Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
BH8 · Bournemouth
296
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
BH19 · Dorset
18
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Swanage has less crime — 18 vs 296 incidents in February 2026.
Bournemouth recorded substantially more crime than Swanage in February 2026 — 296 incidents compared to 18, a 16.4x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Bournemouth records significantly more (92 vs 8 incidents). Bournemouth sits above the national average for recorded crime while Swanage 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, Swanage recorded fewer crimes than Bournemouth — 18 vs 296 incidents. That is 94% fewer crimes. Swanage is also below the national average for crime.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In February 2026, Bournemouth recorded 92 incidents of this type vs 8 in Swanage. Overall, Swanage had fewer total crimes (18 vs 296).