Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
BH4 · Bournemouth
308
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
BH13 · Poole
69
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Poole has less crime — 69 vs 308 incidents in February 2026.
Bournemouth recorded substantially more crime than Poole in February 2026 — 308 incidents compared to 69, a 4.5x difference. The crime profiles diverge meaningfully: Bournemouth sees higher rates of Shoplifting (35), while Poole has more Vehicle crime (7). 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 — 69 vs 308 incidents. That is 78% fewer crimes. Poole is also below the national average for crime.
The main difference lies in crime type. In February 2026, Bournemouth saw higher rates of Shoplifting while Poole had more Vehicle crime. Overall, Poole recorded fewer total crimes (69 vs 308).