Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
BH5 · Bournemouth
274
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
BH17 · Poole
95
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Poole has less crime — 95 vs 274 incidents in February 2026.
Bournemouth recorded substantially more crime than Poole in February 2026 — 274 incidents compared to 95, a 2.9x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Bournemouth records significantly more (101 vs 36 incidents). Bournemouth sits above the national average for recorded crime while Poole is below — a significant gap for anyone weighing up the two.
Full reports cover 24 months of trends, ward breakdowns, outcome rates, and a detailed safety score — from £4.99.
Based on February 2026 Police data, Poole recorded fewer crimes than Bournemouth — 95 vs 274 incidents. That is 65% fewer crimes. Poole is also below the national average for crime.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In February 2026, Bournemouth recorded 101 incidents of this type vs 36 in Poole. Overall, Poole had fewer total crimes (95 vs 274).