Bristol crime map highlights reporting gains and safety questions

A Home Office map puts Bristol among the top crime areas in the region as police data shows how recording practices influence the numbers.

Bristol tops South West crime map with one in eight victims

Bristol has the highest crime rate in the South West according to Home Office figures for the year ending March 2025. The city recorded 63,378 non-fraud crimes, a rate of 132 offences per 1,000 people, while the national total for England and Wales stood at more than 5.3 million, down 2% from the year before.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary says the rise in Bristol's recorded crimes largely reflects improved reporting, including more incidents of shop theft and reporting of previously under-reported offences. A 2022 HMICFRS inspection found under-recording in the force, which has driven reforms and a Crime Recording Standards unit to ensure data supports decision making and resource deployment. The map uses crimes per 1,000 people to compare places fairly and shows wide variation within the Avon and Somerset area.

Numbers can mislead as easily as they inform. A high rate in Bristol may reflect more complete counting rather than more crime per person, and that distinction matters for residents who want safety, not just statistics.

Policymakers should use data to drive prevention, not fright. The map invites scrutiny of how resources are allocated across the region and how we talk about safety in public life.

Highlights

Context matters when reading crime data; it should guide safer communities.