Crime in Portishead: statistics, rates and trends
1,810 crimes were recorded in Portishead in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Portishead at a glance
- Crime trends in Portishead
- Types of crime in Portishead
- Portishead compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Portishead
- Streets with the most crime in Portishead
- What happened after crimes were reported in Portishead
- Demographics of Portishead
- Questions about crime in Portishead
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (710), anti-social behaviour (301) and shoplifting (223) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 765th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Portishead | North Somerset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,810 | 19,384 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.5 | 86.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 25,672 | 224,578 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Portishead of any year here (1,810 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 46%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,810 | 70.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,795 | 69.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,660 | 64.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,510 | 58.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,213 | 47.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,369 | 53.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,328 | 51.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,435 | 55.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,238 | 48.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 110 |
| July 2026 | 144 |
| June 2026 | 144 |
| May 2026 | 187 |
| April 2026 | 213 |
| March 2026 | 167 |
| February 2026 | 125 |
| January 2026 | 112 |
| December 2025 | 143 |
| November 2025 | 130 |
| October 2025 | 175 |
| September 2025 | 160 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and drugs (67% below) and vehicle crime (62% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 159 to 223, while burglary fell from 56 to 45 and other crime fell from 36 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 710 | 27.7 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 301 | 11.7 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Shoplifting | 223 | 8.7 | 8.5 | +40% |
| Public order | 152 | 5.9 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Other theft | 130 | 5.1 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 113 | 4.4 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 48 | 1.9 | 5.0 | -11% |
| Burglary | 45 | 1.8 | 3.6 | -20% |
| Other crime | 30 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -17% |
| Drugs | 28 | 1.1 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 15 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 11 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Portishead; the highest is Patchway (202.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Yatton (49.9).
Of the 4 areas within Portishead, Portishead North had the highest crime rate (98.4 per 1,000) and Portishead South the lowest (42.6).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portishead North | Neighbourhood | 4,481 | 441 | 98.4 |
| Portishead East | Neighbourhood | 8,072 | 560 | 69.4 |
| Portishead West | Neighbourhood | 9,500 | 655 | 68.9 |
| Portishead South | Neighbourhood | 3,619 | 154 | 42.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 44% of the crime recorded in Portishead over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Police Station” (216).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Police Station | 216 |
| On or near Supermarket | 142 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 113 |
| On or near Parking Area | 83 |
| On or near Harbour Road | 64 |
| On or near Forth Avenue | 62 |
| On or near Victoria Close | 31 |
| On or near Rose Mews | 28 |
| On or near Argentia Place | 26 |
| On or near Folio Drive | 26 |
Of the 1,509 crimes in Portishead with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 301 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 625 | 41.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 502 | 33.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 113 | 7.5% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 98 | 6.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 66 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 28 | 1.9% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 26 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 11 | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 9 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Portishead has an estimated population of 25,672 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (8.0%, against 17.1%), fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%) and fewer students (4.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Portishead average decile 8.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Portishead | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 40.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 76.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 8.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Portishead a safe place to live?
Portishead recorded 70.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 765th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Portishead?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 710 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (301).
Is crime in Portishead going up or down?
Recorded crime in Portishead was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,810 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,795 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Portishead?
About 25,672 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Portishead?
Portishead is policed by Avon and Somerset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.