Dover is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Kent, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Kent's 333 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Dover in 2021 was 157 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 44% higher than the Kent rate of 87 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Dover is the third most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 140th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2021, Dover had the worst crime rate in Kent for possession of weapons, with 7 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.21 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2016 was also a bad month for Dover residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 13 crimes at a rate of 0.39 per 1,000 residents. Dover recorded 36 reports of drugs during May 2015, making its crime rate of 1.1 the worst for drugs in Kent that month.
The most common crimes in Dover are violence and sexual offences, with 2,884 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 86. This is 1.3% lower than 2020's figure of 2,922 offences and a difference of 1.14 from 2020's crime rate of 87. Dover's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 19 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 16% from 2020's figure of 16 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Medium-Sized Towns, Kent
54% higher, regional crime rate
South East
54% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Dover is 54% higher than the South East and 54% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Dover | |
| South East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Dover represent the time frame between April 2019 and March 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 11 May, 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: 11 May, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 157 | 5,265 |
| 2020 | 157 | 5,271 |
| 2019 | 160 | 5,375 |
| 2018 | 177 | 5,938 |
| 2017 | 162 | 5,446 |
| 2016 | 109 | 3,672 |
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| Dover | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,075 | 32.05 | 37,004 | 19.89 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 0.57 | 964 | 0.52 | 9% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 143 | 4.26 | 5,970 | 3.21 | 25% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 545 | 16.25 | 19,281 | 10.36 | 36% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 184 | 5.49 | 4,015 | 2.16 | 61% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 239 | 7.13 | 5,390 | 2.90 | 59% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 291 | 8.68 | 11,037 | 5.93 | 32% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 40 | 1.19 | 1,220 | 0.66 | 45% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 483 | 14.40 | 13,744 | 7.39 | 49% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 28 | 0.83 | 1,064 | 0.57 | 31% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 253 | 7.54 | 8,849 | 4.76 | 37% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 25 | 0.75 | 794 | 0.43 | 43% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 131 | 3.91 | 7,923 | 4.26 | 9% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,884 | 85.99 | 82,368 | 44.27 | 49% more dangerous |
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | 6,222 | 105.61 | 49% safer |
| Gravesend | 6,514 | 111.08 | 41% safer |
| Northfleet | 3,578 | 119.03 | 32% safer |
| Folkestone | 5,936 | 121.32 | 29% safer |
| Ramsgate | 6,112 | 145.76 | 8% safer |
| Dover | 5,265 | 156.99 | - |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Adrian Street | Further investigation is not in the public interest |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near North Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Drugs | On or near Connaught Road | Local resolution |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Victoria Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Clarendon Place | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Johannesburg Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Monks Way | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Dover Police Station | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near George Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Charlton Green | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Approach Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near St James Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Peter Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Bicycle theft | On or near Cherry Tree Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Adrian Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Sports/Recreation Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near High Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 35 | 32 | 44 | 32 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.1 | 0.60 | 0.48 | 0.57 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Public Order | 26 | 17 | 14 | 14 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.57 | 0.75 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 5 | 4.6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 85 | 83 | 87 | 86 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Dover that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elms Vale Recreation Ground | 6 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1.3 |
| Samphire Hoe Country Park | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0.09 |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckland & St Radigunds | 1,568 | 111 | Second |
| Dover West | 1,817 | 185 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Dover change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Dover saw a 400% increase in possession of weapons. Dover saw a large fall in robbery during July, when it fell by 86% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -6% | +192% | +84% | - | +29% | +50% | +1% | +24% | +67% | +75% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | -80% | - | +33% | +50% | - | - | +100% | - |
| Burglary | -48% | +5% | +7% | -46% | -48% | -38% | -17% | +25% | +36% | -37% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -2% | -17% | - | -20% | +49% | +73% | -13% | -21% | +12% | -18% |
| Drugs | -8% | +117% | +100% | -20% | +100% | -25% | +36% | +42% | +9% | -8% |
| Other Crime | +80% | -70% | +35% | +53% | +133% | +145% | +8% | +44% | +69% | +9% |
| Other Theft | -43% | - | -30% | -29% | +34% | +18% | -34% | -19% | +4% | +11% |
| Possession of Weapons | -57% | +400% | +133% | +33% | -67% | -75% | -20% | -33% | -60% | -67% |
| Public Order | -17% | -23% | -31% | -50% | +34% | -31% | +2% | +26% | -10% | +17% |
| Robbery | -82% | +50% | -83% | - | -86% | -60% | -25% | -71% | -75% | +80% |
| Shoplifting | - | -50% | -69% | -6% | +12% | +46% | -53% | -15% | -30% | -41% |
| Theft From the Person | +100% | -50% | - | -75% | -71% | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -50% | -25% | -50% | -57% | -44% | +77% | +29% | +22% | +17% | +33% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +17% | -29% | -20% | +2% | +36% | +32% | +9% | +20% | +2% | +31% |
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