Crime in Portswood: statistics, rates and trends
1,748 crimes were recorded in Portswood in the 12 months to August 2026, 122.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Portswood at a glance
- Crime trends in Portswood
- Types of crime in Portswood
- Portswood compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Portswood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Portswood
- Demographics of Portswood
- Questions about crime in Portswood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (556), shoplifting (242) and anti-social behaviour (192) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 789th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Portswood | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,748 | 34,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 122.7 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 14,244 | 259,424 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Portswood peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,908 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,590). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,748 | 122.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,664 | 116.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,850 | 129.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,776 | 124.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,908 | 134.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,854 | 130.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,870 | 131.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,590 | 111.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,606 | 112.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 174 |
| July 2026 | 142 |
| June 2026 | 138 |
| May 2026 | 137 |
| April 2026 | 148 |
| March 2026 | 161 |
| February 2026 | 136 |
| January 2026 | 139 |
| December 2025 | 122 |
| November 2025 | 149 |
| October 2025 | 152 |
| September 2025 | 150 |
Compared with England and Wales, Portswood recorded notably more bicycle theft (3.5 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.0 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (88% above the national rate). On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 94 to 124 and other theft rose from 95 to 123, while drugs fell from 65 to 48.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 556 | 39.0 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Shoplifting | 242 | 17.0 | 8.5 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 192 | 13.5 | 15.4 | +25% |
| Public order | 144 | 10.1 | 6.7 | +10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 124 | 8.7 | 6.7 | +32% |
| Other theft | 123 | 8.6 | 6.4 | +29% |
| Vehicle crime | 111 | 7.8 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Burglary | 68 | 4.8 | 3.6 | -7% |
| Drugs | 48 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -26% |
| Bicycle theft | 41 | 2.9 | 0.8 | +28% |
| Other crime | 32 | 2.2 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 31 | 2.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 26 | 1.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.7 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Portswood; the highest is Banister & Polygon (278.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Bassett (63.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Portswood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bevois | 2,918 | 162.3 | +32% |
| Swaythling | 1,372 | 77.3 | -37% |
| Bitterne Park | 1,114 | 72.7 | -41% |
| Bassett | 977 | 63.4 | -48% |
| Banister & Polygon | 5,395 | 278.8 | +127% |
| Shirley | 1,766 | 116.7 | -5% |
| Freemantle | 1,675 | 138.5 | +13% |
| Peartree | 1,549 | 110.0 | -10% |
The 10 locations below account for 55% of the crime recorded in Portswood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (366).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 366 |
| On or near Supermarket | 181 |
| On or near Richmond Gardens | 91 |
| On or near Shakespeare Avenue | 58 |
| On or near Woodside Road | 51 |
| On or near Drummond Drive | 48 |
| On or near Thackeray Road | 46 |
| On or near Belmont Road | 41 |
| On or near Highcrown Mews | 38 |
| On or near Portswood Park | 36 |
Of the 1,556 crimes in Portswood with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 192 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 616 | 39.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 452 | 29.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 176 | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 93 | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 68 | 4.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 63 | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 60 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Portswood has an estimated population of 14,244 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (29.0%, against 7.9%), more private renting (44%, against 20%) and less home ownership (42%, against 63%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Portswood average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Portswood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 14.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 29.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 42.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 42.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 43.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Portswood a safe place to live?
Portswood recorded 122.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 789th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Portswood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 556 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (242).
Is crime in Portswood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Portswood was up 5% on the year before: 1,748 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,664 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Portswood?
About 14,244 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Portswood?
Portswood is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.