Crime in Portaferry
Recorded crime in Portaferry is 1.2 times the Ards and North Down average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 20%. 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 Portaferry: about 2,842 residents in 8 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 3.1/10Weak
- 5-year change
- −20%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Ards and North Down average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Portaferry.
Crime over 5 years
Down 20% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Portaferry, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Ards and North Down average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 40 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 75% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Drugs: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 75% 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: 31 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 0.0 |
| Burglary | 1.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 21.4 |
| Drugs | 2.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.4 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 2.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 0.7 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.0 |
| Public order | 0.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.1 |
| Shoplifting | 0.8 |
Postcode districts in Portaferry
Nearby towns
Council: Ards and North Down
Questions about crime in Portaferry
- Is Portaferry a safe place to live?
- Portaferry scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Ards and North Down average.
- Is crime going up or down in Portaferry?
- Down 20% over 5 years, from 117 recorded crimes a year to 93.
- What is the most common crime in Portaferry?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 21 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Portaferry compare with Ards and North Down?
- Crime severity in Portaferry is 1.2 times the Ards and North Down average.