Total Crime Rate
56.7 per 1,000
All offences · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025Dorset has the 5th lowest crime rate of 27 districts in South West region and the 36th lowest crime rate district of 318 districts in England and Wales. Within the region (South West), it has the 5th lowest crime rate of 27 districts.
The overall crime rate in Dorset in the last 12 months was 56.7 per 1,000 residents and was 32.7% lower than the South West region average (84.1 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, Dorset’s most reported crimes were Violence and sexual offences with 7,974 offences recorded. The least common crime was Theft from the person with 80 cases , down -16.7% compared to 2024. The fastest-growing crime category was Drugs ( 7.2% YoY). The sharpest decline was Vehicle crime ( -29.8% YoY).
Violent crimes totalled 9,500 (≈ 24.8 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were flat ( -1.0% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has falling ( -49.2% comparing early vs recent averages) .
Last 12 months · All offences per 1,000 residents
District average: 56.7 per 1,000
| Ward | Per 1,000 | vs. District | Label vs UK wards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melcombe Regis | 385.3 | 328.7 (580%) | Very high 10/10 |
| 2 | Wimborne Minster | 87.8 | 31.2 (55%) | High 7/10 |
| 3 | Shaftesbury Town | 76.6 | 19.9 (35%) | High 7/10 |
| 4 | Portland | 76.0 | 19.4 (34%) | High 7/10 |
| 5 | Dorchester Poundbury | 75.5 | 18.8 (33%) | High 7/10 |
| 6 | Westham | 75.2 | 18.5 (33%) | Typical 6/10 |
| 7 | Dorchester West | 70.8 | 14.2 (25%) | Typical 6/10 |
| 8 | Radipole | 69.4 | 12.8 (23%) | Typical 6/10 |
| 9 | Dorchester East | 68.4 | 11.8 (21%) | Typical 6/10 |
| 10 | Bridport | 66.1 | 9.5 (17%) | Typical 6/10 |
| 11 | Chickerell | 64.1 | 7.4 (13%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 12 | Sherborne East | 63.7 | 7.0 (12%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 13 | Littlemoor & Preston | 62.8 | 6.1 (11%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 14 | Blandford | 59.9 | 3.2 (6%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 15 | Lyme & Charmouth | 59.3 | 2.6 (5%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 16 | Wareham | 56.7 | 0.1 (0%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 17 | West Purbeck | 55.0 | -1.7 (-3%) | Typical 5/10 |
| 18 | Sturminster Newton | 53.5 | -3.1 (-6%) | Low 4/10 |
| 19 | Rodwell & Wyke | 53.3 | -3.4 (-6%) | Low 4/10 |
| 20 | Sherborne Rural | 51.5 | -5.2 (-9%) | Low 4/10 |
| 21 | Ferndown North | 50.8 | -5.8 (-10%) | Low 4/10 |
| 22 | St Leonards & St Ives | 48.0 | -8.6 (-15%) | Low 4/10 |
| 23 | Winterborne North | 47.7 | -9.0 (-16%) | Low 4/10 |
| 24 | Swanage | 47.3 | -9.4 (-17%) | Low 4/10 |
| 25 | Sherborne West | 45.8 | -10.9 (-19%) | Low 3/10 |
| 26 | South East Purbeck | 44.6 | -12.0 (-21%) | Low 3/10 |
| 27 | Beacon | 44.6 | -12.1 (-21%) | Low 3/10 |
| 28 | West Parley | 40.7 | -16.0 (-28%) | Low 3/10 |
| 29 | West Moors & Three Legged Cross | 40.5 | -16.2 (-29%) | Low 3/10 |
| 30 | Gillingham | 40.0 | -16.6 (-29%) | Low 3/10 |
| 31 | Beaminster | 39.3 | -17.4 (-31%) | Low 3/10 |
| 32 | Ferndown South | 37.8 | -18.9 (-33%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 33 | Blackmore Vale | 37.2 | -19.5 (-34%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 34 | Verwood | 37.0 | -19.6 (-35%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 35 | Lytchett Matravers & Upton | 37.0 | -19.7 (-35%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 36 | Colehill & Wimborne Minster East | 36.2 | -20.4 (-36%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 37 | Stour & Allen Vale | 35.1 | -21.5 (-38%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 38 | Stalbridge & Marnhull | 34.4 | -22.2 (-39%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 39 | Cranborne & Alderholt | 33.7 | -23.0 (-41%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 40 | Crossways | 33.6 | -23.0 (-41%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 41 | Corfe Mullen | 33.1 | -23.6 (-42%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 42 | Chesil Bank | 31.9 | -24.8 (-44%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 43 | Winterborne & Broadmayne | 30.4 | -26.3 (-46%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 44 | Yetminster | 30.2 | -26.4 (-47%) | Very low 2/10 |
| 45 | Charminster St Mary's | 29.0 | -27.7 (-49%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 46 | Chalk Valleys | 28.9 | -27.7 (-49%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 47 | Eggardon | 28.8 | -27.9 (-49%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 48 | Puddletown & Lower Winterborne | 27.2 | -29.4 (-52%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 49 | Marshwood Vale | 24.3 | -32.4 (-57%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 50 | Upwey & Broadwey | 24.0 | -32.6 (-58%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 51 | Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants | 23.9 | -32.8 (-58%) | Very low 1/10 |
| 52 | Cranborne Chase | 20.1 | -36.6 (-65%) | Very low 1/10 |
StreetScan crime figures are based on official UK open data:
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.