Crime in New Forest
Recorded crime in New Forest is 0.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 30%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
176,116 residents in 114 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 5/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.1/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −30%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 30% in 5 years Recorded crimes in New Forest, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the England and Wales average. 61 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 60% of the harm here
- Burglary: 22% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 10 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 | 0.3 |
| Burglary | 5.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 23.6 |
| Drugs | 1.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 5.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 7.4 |
| Public order | 6.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.0 |
| Shoplifting | 3.9 |
What crimes are recorded in New Forest
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 140 | 0.79 | Down 31% |
| Cars broken into | 272 | 1.5 | Down 29% |
| Vehicle tampering | 64 | 0.36 | Down 41% |
| Vandalism to homes | 205 | 1.2 | Up 4% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 156 | 0.89 | Down 27% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 285 | 1.6 | Down 21% |
| Arson | 41 | 0.23 | Down 11% |
| Burglary of homes | 169 | 0.96 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of businesses | 230 | 1.3 | About the same |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 52 | 0.30 | Down 7% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 54 | 0.31 | Down 18% |
| Robbery of people | 35 | 0.20 | Down 26% |
| Robbery of businesses | 32 | 0.18 | - |
| Violence with injury | 1,050 | 6.0 | Down 2% |
| Violence without injury | 1,314 | 7.5 | Down 5% |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,380 | 7.8 | Up 3% |
| Sexual offences | 440 | 2.5 | Down 2% |
| Shoplifting | 764 | 4.3 | Down 28% |
| Bicycle theft | 72 | 0.41 | Down 43% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 38 | 0.22 | Down 12% |
| Drug dealing | 45 | 0.26 | Down 38% |
| Drug possession | 177 | 1.0 | Down 8% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Hampshire Police area: 991 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (991 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only New Forest.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
Towns and cities in New Forest
Postcode districts in New Forest
Questions about crime in New Forest
- Is New Forest a safe place to live?
- New Forest scores 5 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in New Forest?
- Down 30% over 5 years, from 13,001 recorded crimes a year to 9,084.
- What is the most common crime in New Forest?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How many cars are stolen in New Forest?
- In New Forest, the police recorded 140 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 31% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in New Forest?
- 646 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in New Forest in 2025/26, 3.7 per 1,000 residents, 0.8 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in New Forest last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in New Forest in 2025/26, against 0 the year before.