Crime in the Avon and Somerset Police area: statistics, rates and trends

Violence and sexual offences (71,485), anti-social behaviour (27,339) and shoplifting (18,586) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 10th of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.

The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in the Avon and Somerset Police area of any year here (188,310 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.

Month by month

Compared with England and Wales, the Avon and Somerset Police area recorded notably more public order (30% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (77% below) and drugs (48% below). On the year before, theft from the person rose from 424 to 696 and possession of weapons rose from 929 to 1,295.

What each category covers: crime categories.

175,347 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Avon and Somerset Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 96.7 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 4% on the year ending March 2025 (168,350), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Avon and Somerset Police area had the 8th highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).

Offences recorded in the Avon and Somerset Police area, the year ending March 2026

The largest category was violence without injury, with 28,982 offences (17% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for public order offences (1.6 times the national rate), robbery of business property (1.6 times the national rate) and stalking and harassment (1.5 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.22 times), possession of drugs (0.54 times) and possession of weapons (0.64 times).

The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (from 598 to 1,421) and criminal damage (+13%). The largest falls were in bicycle theft (−18%) and arson (−13%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).

Recorded crime in the Avon and Somerset Police area since the year ending March 2013

The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The Avon and Somerset Police area's rate was above the England and Wales rate in 4 of those 14 years and below it in 10. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).

Districts in the Avon and Somerset Police area, the year ending March 2026

Of the 5 districts in the Avon and Somerset Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Bristol, City of had the highest rate (131.0 per 1,000) and South Gloucestershire the lowest (73.8). 2.5% of the crimes recorded in the area that year were not assigned to a district, so the district figures add up to less than the force total.

Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.

1 of the 8 nearest police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Avon and Somerset Police area; the highest is the Gwent Police area (118.9 per 1,000) and the lowest the Wiltshire Police area (67.3).

Of the 5 areas within the Avon and Somerset Police area, Bristol, City of had the highest crime rate (148.8 per 1,000) and South Gloucestershire the lowest (78.1).

Of the 160,971 crimes in the Avon and Somerset Police area with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 27,339 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.

The Avon and Somerset Police area has an estimated population of 1,813,665 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Avon and Somerset Police area average decile 6.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.

Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.