | 112 | 14th |
| Bitterne West | 685 | 81 | 24th |
| Central Southampton East | 2,171 | 153 | Fifth |
| Central Southampton West | 2,776 | 250 | First |
| Coxford & Lords Hill | 577 | 96 | 18th |
| Freemantle | 1,386 | 173 | Fourth |
| Harefield | 567 | 93 | 19th |
| Highfield & University | 425 | 60 | 31st |
| Hightown | 821 | 125 | 11th |
| Hollybrook | 539 | 86 | 20th |
| Itchen | 699 | 86 | 21st |
| Maybush | 838 | 103 | 16th |
| Newtown & Nicholstown | 2,426 | 199 | Second |
| Redbridge & Millbrook West | 1,001 | 135 | Ninth |
| Regents Park & Millbrook East | 1,159 | 151 | Sixth |
| Shirley South | 1,016 | 130 | Tenth |
| Shirley Warren | 1,235 | 175 | Third |
| Sholing East | 438 | 60 | 30th |
| Sholing West | 396 | 65 | 28th |
| St Denys | 1,225 | 143 | Seventh |
| Stoneham | 590 | 85 | 22nd |
| Swaythling | 531 | 67 | 27th |
| Thornhill | 1,029 | 137 | Eighth |
| Townhill Park | 396 | 68 | 26th |
| Upper Shirley | 492 | 63 | 29th |
| Weston | 699 | 116 | 13th |
| Woolston | 886 | 97 | 17th |
Southampton Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Southampton for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Bassett Green (42) | Central Southampton East (764) |
| Bicycle Theft | Harefield (1) | Central Southampton West (187) |
| Burglary | Bassett Green (33) | Central Southampton West (196) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bassett Green (23) | Shirley Warren (160) |
| Drugs | Bassett Green (10) | Newtown & Nicholstown (178) |
| Other Crime | Highfield & University (4) | Central Southampton West (39) |
| Other Theft | Sholing West (10) | Central Southampton West (198) |
| Possession of Weapons | Hollybrook (2) | Newtown & Nicholstown (48) |
| Public Order | Highfield & University (29) | Central Southampton West (299) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Bassett Green (1) | Central Southampton West (45) |
| Shoplifting | Harefield (2) | Central Southampton West (539) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Maybush (1) | Central Southampton West (43) |
| Vehicle Crime | Sholing West (23) | Freemantle (102) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bassett Green (169) | Newtown & Nicholstown (1,067) |
Crime in Southampton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Southampton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Southampton saw a 171% increase in anti-social behaviour. Southampton saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 67% compared to May in 2019. Southampton saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including criminal damage and arson, shoplifting, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +171% | -13% | -12% | +4% | -13% | -5% | +13% | -33% | -8% | -36% |
| Bicycle Theft | -10% | -29% | -44% | -23% | +6% | +15% | +39% | -31% | -44% | -24% |
| Burglary | -22% | -22% | -16% | -9% | -35% | -19% | +10% | +9% | -14% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -17% | -22% | -25% | -9% | -13% | +8% | -5% | -15% | -10% | -13% |
| Drugs | +40% | +1% | +34% | +61% | +51% | +34% | +26% | +57% | +15% | +40% |
| Other Crime | +5% | -30% | +3% | -16% | -25% | +20% | +46% | -19% | +8% | +9% |
| Other Theft | -13% | -36% | -44% | -32% | -30% | -35% | -34% | -33% | -38% | -23% |
| Possession of Weapons | -30% | -18% | -40% | +11% | +10% | +59% | +15% | +40% | +38% | +79% |
| Public Order | +3% | -16% | +10% | -11% | -12% | +23% | +16% | -8% | -3% | +17% |
| Robbery | -27% | -35% | -36% | +14% | +33% | +56% | +5% | -6% | -53% | -56% |
| Shoplifting | +19% | -16% | -22% | -56% | -46% | -43% | -23% | -30% | -36% | -22% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -50% | -67% | +24% | -5% | -36% | -19% | -26% | -29% | -38% |
| Vehicle Crime | -33% | -29% | -31% | -36% | -14% | +17% | -12% | -25% | -40% | -9% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -14% | -19% | +2% | +6% | +8% | +7% | -10% | +1% | -10% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Southampton
What police force serves Southampton?
Southampton's local territorial police force is the Hampshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Southampton?
Southampton is the most dangerous city in Hampshire.What is Southampton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Southampton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Southampton?
Southampton's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021