Car theft and vehicle crime in Bournemouth
Police recorded 326 vehicle crimes within about a mile of Bournemouth between October 2025 and September 2026. The most recent quarter brought 69 offences, 20% fewer than the 86 in the quarter before it.
Bournemouth month by month
Counts ranged from 18 in August 2026 up to 38 in October 2025. Offences fell 9% between the two halves of the period. Average: 27.2 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 38 | +11 |
| Nov 2025 | 31 | +4 |
| Dec 2025 | 32 | +5 |
| Jan 2026 | 24 | -3 |
| Feb 2026 | 21 | -6 |
| Mar 2026 | 25 | -2 |
| Apr 2026 | 23 | -4 |
| May 2026 | 34 | +7 |
| Jun 2026 | 29 | +2 |
| Jul 2026 | 29 | +2 |
| Aug 2026 | 18 | -9 |
| Sep 2026 | 22 | -5 |
How Bournemouth compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Bournemouth ranks 35 for monthly vehicle crime at 27 a month, close to the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Bournemouth averaged 23 vehicle offences a month. Roughly 16% of sampled British postcodes recorded more than central Bournemouth. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Bournemouth is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Bournemouth is the only Dorset Police area on our list. Across the 8 South West towns we track it ranks 3 for vehicle crime per month.
Towns nearest to Bournemouth
- Southampton (25 miles away): 50 a month, 84% more than Bournemouth
- Portsmouth (35 miles away): 27 a month, about the same than Bournemouth
- Bath (50 miles away): 21 a month, 24% fewer than Bournemouth
Where in Bournemouth offences were recorded
The top five recorded locations hold 27% of all offences in the radius around Bournemouth.
- On or near Parking Area: 56
- On or near Weston Drive: 10
- On or near Supermarket: 9
- On or near Dean Park Road: 7
- On or near Norwich Avenue West: 7
What happened to Bournemouth cases
The most common recorded outcome near Bournemouth was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (278 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 278 | 85% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 22 | 7% |
| Under investigation | 12 | 4% |
| Court result unavailable | 8 | 2% |
| Status update unavailable | 4 | 1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0% |
What this means if you park near Bournemouth
A rate near 27 a month makes Bournemouth a lower-volume area, which is when an unprotected premium car stands out. Watch October in particular: it produced the highest count locally.
Against the 326 offences logged here in a year, an aftermarket immobiliser slows thieves who clone or relay keys, and an S5 or S7 tracker covers you if they still get away. See installation options.
Bournemouth car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Bournemouth?
In the year to September 2026, 326 vehicle crimes were logged inside a mile of central Bournemouth: about 27 every month, placing it 35 of the 84 towns we track (in the middle end).
When was vehicle crime worst in Bournemouth?
The worst month was October 2025 (38). The quietest was August 2026 (18), and September 2026 came in at 22.
Are car thieves caught in Bournemouth?
Police.uk shows 278 of 326 Bournemouth cases (85%) closed without a suspect and 8 with a court-stage outcome, so an owner is far better served by an immobiliser and tracker than by the odds of a conviction.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Bournemouth?
Not only. The 326 Bournemouth offences combine cars stolen outright, items taken from vehicles and tampering, because police.uk publishes them as one vehicle crime category.
Source: police.uk, centred on 50.7192, -1.8808, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.