Crime in Wareham: statistics, rates and trends
354 crimes were recorded in Wareham in the 12 months to August 2026, 59.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (116), anti-social behaviour (94) and shoplifting (40) made up 71% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 964th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Wareham | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 354 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 59.6 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 5,939 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wareham peaked in the year to August 2019 (494 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (350). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 28%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 354 | 59.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 350 | 58.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 427 | 71.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 355 | 59.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 377 | 63.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 448 | 75.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 450 | 75.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 494 | 83.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 491 | 82.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 26 |
| July 2026 | 40 |
| June 2026 | 30 |
| May 2026 | 34 |
| April 2026 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 42 |
| February 2026 | 33 |
| January 2026 | 16 |
| December 2025 | 21 |
| November 2025 | 24 |
| October 2025 | 22 |
| September 2025 | 24 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and violence and sexual offences (43% below) and other theft (29% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 25 to 40 and anti-social behaviour rose from 67 to 94, while criminal damage and arson fell from 40 to 31.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 116 | 19.5 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 94 | 15.8 | 15.4 | +40% |
| Shoplifting | 40 | 6.7 | 8.5 | +60% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 31 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -22% |
| Other theft | 27 | 4.5 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Public order | 13 | 2.2 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Burglary | 10 | 1.7 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 9 | 1.5 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 8 | 1.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Other crime | 1 | 0.2 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wareham; the highest is Poole (74.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Merley (27.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -30% |
| Wool | 302 | 50.7 | -15% |
| Corfe Mullen | 393 | 36.8 | -38% |
| Poole | 10,739 | 74.0 | +24% |
| Swanage | 477 | 50.7 | -15% |
| Merley | 167 | 27.4 | -54% |
| Bearwood | 302 | 59.5 | 0% |
| Wimborne Minster | 972 | 60.8 | +2% |
Wareham is the one area listed within Wareham, with 54.8 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wareham | Neighbourhood | 10,467 | 574 | 54.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 48% of the crime recorded in Wareham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (62).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 62 |
| On or near Christmas Close | 17 |
| On or near Pride Place | 17 |
| On or near North Causeway | 15 |
| On or near Admirals Way | 12 |
| On or near Hibbs Close | 12 |
| On or near Northport Drive | 9 |
| On or near Parking Area | 9 |
| On or near Roper'S Lane | 9 |
| On or near Worgret Gardens | 9 |
Of the 260 crimes in Wareham with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 94 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 91 | 35.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 84 | 32.3% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 25 | 9.6% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 22 | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 4.6% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 9 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 1.9% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 1.9% | 0.6% |
| Status update unavailable | 5 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 2 | 0.8% | 2.5% |
Wareham has an estimated population of 5,939 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (33%, against 19%), more retired residents (36%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.4%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wareham average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Wareham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 32.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 35.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wareham a safe place to live?
Wareham recorded 59.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 964th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Wareham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 116 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (94).
Is crime in Wareham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wareham was up 1% on the year before: 354 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 350 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wareham?
About 5,939 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 33% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wareham?
Wareham 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.