Crime in Bearwood: statistics, rates and trends
302 crimes were recorded in Bearwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 59.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (103), anti-social behaviour (67) and criminal damage and arson (37) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 966th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Bearwood | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 302 | 35,930 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 59.5 | 87.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 5,072 | 408,967 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Bearwood peaked in the year to August 2023 (324 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (200). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 44%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 302 | 59.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 281 | 55.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 266 | 52.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 324 | 63.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 280 | 55.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 275 | 54.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 276 | 54.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 200 | 39.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 210 | 41.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 43 |
| July 2026 | 39 |
| June 2026 | 25 |
| May 2026 | 26 |
| April 2026 | 21 |
| March 2026 | 19 |
| February 2026 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 26 |
| December 2025 | 17 |
| November 2025 | 23 |
| October 2025 | 16 |
| September 2025 | 19 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and violence and sexual offences (41% below) and shoplifting (35% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 51 to 67, while shoplifting fell from 57 to 28.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 103 | 20.3 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 67 | 13.2 | 15.4 | +31% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 37 | 7.3 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 28 | 5.5 | 8.5 | -51% |
| Vehicle crime | 22 | 4.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Public order | 14 | 2.8 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Other theft | 13 | 2.6 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Burglary | 10 | 2.0 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 3 | 0.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Drugs | 1 | 0.2 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Bearwood; the highest is Bournemouth (108.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Merley (27.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bearwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -54% |
| Poole | 10,739 | 74.0 | +24% |
| Wimborne Minster | 972 | 60.8 | +2% |
| Ferndown | 545 | 39.6 | -34% |
| Corfe Mullen | 393 | 36.8 | -38% |
| Bournemouth | 21,896 | 108.0 | +81% |
| West Moors | 448 | 42.8 | -28% |
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -30% |
The 10 locations below account for 63% of the crime recorded in Bearwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “King John Close” (48).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near King John Close | 48 |
| On or near Monks Way | 33 |
| On or near A341 | 19 |
| On or near Plantagenet Crescent | 18 |
| On or near Isabella Street | 16 |
| On or near Beaumaris Road | 14 |
| On or near Marquis Way | 12 |
| On or near Autumn Road | 11 |
| On or near Philippa Court | 10 |
| On or near Ross Gardens | 10 |
Of the 235 crimes in Bearwood with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 67 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 85 | 36.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 68 | 28.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 33 | 14.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 21 | 8.9% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 3.0% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 6 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 4 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Local resolution | 2 | 0.9% | 3.1% |
Bearwood has an estimated population of 5,072 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (6.9%, against 23.3%), less social housing (7.9%, against 17.1%) and fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bearwood average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bearwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 6.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 79.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 7.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Bearwood a safe place to live?
Bearwood recorded 59.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 966th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Bearwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 103 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (67).
Is crime in Bearwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bearwood was up 7% on the year before: 302 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 281 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bearwood?
About 5,072 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bearwood?
Bearwood 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.