Crime in Bournemouth: statistics, rates and trends
21,896 crimes were recorded in Bournemouth in the 12 months to August 2026, 108.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bournemouth at a glance
- Crime trends in Bournemouth
- Types of crime in Bournemouth
- Bournemouth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bournemouth
- Streets with the most crime in Bournemouth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bournemouth
- Demographics of Bournemouth
- Questions about crime in Bournemouth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,616), anti-social behaviour (5,702) and shoplifting (2,061) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 275th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Bournemouth | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 21,896 | 35,930 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 108.0 | 87.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 202,677 | 408,967 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Bournemouth of any year here (21,896 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 23%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 21,896 | 108.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 22,274 | 109.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 23,846 | 117.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 23,292 | 114.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 25,203 | 124.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 26,868 | 132.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 27,578 | 136.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 27,923 | 137.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 28,579 | 141.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,172 |
| July 2026 | 2,447 |
| June 2026 | 1,979 |
| May 2026 | 2,025 |
| April 2026 | 1,798 |
| March 2026 | 1,749 |
| February 2026 | 1,702 |
| January 2026 | 1,499 |
| December 2025 | 1,647 |
| November 2025 | 1,568 |
| October 2025 | 1,672 |
| September 2025 | 1,638 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bournemouth recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (83% above the national rate), bicycle theft (41% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (40% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (61% below) and other crime (59% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 472 to 619 and robbery rose from 192 to 246, while bicycle theft fell from 309 to 236 and theft from the person fell from 162 to 132.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,616 | 32.6 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,702 | 28.1 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 2,061 | 10.2 | 8.5 | +1% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,410 | 7.0 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,380 | 6.8 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Other theft | 1,286 | 6.3 | 6.4 | -14% |
| Public order | 1,132 | 5.6 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Burglary | 757 | 3.7 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 619 | 3.1 | 3.3 | +31% |
| Robbery | 246 | 1.2 | 1.4 | +28% |
| Bicycle theft | 236 | 1.2 | 0.8 | -24% |
| Other crime | 177 | 0.9 | 2.1 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 142 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -3% |
| Theft from the person | 132 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -19% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bournemouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearwood | 302 | 59.5 | -45% |
| Poole | 10,739 | 74.0 | -32% |
| Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | 2,773 | 58.0 | -46% |
| Ferndown | 545 | 39.6 | -63% |
| West Moors | 448 | 42.8 | -60% |
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -75% |
| Wimborne Minster | 972 | 60.8 | -44% |
| Ashley Heath | 319 | 39.2 | -64% |
Of the 16 areas within Bournemouth, Bournemouth Central had the highest crime rate (295.8 per 1,000) and Redhill & Northbourne the lowest (45.0), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Central | Neighbourhood | 19,089 | 5,647 | 295.8 |
| Boscombe West | Neighbourhood | 10,926 | 1,673 | 153.1 |
| Westbourne & West Cliff | Neighbourhood | 11,189 | 1,440 | 128.7 |
| Winton East | Neighbourhood | 12,400 | 1,595 | 128.6 |
| East Cliff & Springbourne | Neighbourhood | 17,034 | 1,770 | 103.9 |
| Kinson | Neighbourhood | 17,651 | 1,788 | 101.3 |
| Wallisdown & Winton West | Neighbourhood | 10,930 | 1,036 | 94.8 |
| Muscliff & Strouden Park | Neighbourhood | 17,562 | 1,594 | 90.8 |
| Boscombe East & Pokesdown | Neighbourhood | 11,567 | 908 | 78.5 |
| Littledown & Iford | Neighbourhood | 9,992 | 696 | 69.7 |
| Talbot & Branksome Woods | Neighbourhood | 14,466 | 990 | 68.4 |
| Queen's Park | Neighbourhood | 11,917 | 733 | 61.5 |
| East Southbourne & Tuckton | Neighbourhood | 9,698 | 502 | 51.8 |
| West Southbourne | Neighbourhood | 9,273 | 467 | 50.4 |
| Moordown | Neighbourhood | 10,570 | 504 | 47.7 |
| Redhill & Northbourne | Neighbourhood | 10,106 | 455 | 45.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Bournemouth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,434).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,434 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,106 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 847 |
| On or near Nightclub | 513 |
| On or near Lansdowne Crescent | 386 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 271 |
| On or near Pine Road | 270 |
| On or near Police Station | 237 |
| On or near Wimborne Road | 235 |
| On or near Theme/Adventure Park | 208 |
Of the 16,194 crimes in Bournemouth with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 5,702 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,788 | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,110 | 31.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,778 | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,265 | 7.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 540 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 487 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 429 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 253 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 224 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 158 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 110 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 36 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Bournemouth has an estimated population of 202,677 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (33%, against 20%), more students (12.6%, against 7.9%) and less social housing (10%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bournemouth average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Bournemouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 12.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 33.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 6.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bournemouth a safe place to live?
Bournemouth recorded 108.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 275th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Bournemouth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,616 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (5,702).
Is crime in Bournemouth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bournemouth was down 2% on the year before: 21,896 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 22,274 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bournemouth?
About 202,677 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bournemouth?
Bournemouth 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.