Crime

Total crime

Police recorded crime figures include notifiable offences that have been reported to and recorded by the police. Therefore, police recorded crime does not capture all crimes that occur, with some types of crimes more likely to be underreported than others.

There were 32,555 police recorded crimes in Southampton during 2023/24, which is a decrease of -8.2% (-2,900 crimes) compared to the previous year (2022/23). This decrease is in line with local and national trends, with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary also experiencing a -8.2% decrease and England a -3.6% decrease over the same period.

However, it is important to note that changes in the volume of crimes vary across different crime groups. As police recorded crime only includes crimes that have been reported to and recorded by the police, ‘hidden’ crimes such as domestic abuse are far more likely to be underreported than other offences such as theft.

The decline in total recorded crime over the last year is unlikely to reflect a ‘true’ decline in crime, particularly as changes in counting rules were re-introduced in June 2023, which has led to a reduction in violent, domestic crimes and public order offences. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Force Strategic Assessment also highlights that the above changes in counting rules have likely contributed to the decline in overall crime observed in 2023/24. It should also be highlighted that in addition to changes in counting rules, police recorded crime can be influenced by improved awareness of key issues and improvements in recording by the police.

A crime prioritisation scoring exercise highlighted the following crime groups as a priority for the Partnership:

• Sexual offences
• Violent crime (all forms), including VAWG
• Domestic offences, including domestic violence
• Theft offences

Sexual offences, violent crimes and domestic offences have consistently featured among the top priority areas for the last six years.

Crime distribution within the city

Studies have consistently found strong links between risk factors such as poverty and crime. Poverty alone does not cause criminal behaviour or victimisation but generates material and social conditions that mean that people living in poorer neighbourhoods are generally more likely to be the victims and/or the perpetrators of crime. Therefore, as poverty and other risk factors vary across the city, so will the frequency and relative severity of crime.

The crime rate in Southampton varies considerably by ward. Bargate ward had the highest rate of crimes per resident population in 2023/24. Bargate ward covers the city centre, which is where a large proportion of the day and night-time economy is in Southampton, which are associated with certain crime types, such as alcohol affected crime. Bassett ward had the lowest rate of offences, this ward is one of the more affluent areas of the city.

More information can be found in the deprivation and poverty page.

What do residents say?

Feelings of safety in the community are important, as residents should be able to go about their daily activities without fear of crime or harm. The 2024 Southampton community safety survey was carried out by Southampton City Council from 27 August 2024 to 15 September 2024 to elicit the views of people living, studying and working in the city on community safety issues.

The majority of people who responded to the survey in 2024 felt crime had increased in the last 12 months (54%), with just 3% of respondents feeling it had declined. Around a third (32%) of respondents reported being a victim of crime or anti-social behaviour in Southampton during the last 12 months. Just 18% of respondents to the 2024 survey agreed that the police and other local public services were successfully dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour in their local area.

Survey respondents were asked about feelings of safety in their local area and the city centre. The majority of respondents in the 2024 survey felt safe during the day in their local area (78% felt safe) and in the city centre (62% felt safe). Respondents felt less safe after dark, particularly in the city centre; 42% of respondents felt safe after dark in their local area compared to 29% feeling safe after dark in the city centre. Feelings of safety after dark remain a substantial issue in Southampton, with females and respondents with disabilities feeling the most unsafe.

A summary report and slide set produced as part of the 2023/24 Strategic Assessment are available to download below. The interactive community safety dashboard can be accessed using the link below. For more information on crime in Southampton, see the Safe City Strategic Assessment page.