Crime in Verwood: statistics, rates and trends
508 crimes were recorded in Verwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 35.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (170), anti-social behaviour (130) and shoplifting (49) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,340th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest tenth.
| Measure | Verwood | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 508 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 35.5 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 14,311 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Verwood peaked in the year to August 2023 (708 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (486). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 508 | 35.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 563 | 39.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 486 | 34.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 708 | 49.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 650 | 45.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 647 | 45.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 679 | 47.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 657 | 45.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 590 | 41.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 39 |
| July 2026 | 54 |
| June 2026 | 45 |
| May 2026 | 59 |
| April 2026 | 41 |
| March 2026 | 34 |
| February 2026 | 47 |
| January 2026 | 34 |
| December 2025 | 32 |
| November 2025 | 36 |
| October 2025 | 44 |
| September 2025 | 43 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and other theft (76% below) and public order (72% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 36 to 49 and anti-social behaviour rose from 96 to 130, while other theft fell from 80 to 22 and public order fell from 42 to 27.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 170 | 11.9 | 34.2 | -16% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 130 | 9.1 | 15.4 | +35% |
| Shoplifting | 49 | 3.4 | 8.5 | +36% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 44 | 3.1 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Public order | 27 | 1.9 | 6.7 | -36% |
| Other theft | 22 | 1.5 | 6.4 | -72% |
| Vehicle crime | 22 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +10% |
| Burglary | 19 | 1.3 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 11 | 0.8 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Drugs | 4 | 0.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.1 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Verwood; the highest is Fordingbridge (75.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Merley (27.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Verwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Heath | 319 | 39.2 | +10% |
| West Moors | 448 | 42.8 | +20% |
| Ringwood | 920 | 71.3 | +101% |
| Fordingbridge | 408 | 75.2 | +112% |
| Ferndown | 545 | 39.6 | +11% |
| Wimborne Minster | 972 | 60.8 | +71% |
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -23% |
| Bearwood | 302 | 59.5 | +68% |
Verwood is the one area listed within Verwood, with 35.5 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verwood | Neighbourhood | 14,311 | 508 | 35.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Verwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (57).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 57 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 46 |
| On or near Eastworth Road | 23 |
| On or near Bingham Drive | 22 |
| On or near Oak Field Road | 13 |
| On or near Brook Drive | 12 |
| On or near Heather Gardens | 12 |
| On or near Verwood Road | 12 |
| On or near Manor Court | 11 |
| On or near Bingham Road | 10 |
Of the 378 crimes in Verwood with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 130 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 151 | 39.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 131 | 34.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 40 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 20 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 12 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 7 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 2 | 0.5% | 2.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Verwood has an estimated population of 14,311 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (7.6%, against 23.3%), less social housing (6.2%, against 17.1%) and more retired residents (32%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Verwood average decile 8.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Verwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 28.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 1.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 32.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 7.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 82.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 6.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 11.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Verwood a safe place to live?
Verwood recorded 35.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,340th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Verwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 170 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (130).
Is crime in Verwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Verwood was down 10% on the year before: 508 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 563 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Verwood?
About 14,311 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 28% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Verwood?
Verwood 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.