Crime in Southampton
Recorded crime in Southampton is 1.2 times the Southampton council average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 10%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Southampton: about 112,670 residents in 81 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.9/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −10%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.2×the Southampton council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Southampton.
Crime over 5 years
Down 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Southampton, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the Southampton council average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 145 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 60% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 8% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 60% 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: 25 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Southampton (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Southampton council area, not only the city of Southampton. 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 | 701 | 2.7 | Up 4% |
| Cars broken into | 863 | 3.3 | Down 8% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,766 | 6.8 | Down 4% |
| Burglary of homes | 613 | 2.4 | Up 8% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 7 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SO14
In SO14, the postcode district at the centre of Southampton, 9% 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) | 2,896 | 7% | 7% | 55% | 23% | 8% |
| Shoplifting | 732 | 26% | 6% | 35% | 31% | 2% |
| Public order | 602 | 7% | 5% | 40% | 40% | 8% |
| Other theft | 432 | 1% | 2% | 19% | 73% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 391 | 4% | 7% | 26% | 54% | 9% |
| Drugs | 386 | 11% | 47% | 26% | 12% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 289 | 7% | 0% | 16% | 72% | 5% |
| Burglary | 267 | 18% | 1% | 25% | 51% | 5% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 122 | 14% | 13% | 44% | 20% | 8% |
| Bicycle theft | 113 | 3% | 0% | 6% | 87% | 4% |
| Robbery | 105 | 12% | 1% | 44% | 40% | 3% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 103 | 1% | 1% | 15% | 79% | 5% |
| Other crime | 79 | 14% | 10% | 47% | 15% | 14% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% 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 | 2.1 |
| Burglary | 8.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 55.6 |
| Drugs | 6.1 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.1 |
| Other crime | 2.0 |
| Other theft | 10.3 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 10.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.9 |
| Public order | 15.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.4 |
| Shoplifting | 14.5 |
Postcode districts in Southampton
Nearby towns
Council: Southampton
Questions about crime in Southampton
- Is Southampton a safe place to live?
- Southampton scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.2 times the Southampton council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Southampton?
- Down 10% over 5 years, from 18,384 recorded crimes a year to 16,552.
- What is the most common crime in Southampton?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 56 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Southampton compare with Southampton council?
- Crime severity in Southampton is 1.2 times the Southampton council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Southampton?
- In SO14, the postcode district at the centre of Southampton, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 35% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Southampton?
- Of 267 burglaries reported in SO14, the postcode district at the centre of Southampton between September 2024 and August 2025, 18% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 51% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Southampton?
- In the Southampton council area, the police recorded 701 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.7 per 1,000 residents, up 4% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Southampton?
- 1,766 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Southampton council area, 6.8 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Southampton last year?
- 7 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Southampton council area, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.