Portishead Crime Overview
Portishead is the safest medium-sized town in Somerset, and is the 136th most dangerous overall out of Somerset's 422 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Portishead in 2020 was 38 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Somerset's overall crime rate, coming in 51% lower than the Somerset rate of 58 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Portishead is among the top 20 safest medium-sized towns, and the 4,699th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Portishead was the worst medium-sized town in Somerset for bicycle theft, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.08 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Portishead residents, when it was Somerset's most dangerous medium-sized town for vehicle crime, recording 22 crimes at a rate of 0.83 per 1,000 residents. Portishead recorded 8 reports of drugs during March 2019, making its crime rate of 0.30 the worst medium-sized town for drugs in Somerset that month.
The most common crimes in Portishead are violence and sexual offences, with 424 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 16. This is 17% higher than 2019's figure of 351 offences and a difference of 2.75 from 2019's crime rate of 13. Portishead's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 25% from 2019's figure of 3 crimes.
Compare Portishead to other towns and cities
See how Portishead shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Portishead and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Portishead Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Portishead This Year
| Portishead | Somerset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 456 | 17.18 | 17,239 | 17.76 | 3.4% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 24 | 0.90 | 660 | 0.68 | 24% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 38 | 1.43 | 3,277 | 3.38 | 136% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 125 | 4.71 | 6,537 | 6.74 | 43% safer |
| Drugs | 28 | 1.06 | 1,333 | 1.37 | 29% safer |
| Other Crime | 9 | 0.34 | 925 | 0.95 | 179% safer |
| Other Theft | 66 | 2.49 | 4,500 | 4.64 | 86% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.15 | 388 | 0.40 | 167% safer |
| Public Order | 160 | 6.03 | 8,529 | 8.79 | 46% safer |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.15 | 526 | 0.54 | 260% safer |
| Shoplifting | 69 | 2.60 | 3,315 | 3.42 | 32% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.19 | 252 | 0.26 | 37% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 65 | 2.45 | 3,046 | 3.14 | 28% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 424 | 15.98 | 23,221 | 23.93 | 50% safer |
Crime in Portishead Compared To Somerset
Portishead Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portishead | 1,021 | 38.48 | - |
| Frome | 1,673 | 59.39 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bridgwater | 4,185 | 110.88 | 65% more dangerous |
| Yeovil | 3,478 | 111.11 | 65% more dangerous |
Portishead Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 11 | 12 | 11 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.45 | 0.49 | 0.19 | 0.90 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 0.53 | 0.94 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.41 | 0.34 | 0.94 | 0.34 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.04 | 0.19 | 0.11 | 0.15 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.8 | 6 | 4.8 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.19 | 0.15 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.19 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.19 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.6 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 11 | 13 | 13 | 16 | Getting worse |
Changes In Portishead's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Portishead to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portishead | 38.48 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 43% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 50% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 54% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 55% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 61% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 63% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 64% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 71% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 72% more dangerous |
Crime in Portishead's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portishead Central | 575 | 58 | First |
| Portishead Redcliffe | 106 | 17 | Third |
| Portishead South | 295 | 37 | Second |
Crime in Portishead During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Portishead change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Portishead saw a 633% increase in vehicle crime. Portishead saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 94% compared to June in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Portishead's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -4% | +14% | +104% | +77% | +150% | +73% | +218% | +106% | +22% | +71% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% |
| Burglary | - | -33% | -33% | - | -86% | - | - | +33% | -33% | -40% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +27% | -29% | -13% | -20% | +56% | +91% | -36% | -40% | -53% | +17% |
| Drugs | -50% | -50% | +200% | - | +25% | +100% | - | -50% | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -83% | -67% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -27% | -56% | +50% | -36% | -50% | - | - | -67% | -67% | +100% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -27% | +29% | +100% | -25% | +24% | +15% | +240% | +55% | +71% | +400% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | -40% | -93% | -58% | -94% | -82% | +50% | -80% | -25% | -40% | -20% |
| Vehicle Crime | -64% | -20% | -33% | - | -50% | -67% | -63% | +20% | +633% | +350% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -31% | +71% | +74% | +76% | -10% | +22% | +63% | +8% | -19% | - |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Portishead
What police force serves Portishead?
Portishead's local territorial police force is the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.How dangerous is Portishead?
Portishead is the safest medium-sized town in Somerset.What is Portishead's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Portishead are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Portishead?
Portishead's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021