Is Portsmouth a nice place to live?
Historic naval city on Portsea Island.
Police.uk data for 2026-06
368 crimes recorded
Within roughly a mile of Portsmouth centre. Most common: Violence & sexual offences.
Category breakdown
Violence & sexual offences
174 (47%)
Shoplifting
36 (10%)
Anti-social behaviour
36 (10%)
Public order
25 (7%)
Other theft
20 (5%)
Vehicle crime
20 (5%)
Criminal damage & arson
17 (5%)
Drugs
11 (3%)
Burglary
8 (2%)
Bicycle theft
7 (2%)
Possession of weapons
7 (2%)
Other crime
3 (1%)
Robbery
2 (1%)
Theft from the person
2 (1%)
What this data does and doesn't tell you
This is a count of crimes reported to police and recorded within roughly a mile of Portsmouth's centre — it isn't a "safety score" and it doesn't capture things like community, schools, transport links or how an area actually feels to live in. Areas with more footfall (town centres, retail parks) often show higher raw counts simply because more people pass through them, not because they're more dangerous to live in. Use this alongside a proper visit, not instead of one.