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Crime Topic Data

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In a national context, crime in Dorset is consistently very low, well below the average in England.

Total recorded crime has fallen by 2% in this fiscal year compared to last year1, and anti-social behaviour incidents have decreased by 14% from last year. The number of domestic abuse incidents have increased by 2% since the last financial year.

Data relates to the fiscal year 2023/24 unless stated otherwise

Download this report (PDF)

Dorset Community Safety Partnership Priorities1

  • Sexual Offences
  • Domestic Abuse and Stalking
  • Serious and Public Place Violence
  • Fraud
  • Anti-Social Behaviour
  • Rural Crime
  • In 2023-24 there were 5,436 incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Dorset Council area
  • 75% of these were classified as nuisance, 13% personal and 12% environmental.
  • Weymouth has the highest rate of anti-social behaviour across the Dorset Council area.
  • There were 725 serious sexual offences in the Dorset Council area last year.
  • There were 3,965 domestic abuse incidents in the Dorset Council area last year.

Other Crime

  • Total crimes were slightly lower this year than in the previous year.
  • East Dorset is the former district with the lowest crime rate in Dorset...and Weymouth and Portland has the highest.
  • Crime is highest in Dorset between April and June each year, which could be because of the better weather and the longer daylight hours.
  • In 2023 68% of residents surveyed across Dorset said that they felt safe in their local area after dark, a significant drop since 2019 (77%).
  • Compared to other areas, crime in the Dorset Council area is consistently low. Last year, Dorset had a lower crime rate than most council areas3.

In the last year:1

  • Residential Burglary accounts for 87% of acquisitive crimes
  • While Robbery accounts for 13%
  • Most Robbery took place in Weymouth
  • While most Burglaries occurred in East Dorset
Crimes in the Dorset Council Area
Crimes in the Dorset Council Area

Hate Crime4

  • A hate crime or incident is any criminal offence or non-criminal incidence, perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate towards a person’s protected characteristic.
  • One of the focuses of local policing when tackling Hate Crime is on building trust and confidence in reporting and ensuring that everyone knows how to report a hate crime or incident. Third party reporting centres and trusted community partners are key to this.
  • Hate crimes are reported separately to racially and religiously aggravated crimes, the number of hate crimes and incidents for the financial year 2023/24 across Dorset Council were 27. The number of racially/religiously aggravated crime fell from 90 last year to 85 this year.
  • The council is a member of Prejudice Free Dorset, a partnership group made up of local agencies that seeks to promote inclusive communities and challenge prejudice cross Dorset, so everyone can go about their daily lives safely and with confidence5.

Headline Figures

725

Serious sexual offences in Dorset last year

77%

Of sexual assaults are committed against women

5,436

Anti-social behaviour incidents

1 in 7

Of all anti-social behaviour incidents in Dorset occur in Melcombe Regis in Weymouth

3,965

Domestic abuse incidents

2%

Total crime down by

Headline Figures

725

Serious sexual offences in Dorset last year

77%

Of sexual assaults are committed against women

5,436

Anti-social behaviour incidents

1 in 7

Of all anti-social behaviour incidents in Dorset occur in Melcombe Regis in Weymouth

3,965

Domestic abuse incidents

2%

Total crime down by

Sources

12 Reports

Order by: Newest first

12 Related Datasets

Order by: Newest first

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019- National and Dorset Council Ranks

    Published: 03 January 2020

    The English Indices of Deprivation helps identify and prioritise areas to assist the government and other agencies both national and local in narrowing the gap between deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.

    Downloads: 2051

    Download (Excel)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset East Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset East SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1593

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset West Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset West SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 2152

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Mid Dorset Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Mid Dorset SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1772

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - South East Dorset Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across South East Dorset SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 2211

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset North Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset North SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1907

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset South Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset South SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1463

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset Council Maps

    Published: 25 November 2019

    The combined map base pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation (IMD) map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture for Dorset. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1200

    Download (PDF)

  • Crime and Anti-social Behaviour types by district 2011-2016

    Published: 12 December 2016

    Summary crime data at Local Authority level.

    Downloads: 1327

    Download (Excel)

  • Crime Data by Main Crime Groups - 2015/2016, Dorset Local Authorities

    Published: 08 December 2016

    2015/2016 crime numbers and crime per 1,000 population by Main Crime Groups (by district).

    Downloads: 1458

    Download (Excel)

  • Domestic Abuse Statistics - Data Tool

    Published: 08 December 2016

    An overview of available statistics and data relating to domestic abuse, for individual Police Force Areas (plus regional and national figures). Raw data available for independent analysis.

    Downloads: 1977

    Download (Website)

  • English Indices of Deprivation 2015

    Published: 30 September 2015

    This English Indices of Deprivation helps identify and prioritise areas to assist the government and other agencies both national and local in narrowing the gap between deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.

    Downloads: 2699

    Download (Excel)

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