Crime in Swanage: statistics, rates and trends
477 crimes were recorded in Swanage in the 12 months to August 2026, 50.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (202), anti-social behaviour (111) and shoplifting (37) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,135th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Swanage | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 477 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 50.7 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 9,411 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Swanage peaked in the year to August 2023 (778 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (437). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 477 | 50.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 437 | 46.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 588 | 62.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 778 | 82.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 621 | 66.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 638 | 67.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 608 | 64.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 595 | 63.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 576 | 61.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 65 |
| July 2026 | 70 |
| June 2026 | 56 |
| May 2026 | 45 |
| April 2026 | 23 |
| March 2026 | 36 |
| February 2026 | 18 |
| January 2026 | 41 |
| December 2025 | 34 |
| November 2025 | 25 |
| October 2025 | 34 |
| September 2025 | 30 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (53% below) and criminal damage and arson (51% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 79 to 111 and other theft rose from 26 to 33, while criminal damage and arson fell from 45 to 31.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 202 | 21.5 | 34.2 | +12% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 111 | 11.8 | 15.4 | +41% |
| Shoplifting | 37 | 3.9 | 8.5 | +16% |
| Other theft | 33 | 3.5 | 6.4 | +27% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 31 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -31% |
| Public order | 18 | 1.9 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Burglary | 14 | 1.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 9 | 1.0 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 8 | 0.9 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Other crime | 7 | 0.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Swanage; the highest is Bournemouth (108.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Merley (27.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Swanage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poole | 10,739 | 74.0 | +46% |
| Wareham | 354 | 59.6 | +18% |
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -18% |
| Bournemouth | 21,896 | 108.0 | +113% |
| Bearwood | 302 | 59.5 | +17% |
| Corfe Mullen | 393 | 36.8 | -27% |
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -46% |
| Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | 2,773 | 58.0 | +14% |
Swanage is the one area listed within Swanage, with 50.7 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanage | Neighbourhood | 9,411 | 477 | 50.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Swanage over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Commercial Road” (25).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Commercial Road | 25 |
| On or near Nightclub | 21 |
| On or near Supermarket | 19 |
| On or near Globe Close | 16 |
| On or near Mermond Place | 16 |
| On or near Brickyard Close | 14 |
| On or near Greensands Way | 14 |
| On or near Holmes Road | 14 |
| On or near Institute Road | 13 |
| On or near Smiths Farm | 12 |
Of the 366 crimes in Swanage with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 111 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 132 | 36.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 108 | 29.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 52 | 14.2% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 18 | 4.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 15 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 14 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 3.3% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Swanage has an estimated population of 9,411 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (37%, against 19%), more retired residents (40%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Swanage average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Swanage | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 11.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 37.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 45.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 39.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Swanage a safe place to live?
Swanage recorded 50.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,135th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Swanage?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 202 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (111).
Is crime in Swanage going up or down?
Recorded crime in Swanage was up 9% on the year before: 477 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 437 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Swanage?
About 9,411 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 37% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Swanage?
Swanage 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.