Crime in Wool: statistics, rates and trends
302 crimes were recorded in Wool 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 down 6% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (118), anti-social behaviour (99) and other theft (23) made up 79% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,134th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Wool | Dorset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 302 | 21,072 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 50.7 | 54.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 5,958 | 389,947 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Wool of any year here (302 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 23%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 302 | 50.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 321 | 53.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 349 | 58.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 315 | 52.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 381 | 63.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 416 | 69.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 355 | 59.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 349 | 58.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 394 | 66.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 39 |
| July 2026 | 30 |
| June 2026 | 24 |
| May 2026 | 20 |
| April 2026 | 16 |
| March 2026 | 27 |
| February 2026 | 16 |
| January 2026 | 20 |
| December 2025 | 24 |
| November 2025 | 24 |
| October 2025 | 37 |
| September 2025 | 25 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (47% below) and violence and sexual offences (42% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour fell from 127 to 99 and public order fell from 25 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 118 | 19.8 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 99 | 16.6 | 15.4 | -22% |
| Other theft | 23 | 3.9 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Public order | 21 | 3.5 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10 | 1.7 | 6.7 | n/a |
| Burglary | 9 | 1.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 8 | 1.3 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 1.0 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Other crime | 4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 2 | 0.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wool; the highest is Weymouth (101.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Corfe Mullen (36.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wareham | 354 | 59.6 | +18% |
| Dorchester (Dorset) | 1,631 | 72.1 | +42% |
| Upton (Dorset) | 366 | 41.8 | -18% |
| Corfe Mullen | 393 | 36.8 | -27% |
| Weymouth | 5,466 | 101.3 | +100% |
| Blandford Forum | 800 | 58.0 | +14% |
| Poole | 10,739 | 74.0 | +46% |
| Swanage | 477 | 50.7 | 0% |
West Purbeck is the one area listed within Wool, with 50.7 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Purbeck | Neighbourhood | 10,863 | 551 | 50.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 61% of the crime recorded in Wool over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Giddy Green Lane” (91).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Giddy Green Lane | 91 |
| On or near Back Lane | 22 |
| On or near High Street | 13 |
| On or near New Road | 11 |
| On or near Knowle Hill | 9 |
| On or near Cranesmoor Close | 8 |
| On or near Duncan Crescent | 8 |
| On or near Rhine Road | 8 |
| On or near Burton Wood | 7 |
| On or near Parking Area | 7 |
Of the 203 crimes in Wool with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 99 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 78 | 38.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 60 | 29.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 26 | 12.8% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 12 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 8 | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5 | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 2.5% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Local resolution | 3 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Wool has an estimated population of 5,958 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (11%, against 23%), fewer students (5.5%, against 7.9%) and more children (23%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wool average decile 5.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Wool | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 10.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wool a safe place to live?
Wool 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 1,134th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Wool?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 118 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (99).
Is crime in Wool going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wool was down 6% on the year before: 302 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 321 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wool?
About 5,958 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wool?
Wool 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.