Postcode area · Dorchester
Crime in DT
How much crime is recorded in DT, what kind, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
- Council
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Population
- 247,579 (2024)
DTPostcode area · Dorchester
How safe is DT
Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 18.6 offences per 1,000 people a year in DT, well below the 31.1 average across England and Wales. That puts it in band 2 of 10 against all council areas.
Higher-harm crime band
2/ 10
Lowest crimeHighest crime
Lower than most council areas in England and Wales.
Higher-harm
18.6
Per 1,000 a year · England & Wales 31.1
All crime
42
Per 1,000 a year · England & Wales 67
What crime is recorded
Recorded offences per 1,000 people a year (counting both residents and people who work locally, or per 1,000 households for burglary).
DTNational
Violence and sexual offences15.723.6
Anti-social behaviour10.810.7
Burglary4.49.1
Shoplifting4.48.4
Criminal damage and arson3.14.7
Other theft2.64.5
Public order2.24.6
Vehicle crime1.23.5
Drugs0.92.4
Other crime0.81.5
Bicycle theft0.51.0
Possession of weapons0.50.9
Robbery0.51.4
Theft from the person0.42.1
Higher-harm crime over time
The rate has been broadly flat since 2022.
Higher-harm crimes per 1,000
0
10
20
30
2022202320242025
Source: data.police.uk street-level crime, resolved to neighbourhoods. Rates cover September 2025 to August 2026, the latest twelve months published.