Crime in Weymouth: statistics, rates and trends
5,466 crimes were recorded in Weymouth in the 12 months to August 2026, 101.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Weymouth at a glance
- Crime trends in Weymouth
- Types of crime in Weymouth
- Weymouth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Weymouth
- Streets with the most crime in Weymouth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Weymouth
- Demographics of Weymouth
- Questions about crime in Weymouth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,999), anti-social behaviour (1,612) and shoplifting (503) made up 75% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 335th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Weymouth | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,466 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 101.3 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 53,983 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Weymouth of any year here (5,466 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,466 | 101.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,531 | 102.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,742 | 106.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,652 | 104.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 6,235 | 115.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,120 | 113.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,654 | 123.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,063 | 130.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,523 | 139.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 631 |
| July 2026 | 623 |
| June 2026 | 497 |
| May 2026 | 499 |
| April 2026 | 475 |
| March 2026 | 447 |
| February 2026 | 325 |
| January 2026 | 362 |
| December 2025 | 423 |
| November 2025 | 370 |
| October 2025 | 425 |
| September 2025 | 389 |
Compared with England and Wales, Weymouth recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (94% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (76% below) and vehicle crime (73% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 34 to 42, while other crime fell from 56 to 37 and bicycle theft fell from 43 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,999 | 37.0 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,612 | 29.9 | 15.4 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 503 | 9.3 | 8.5 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 373 | 6.9 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Public order | 279 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -20% |
| Other theft | 234 | 4.3 | 6.4 | -18% |
| Drugs | 114 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +4% |
| Burglary | 109 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Vehicle crime | 72 | 1.3 | 5.0 | -25% |
| Robbery | 42 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +24% |
| Possession of weapons | 40 | 0.7 | 1.0 | +5% |
| Other crime | 37 | 0.7 | 2.1 | -34% |
| Bicycle theft | 30 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -30% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -12% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Weymouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weston (Dorset) | 372 | 67.7 | -33% |
| Dorchester (Dorset) | 1,631 | 72.1 | -29% |
| Wool | 302 | 50.7 | -50% |
| Bridport | 845 | 84.8 | -16% |
| Wareham | 354 | 59.6 | -41% |
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -59% |
| Blandford Forum | 800 | 58.0 | -43% |
| Swanage | 477 | 50.7 | -50% |
Of the 6 areas within Weymouth, Melcombe Regis had the highest crime rate (383.1 per 1,000) and Rodwell & Wyke the lowest (53.6), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melcombe Regis | Neighbourhood | 4,918 | 1,884 | 383.1 |
| Westham | Neighbourhood | 9,688 | 971 | 100.2 |
| Radipole | Neighbourhood | 8,413 | 711 | 84.5 |
| Upwey & Broadwey | Neighbourhood | 3,775 | 228 | 60.4 |
| Littlemoor & Preston | Neighbourhood | 11,186 | 636 | 56.9 |
| Rodwell & Wyke | Neighbourhood | 13,890 | 745 | 53.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Weymouth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (328).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 328 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 154 |
| On or near Supermarket | 153 |
| On or near Great George Street | 122 |
| On or near The Rise | 114 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 108 |
| On or near New Street | 102 |
| On or near St Edmund Street | 83 |
| On or near St Nicholas Street | 81 |
| On or near Granby Close | 79 |
Of the 3,854 crimes in Weymouth with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,612 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,460 | 37.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 961 | 24.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 472 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 349 | 9.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 143 | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 137 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 109 | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 93 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 67 | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 38 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Weymouth has an estimated population of 53,983 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (28%, against 19%), fewer students (4.3%, against 7.9%) and more retired residents (31%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Weymouth average decile 5.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Weymouth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 28.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 31.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Weymouth a safe place to live?
Weymouth recorded 101.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 335th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Weymouth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,999 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,612).
Is crime in Weymouth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Weymouth was down 1% on the year before: 5,466 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,531 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Weymouth?
About 53,983 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 28% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Weymouth?
Weymouth 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.