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Dorset crime: The neighbourhoods with the most anti-social behaviour
People living in Bournemouth town centre suffer from more anti-social behaviour than almost anywhere else in the country – and you can see how your neighbourhood compares with our interactive map. Hyper-local police figures show that 1,200 incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) were recorded in the Central Bournemouth area last year.
That could include vandalism, verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, fighting, intimidation and harassment. When compared to the size of the population, that amounted to the equivalent of 108 incidents of ASB for every 1,000 residents, the highest rate in Dorset and far higher than the national average of 17 per 1,000 people.
It is also the 19th highest rate of ASB of almost 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales. The next highest in Dorset was the East Cliff area with 1,129 incidents of ASB and then Melcombe Regis & Rodwell area of Weymouth with 1,025 incidents.
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At the other end of the spectrum, North Dorset’s Child Okeford & Iwerne Minster neighbourhood was the safest in Dorset for ASB, with just four incidents for every 1,000 residents. You can see how much ASB takes place in your neighbourhood using our interactive map, along with how that compares to the national average.
Simply enter your postcode below:
What are the 10 areas of Dorset with the most reported incidents of anti-social behaviour?
According to our compiled data from Police.uk, they are the following:
Across nearly 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales – with the exception of Greater Manchester, where police were unable to provide localised figures due to ongoing computer issues – there were 990,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour last year. But that was a 37% drop from around 1.4 million crimes recorded in 2021. However, that included breaches of pandemic restrictions which police said would not normally be considered ASB.
Last year more ASB took place in Newcastle’s City Centre & Arthur’s Hill neighbourhood than anywhere else in England and Wales (2,925). But when compared to the population, King Charles III lives in the neighbourhood with the highest rate of ASB.
Last year there were the equivalent of 370 incidents of ASB in the Strand, St James & Mayfair neighbourhood of Westminster – which includes Buckingham Palace, the official residence of King Charles III. The next highest was the seaside neighbourhood of Central Blackpool, with 297 crimes of ASB per 1,000 residents, and then Fitzrovia West & Soho in Westminster.
Ulverley Green and Langley in Solihull was the safest neighbourhood in England and Wales for ASB, with fewer than one incident for every 1,000 residents. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said: “During the pandemic, with many more people at home, there was a significant rise in reporting of anti-social behaviour.
“Since the lifting of restrictions and many people returning to normality we have seen a steady decrease in the number of reports. Everyone should be live their lives free from intimidation and harassment. It is important to have a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour as the police are only one part of the solution.
“Force working with local authorities and other agencies to tackle ASB affecting communities. The public must continue to report incidents of ASB. The police, and other agencies, will use their powers to deal with persistent offenders who blight local communities.”
While some forms of anti-social behaviour can seem relatively trivial, this type of offending can have a major impact on people’s lives in the neighbourhoods where it takes place. Victim Support says many people who experience anti-social behaviour are frightened to go out and don’t feel safe in their own homes.
The charity’s chief executive, Diana Fawcett, said: “Anti-social behaviour is often thought of as low level but it can actually have a devastating impact, destroying people’s sense of safety, taking a huge toll on their mental health and massively disrupting their day to day lives.
“Many victims end up losing serious amounts of money or even needing to move house. It’s vital that the government uses the upcoming Victim’s Bill to strengthen the rights of persistent antisocial behaviour victims and improve the support available to them.”
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