Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
BH11 · Bournemouth
205
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
BH18 · Poole
59
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Poole has less crime — 59 vs 205 incidents in February 2026.
Bournemouth recorded substantially more crime than Poole in February 2026 — 205 incidents compared to 59, a 3.5x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Bournemouth records significantly more (58 vs 20 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 — 59 vs 205 incidents. That is 71% 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 58 incidents of this type vs 20 in Poole. Overall, Poole had fewer total crimes (59 vs 205).