Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
BH8 · Bournemouth
309
crimes in April 2026
Above national average
DT1 · Dorset
124
crimes in April 2026
Near national average
Dorchester has less crime — 124 vs 309 incidents in April 2026.
Bournemouth recorded notably higher crime than Dorchester in April 2026 — 309 vs 124 incidents. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Bournemouth records significantly more (85 vs 39 incidents). Both areas sit near the national average, with modest differences in their overall safety profile.
Full reports cover 24 months of trends, ward breakdowns, outcome rates, and a detailed safety score — from £4.99.
Based on April 2026 Police data, Dorchester recorded fewer crimes than Bournemouth — 124 vs 309 incidents. That is 60% fewer crimes. Bournemouth is above the national average.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In April 2026, Bournemouth recorded 85 incidents of this type vs 39 in Dorchester. Overall, Dorchester had fewer total crimes (124 vs 309).