Dover Crime Overview
Dover is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Kent, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Kent's 335 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Dover in 2020 was 157 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Kent's overall crime rate, coming in 46% higher than the Kent rate of 85 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Dover is the most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 124th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2016, Dover had the worst crime rate in Kent for other crime, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.39 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2015 was also a bad month for Dover residents, when it was Kent's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 5 crimes at a rate of 0.15 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 2,922 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 87. This is 5% higher than 2019's figure of 2,769 offences and a difference of 4.56 from 2019's crime rate of 83. Dover's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 16 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 25% from 2019's figure of 20 crimes.
Compare Dover to other towns and cities
See how Dover shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Dover and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Dover Crime Map
Crime in Dover Compared To Kent
Summary of Crimes in Dover This Year
| Dover | Kent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,487 | 44.34 | 48,316 | 25.97 | 41% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 16 | 0.48 | 1,165 | 0.63 | 31% safer |
| Burglary | 188 | 5.61 | 7,089 | 3.81 | 32% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 539 | 16.07 | 18,622 | 10.01 | 38% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 142 | 4.23 | 4,217 | 2.27 | 46% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 236 | 7.04 | 5,115 | 2.75 | 61% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 299 | 8.92 | 10,954 | 5.89 | 34% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 39 | 1.16 | 1,351 | 0.73 | 37% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 484 | 14.43 | 13,158 | 7.07 | 51% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 39 | 1.16 | 1,309 | 0.70 | 40% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 192 | 5.73 | 9,225 | 4.96 | 13% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 19 | 0.57 | 834 | 0.45 | 21% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 156 | 4.65 | 9,087 | 4.88 | 4.9% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,922 | 87.13 | 76,374 | 41.05 | 53% more dangerous |
Dover Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | 5,776 | 98.04 | 60% safer |
| Northfleet | 3,485 | 115.93 | 36% safer |
| Gravesend | 6,865 | 117.07 | 34% safer |
| Folkestone | 6,191 | 126.54 | 24% safer |
| Ramsgate | 5,826 | 138.94 | 13% safer |
| Dover | 5,271 | 157.17 | - |
Crime Over Time in Dover
View crime percentage over time forDover Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 47 | 35 | 32 | 44 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.60 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 21 | 19 | 16 | 16 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 4.4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.89 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Public Order | 16 | 26 | 17 | 14 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.98 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.57 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 76 | 85 | 83 | 87 | Getting worse |
Changes In Dover's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Dover's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Dover that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| 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 |
Comparing Dover to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Dover's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckland & St Radigunds | 1,717 | 121 | Second |
| Dover West | 1,857 | 189 | First |
Crime in Dover During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Dover
What police force serves Dover?
Dover's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Dover?
Dover is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Kent.What is Dover's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Dover are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Dover?
Dover's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021