Crime in Poole Town: statistics, rates and trends
2,454 crimes were recorded in Poole Town in the 12 months to August 2026, 179.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Poole Town at a glance
- Crime trends in Poole Town
- Types of crime in Poole Town
- Poole Town compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Poole Town
- What happened after crimes were reported in Poole Town
- Demographics of Poole Town
- Questions about crime in Poole Town
- About this data
Crime map
Anti-social behaviour (765), violence and sexual offences (671) and shoplifting (216) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 266th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Poole Town | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,454 | 35,930 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 179.0 | 87.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 13,711 | 408,967 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Poole Town peaked in the year to August 2018 (3,547 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (2,428). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 31%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,454 | 179.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,428 | 177.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,643 | 192.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,811 | 205.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,914 | 212.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,782 | 202.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,068 | 223.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,541 | 258.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,547 | 258.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 296 |
| July 2026 | 294 |
| June 2026 | 262 |
| May 2026 | 241 |
| April 2026 | 160 |
| March 2026 | 172 |
| February 2026 | 147 |
| January 2026 | 189 |
| December 2025 | 165 |
| November 2025 | 191 |
| October 2025 | 160 |
| September 2025 | 177 |
Compared with England and Wales, Poole Town recorded notably more bicycle theft (5.0 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (3.6 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (94% above the national rate), and notably less other crime (28% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 98 to 132 and drugs rose from 57 to 67, while other theft fell from 143 to 117.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 765 | 55.8 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 671 | 48.9 | 34.2 | -13% |
| Shoplifting | 216 | 15.8 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 170 | 12.4 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Vehicle crime | 132 | 9.6 | 5.0 | +35% |
| Other theft | 117 | 8.5 | 6.4 | -18% |
| Public order | 109 | 7.9 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Burglary | 79 | 5.8 | 3.6 | +16% |
| Drugs | 67 | 4.9 | 3.3 | +18% |
| Bicycle theft | 57 | 4.2 | 0.8 | -2% |
| Other crime | 21 | 1.5 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 1.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 17 | 1.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 1.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Poole Town has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Poole Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale | 424 | 40.0 | -78% |
| Parkstone | 690 | 57.0 | -68% |
| Hamworthy | 1,101 | 76.2 | -57% |
| Penn Hill | 611 | 51.1 | -71% |
| Newtown & Heatherlands | 1,433 | 78.5 | -56% |
| Creekmoor | 591 | 60.6 | -66% |
| Canford Heath | 830 | 58.9 | -67% |
| Canford Cliffs | 682 | 82.4 | -54% |
The 10 locations below account for 46% of the crime recorded in Poole Town over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (276).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 276 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 182 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 139 |
| On or near Supermarket | 96 |
| On or near North Street | 94 |
| On or near Hospital | 91 |
| On or near Whatleigh Close | 74 |
| On or near Poole Bus Station | 67 |
| On or near Paradise Street | 66 |
| On or near Sterte Close | 45 |
Of the 1,689 crimes in Poole Town with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 765 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 607 | 35.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 523 | 31.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 221 | 13.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 115 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 58 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 47 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 40 | 2.4% | 0.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 34 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 20 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 15 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 5 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Poole Town has an estimated population of 13,711 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (30%, against 20%), more households without a car (32%, against 23%) and less home ownership (49%, against 63%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Poole Town average decile 4.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Poole Town | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 49.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 30.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 10.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Poole Town a safe place to live?
Poole Town recorded 179.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 266th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Poole Town?
Anti-social behaviour was the most common category, with 765 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (671).
Is crime in Poole Town going up or down?
Recorded crime in Poole Town was up 1% on the year before: 2,454 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,428 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Poole Town?
About 13,711 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Poole Town?
Poole Town is policed by Dorset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.