Crime in Alton
Recorded crime in Alton is 1.2 times the East Hampshire average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 24%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Alton: about 16,275 residents in 16 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −24%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the East Hampshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Alton.
Crime over 5 years
Down 24% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Alton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the East Hampshire average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 57 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 70% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 70% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 12 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in East Hampshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole East Hampshire council area, not only Alton. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 86 | 0.66 | Down 7% |
| Cars broken into | 115 | 0.88 | Down 44% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 353 | 2.7 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 109 | 0.84 | Up 5% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in GU34
In GU34, the postcode district at the centre of Alton, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 897 | 4% | 7% | 65% | 14% | 10% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 140 | 1% | 8% | 29% | 60% | 3% |
| Other theft | 139 | 1% | 1% | 14% | 76% | 7% |
| Public order | 139 | 4% | 2% | 47% | 36% | 10% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 67 | 1% | 0% | 6% | 88% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 62 | 26% | 8% | 13% | 52% | 2% |
| Burglary | 60 | 8% | 0% | 8% | 83% | 0% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 9% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 2.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 25.1 |
| Drugs | 1.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.8 |
| Other crime | 0.9 |
| Other theft | 4.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.8 |
| Public order | 6.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.6 |
| Shoplifting | 3.5 |
Postcode districts in Alton
Nearby towns
Council: East Hampshire
Questions about crime in Alton
- Is Alton a safe place to live?
- Alton scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the East Hampshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Alton?
- Down 24% over 5 years, from 1,085 recorded crimes a year to 827.
- What is the most common crime in Alton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 25 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Alton compare with East Hampshire?
- Crime severity in Alton is 1.2 times the East Hampshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Alton?
- In GU34, the postcode district at the centre of Alton, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 32% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Alton?
- Of 60 burglaries reported in GU34, the postcode district at the centre of Alton between September 2024 and August 2025, 8% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 83% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Alton?
- In East Hampshire, the council area Alton is in, the police recorded 86 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, down 7% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Alton?
- 353 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in East Hampshire, the council area Alton is in, 2.7 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Alton last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in East Hampshire, the council area Alton is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.