Wareham Crime Rate October 2025 | Monthly Statistics

In October 2025, Wareham — a built-up area within Dorset — recorded 22 crimes across its population of 5,875 residents, resulting in a crime rate of 3.7 per 1,000. This figure is 51.9% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000, placing the area among the safest in the country. The most common crimes were violence and sexual offences (7 incidents, 31.8% of total), followed by anti-social behaviour (6 incidents, 27.3%) and criminal damage and arson (4 incidents, 18.2%). These patterns align with the area's character as a relatively low-density built-up region, where the absence of major urban infrastructure or high-traffic commercial zones likely contributes to the overall lower crime rate. Seasonal factors in October, including darker evenings and the Halloween period, may have influenced the 75% increase in violence and sexual offences compared to the previous month. However, the persistent low levels of shoplifting (2 incidents, 9.1% of total) and vehicle crime (2 incidents, 9.1% of total), both significantly below UK averages, suggest that local conditions — such as limited retail density and strong community policing — may play a role in deterring certain types of crime. The breakdown also shows that anti-social behaviour, while still present, remains 21% below the UK average, indicating a broader trend of community cohesion that may help mitigate conflict in public spaces.

October 2025 saw a 75% increase in violence and sexual offences, with the category rising from 4 to 7 incidents. This spike, however, remains 55% below the UK average of 2.7 per 1,000. Conversely, other theft dropped by 50% (from 2 to 1 incidents), and vehicle crime fell by 33.3% (from 3 to 2), both significantly below the UK average for those categories. The area's anti-social behaviour rate of 1.0 per 1,000 — 21% below the UK's 1.3 per 1,000 — highlights a persistent trend of lower conflict levels compared to national benchmarks. Criminal damage and arson at 0.7 per 1,000 — 25% above the UK's 0.6 per 1,000 — suggests a unique local pattern that may partly explain the rise in violence. For residents, the drop in shoplifting by 33.3% (from 3 to 2 incidents) offers a tangible indicator of reduced retail crime during the Halloween season, despite longer evenings.

Wareham's crime rate in October 2025 fell to 3.7 per 1,000 residents, an 8.6% decrease from the previous month's 4.1 per 1,000. This decline positions the area as one of the lowest-risk built-up regions in the UK, where the national average stands at 7.7 per 1,000. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 1 crime per day over October's 31 days, reflecting a consistently low level of criminal activity. When considering the monthly exposure, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 267 residents over the course of the month, a figure that underscores the relatively low frequency of incidents in a community of 5,875 people. This context is particularly significant for local residents, as it suggests that the likelihood of encountering crime in daily life remains minimal compared to both national averages and previous months. The population-scaled perspective further illustrates that even with the 75% increase in violence and sexual offences, the absolute number of such incidents remains low when distributed across the area's demographic profile.