Crime in Dover: statistics, rates and trends
5,526 crimes were recorded in Dover in the 12 months to August 2026, 150.1 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,070), anti-social behaviour (1,031) and shoplifting (636) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 65th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Dover | Dover | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,526 | 10,506 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 150.1 | 87.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 36,819 | 119,768 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Dover of any year here (5,526 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,526 | 150.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,730 | 155.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,953 | 161.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,477 | 175.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,484 | 176.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,341 | 172.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,410 | 174.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,463 | 175.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,245 | 196.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 501 |
| July 2026 | 564 |
| June 2026 | 473 |
| May 2026 | 492 |
| April 2026 | 419 |
| March 2026 | 440 |
| February 2026 | 421 |
| January 2026 | 396 |
| December 2025 | 461 |
| November 2025 | 455 |
| October 2025 | 454 |
| September 2025 | 450 |
Compared with England and Wales, Dover recorded notably more other crime (2.1 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.0 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (68% below) and bicycle theft (31% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 37 to 50 and shoplifting rose from 502 to 636, while theft from the person fell from 35 to 20 and bicycle theft fell from 33 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,070 | 56.2 | 34.2 | -11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,031 | 28.0 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 636 | 17.3 | 8.5 | +27% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 500 | 13.6 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 298 | 8.1 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Drugs | 199 | 5.4 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Public order | 186 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -31% |
| Vehicle crime | 183 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +26% |
| Other crime | 167 | 4.5 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Burglary | 93 | 2.5 | 3.6 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 72 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -5% |
| Robbery | 50 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +35% |
| Bicycle theft | 21 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -36% |
| Theft from the person | 20 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -43% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Dover; the highest is Canterbury (165.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Hythe (48.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Dover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitfield (Dover) | 453 | 68.9 | -54% |
| Hawkinge | 446 | 51.3 | -66% |
| Folkestone | 6,682 | 123.7 | -18% |
| Deal | 1,783 | 61.7 | -59% |
| Aylesham | 481 | 74.4 | -50% |
| Hythe | 663 | 48.5 | -68% |
| Canterbury | 9,598 | 165.8 | +10% |
| Ramsgate | 5,841 | 136.5 | -9% |
Of the 6 areas within Dover, Town & Castle had the highest crime rate (296.3 per 1,000) and Dover Downs & River the lowest (51.6), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town & Castle | Neighbourhood | 8,232 | 2,439 | 296.3 |
| Tower Hamlets | Neighbourhood | 4,206 | 782 | 185.9 |
| St Radigunds | Neighbourhood | 8,234 | 1,208 | 146.7 |
| Buckland | Neighbourhood | 7,458 | 743 | 99.6 |
| Maxton & Elms Vale | Neighbourhood | 4,371 | 304 | 69.5 |
| Dover Downs & River | Neighbourhood | 5,818 | 300 | 51.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Dover over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (226).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 226 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 221 |
| On or near Parking Area | 212 |
| On or near Cannon Street | 128 |
| On or near Pencester Road | 91 |
| On or near Malvern Road | 89 |
| On or near Russell Street | 76 |
| On or near Worthington Street | 73 |
| On or near Queen'S Gardens | 72 |
| On or near Approach Road | 71 |
Of the 4,495 crimes in Dover with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,031 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,700 | 37.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,610 | 35.8% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 339 | 7.5% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 286 | 6.4% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 179 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 119 | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 103 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 95 | 2.1% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 34 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Dover has an estimated population of 36,819 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (28%, against 20%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%) and fewer students (5.3%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Dover average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Dover | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 29.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 28.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 34.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Dover a safe place to live?
Dover recorded 150.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 65th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Dover?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,070 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,031).
Is crime in Dover going up or down?
Recorded crime in Dover was down 4% on the year before: 5,526 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,730 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Dover?
About 36,819 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Dover?
Dover is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.