Crime in Sandown: statistics, rates and trends
1,427 crimes were recorded in Sandown in the 12 months to August 2026, 116.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (503), anti-social behaviour (248) and shoplifting (217) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 203rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Sandown | Isle of Wight | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,427 | 11,831 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 116.0 | 83.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 12,299 | 141,660 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Sandown peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,486 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,085). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 32%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,427 | 116.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,425 | 115.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,363 | 110.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,405 | 114.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,486 | 120.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,290 | 104.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,217 | 99.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,118 | 90.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,085 | 88.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 144 |
| July 2026 | 161 |
| June 2026 | 123 |
| May 2026 | 135 |
| April 2026 | 166 |
| March 2026 | 118 |
| February 2026 | 136 |
| January 2026 | 110 |
| December 2025 | 71 |
| November 2025 | 80 |
| October 2025 | 80 |
| September 2025 | 103 |
Compared with England and Wales, Sandown recorded notably more shoplifting (2.1 times the national rate), drugs (69% above the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (31% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (24% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 190 to 248 and shoplifting rose from 168 to 217, while burglary fell from 40 to 33 and criminal damage and arson fell from 123 to 102.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 503 | 40.9 | 34.2 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 248 | 20.2 | 15.4 | +31% |
| Shoplifting | 217 | 17.6 | 8.5 | +29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 102 | 8.3 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Public order | 100 | 8.1 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Other theft | 72 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -10% |
| Drugs | 68 | 5.5 | 3.3 | +24% |
| Burglary | 33 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Other crime | 22 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +10% |
| Possession of weapons | 18 | 1.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 18 | 1.5 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 15 | 1.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Sandown; the highest is Newport (Isle of Wight) (125.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Lee-on-the-Solent (44.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sandown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanklin | 835 | 91.9 | -21% |
| Ventnor | 473 | 88.0 | -24% |
| Ryde | 2,246 | 93.6 | -19% |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | 3,320 | 125.6 | +8% |
| East Cowes | 654 | 70.4 | -39% |
| Cowes | 766 | 51.2 | -56% |
| Gosport | 5,937 | 85.8 | -26% |
| Lee-on-the-Solent | 1,155 | 44.9 | -61% |
Of the 3 areas within Sandown, Sandown North had the highest crime rate (146.5 per 1,000) and Lake North the lowest (74.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandown North | Neighbourhood | 3,255 | 477 | 146.5 |
| Sandown South | Neighbourhood | 4,041 | 575 | 142.3 |
| Lake North | Neighbourhood | 3,933 | 291 | 74.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in Sandown over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (101).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 101 |
| On or near Millennium Way | 95 |
| On or near Chesham Terrace | 86 |
| On or near Guadeloupe Road | 71 |
| On or near Avenue Slipway | 54 |
| On or near Pier Street | 45 |
| On or near Parking Area | 44 |
| On or near Benjamen Mews | 38 |
| On or near Blackpan Close | 35 |
| On or near Fort Mews | 29 |
Of the 1,179 crimes in Sandown with a recorded outcome, 21% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 13% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 248 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 493 | 41.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 252 | 21.4% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 156 | 13.2% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 105 | 8.9% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 59 | 5.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 34 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 34 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 15 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 15 | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Sandown has an estimated population of 12,299 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (32%, against 19%), more retired residents (35%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sandown average decile 3.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Sandown | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 31.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 46.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 34.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sandown a safe place to live?
Sandown recorded 116.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 203rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Sandown?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 503 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (248).
Is crime in Sandown going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sandown was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,427 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,425 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sandown?
About 12,299 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 32% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sandown?
Sandown is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.