Crime in Poole: statistics, rates and trends
10,739 crimes were recorded in Poole in the 12 months to August 2026, 74.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,446), anti-social behaviour (2,873) and shoplifting (865) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 710th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Poole | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,739 | 35,930 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 74.0 | 87.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 145,151 | 408,967 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Poole of any year here (10,739 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,739 | 74.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,929 | 75.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 11,909 | 82.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 12,665 | 87.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 13,491 | 92.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 13,833 | 95.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 14,433 | 99.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 14,531 | 100.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,381 | 99.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,101 |
| July 2026 | 1,176 |
| June 2026 | 1,005 |
| May 2026 | 1,046 |
| April 2026 | 905 |
| March 2026 | 858 |
| February 2026 | 759 |
| January 2026 | 792 |
| December 2025 | 790 |
| November 2025 | 767 |
| October 2025 | 751 |
| September 2025 | 789 |
Compared with England and Wales, Poole recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (29% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (83% below) and other crime (71% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 59 to 83 and drugs rose from 159 to 186, while public order fell from 566 to 480.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,446 | 23.7 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,873 | 19.8 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 865 | 6.0 | 8.5 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 839 | 5.8 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Other theft | 637 | 4.4 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 604 | 4.2 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Public order | 480 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Burglary | 397 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -15% |
| Drugs | 186 | 1.3 | 3.3 | +17% |
| Bicycle theft | 146 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Other crime | 88 | 0.6 | 2.1 | -10% |
| Robbery | 83 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +41% |
| Possession of weapons | 54 | 0.4 | 1.0 | -11% |
| Theft from the person | 41 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -5% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Poole; the highest is Bournemouth (108.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Merley (27.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Poole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearwood | 302 | 59.5 | -20% |
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -44% |
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -63% |
| Corfe Mullen | 393 | 36.8 | -50% |
| Bournemouth | 21,896 | 108.0 | +46% |
| Wimborne Minster | 972 | 60.8 | -18% |
| Ferndown | 545 | 39.6 | -47% |
| West Moors | 448 | 42.8 | -42% |
Of the 11 areas within Poole, Poole Town had the highest crime rate (179.0 per 1,000) and Broadstone the lowest (30.1), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poole Town | Neighbourhood | 13,711 | 2,454 | 179.0 |
| Canford Cliffs | Neighbourhood | 8,280 | 682 | 82.4 |
| Alderney & Bourne Valley | Neighbourhood | 16,794 | 1,326 | 79.0 |
| Newtown & Heatherlands | Neighbourhood | 18,247 | 1,433 | 78.5 |
| Hamworthy | Neighbourhood | 14,454 | 1,101 | 76.2 |
| Creekmoor | Neighbourhood | 9,747 | 591 | 60.6 |
| Canford Heath | Neighbourhood | 14,084 | 830 | 58.9 |
| Parkstone | Neighbourhood | 12,102 | 690 | 57.0 |
| Penn Hill | Neighbourhood | 11,963 | 611 | 51.1 |
| Oakdale | Neighbourhood | 10,595 | 424 | 40.0 |
| Broadstone | Neighbourhood | 10,274 | 309 | 30.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Poole over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (673).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 673 |
| On or near Supermarket | 502 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 346 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 198 |
| On or near Hospital | 161 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 155 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 139 |
| On or near Cashmoor Close | 136 |
| On or near North Street | 94 |
| On or near Hillcrest Road | 93 |
Of the 7,866 crimes in Poole with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,873 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,895 | 36.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,623 | 33.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 943 | 12.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 361 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 226 | 2.9% | 0.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 219 | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 180 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 158 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 142 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 68 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 19 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Poole has an estimated population of 145,151 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.4%, against 7.9%), less social housing (12%, against 17%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Poole average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Poole | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 3.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Poole a safe place to live?
Poole recorded 74.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 710th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Poole?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,446 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,873).
Is crime in Poole going up or down?
Recorded crime in Poole was down 2% on the year before: 10,739 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,929 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Poole?
About 145,151 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 23% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Poole?
Poole 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.