Crap Towns / Shaftesbury / Crime

How much crime is there in Shaftesbury?

The police recorded 51.6 crimes per 1,000 people a year in Shaftesbury from September 2023 to August 2026, 32% lower than the typical town's 76.2. The most common was violence and sexual offences, at 21.6. In the 12 months to August 2026 it was 52.8, up from 44.0 in the 12 months to August 2024.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
September 2023 to August 2024	44.0	78.6
September 2024 to August 2025	57.9	77.4
September 2025 to August 2026	52.8	73.7

**By type**
Crime	Here	Typical town
Violence and sexual offences	21.6	34.1
Criminal damage and arson	6.8	7.0
Shoplifting	5.4	7.1
Vehicle crime	4.2	3.8
Other theft	4.1	5.4
Burglary	3.3	3.1
Public order	3.2	6.6
Other crime	0.9	2.0
Drugs	0.7	2.4
Robbery	0.4	0.6
Theft from the person	0.4	0.4
Bicycle theft	0.3	0.5
Possession of weapons	0.3	0.8

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Crimes per 1,000 people a year
Frome	26.4 km	84.6
Wincanton	16.3 km	77.7
Salisbury	28.6 km	77.1
Warminster	21.9 km	63.5
Blandford Forum	16.5 km	55.1
Shaftesbury	–	51.6
Westbury	28.4 km	49.0
Wimborne Minster	27.7 km	47.2
Sherborne	23.8 km	42.2
Gillingham	6.9 km	37.1
Verwood	26.3 km	27.4
The typical town	–	76.2