Crime in Winchester
Recorded crime in Winchester is 1.3 times the Winchester council average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 21%. 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 Winchester: about 48,037 residents in 34 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −21%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.3×the Winchester council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Winchester.
Crime over 5 years
Down 21% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Winchester, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the Winchester council average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 77 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 64% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Drugs: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 64% 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: 13 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Winchester (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Winchester council area, not only the city of Winchester. 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 | 93 | 0.69 | Down 15% |
| Cars broken into | 179 | 1.3 | Down 36% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 396 | 2.9 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 140 | 1.0 | Down 8% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SO23
In SO23, the postcode district at the centre of Winchester, 12% 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) | 1,023 | 8% | 11% | 54% | 19% | 9% |
| Shoplifting | 388 | 31% | 8% | 20% | 37% | 4% |
| Public order | 237 | 15% | 5% | 37% | 35% | 8% |
| Drugs | 227 | 7% | 71% | 13% | 1% | 7% |
| Other theft | 181 | 2% | 2% | 15% | 74% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 137 | 11% | 10% | 26% | 46% | 7% |
| Burglary | 83 | 19% | 0% | 19% | 59% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 72 | 10% | 0% | 10% | 74% | 7% |
| Other crime | 59 | 19% | 12% | 37% | 20% | 12% |
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 | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 4.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 30.2 |
| Drugs | 3.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 5.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.6 |
| Public order | 8.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.9 |
| Shoplifting | 7.3 |
Postcode districts in Winchester
Nearby towns
Council: Winchester
Questions about crime in Winchester
- Is Winchester a safe place to live?
- Winchester scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.3 times the Winchester council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Winchester?
- Down 21% over 5 years, from 4,423 recorded crimes a year to 3,498.
- What is the most common crime in Winchester?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 30 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Winchester compare with Winchester council?
- Crime severity in Winchester is 1.3 times the Winchester council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Winchester?
- In SO23, the postcode district at the centre of Winchester, 12% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 31% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Winchester?
- Of 83 burglaries reported in SO23, the postcode district at the centre of Winchester between September 2024 and August 2025, 19% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 59% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Winchester?
- In the Winchester council area, the police recorded 93 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, down 15% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Winchester?
- 396 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Winchester council area, 2.9 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Winchester last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Winchester council area, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.