Bristol is often considered a peaceful area when it comes to crime. But is actually the 641st most dangerous area out of all of the UK’s towns, cities, and villages. This leads us to wonder if Bristol is a dangerous city. We’ll be discussing this and more, such as what Bristol’s current crime rate is.
What Is The Crime Rate In Bristol?
According to Crimerate, Bristol had an overall crime rate of 119 times per 1,000 people during 2023. One of the most common crimes committed was violence and sexual offences. These types of crimes were reported over 19,646 times and had a crime rate of 43 crimes per 1,000 people. Compared to 2022, violent crimes have increased by 2.4%.
Bristol’s least common crime in 2023 was possession of weapons. Possession of weapons crimes were committed over 405 times and increased by 25% compared to the previous year.
What Are the Crime Hotspots Of Bristol?
Crime affects many different areas in Bristol. Some of the biggest hotspots for crime are Bristol Central, Lawerence Hill, Hartcliffe & Withywood, Avonmouth & Lawerence Weston, and Ashely.
Ashely was Bristol’s fifth most dangerous area in 2023. This area had a crime count of 2,437 crimes and an average crime rate of 142 crimes per 1,000 people. Avonmouth & Lawerence Weston was the city’s fourth most dangerous area. In 2023, this ward had a crime rate of 122 crimes and an average crime count of 2,502 crimes.
Hartcliffe & Withywood was the third most dangerous area in Bristol. In 2023, this area had 2,966 crimes reported and an average crime count of 209 crimes per 1,000 people. Lawrence Hill ranked the second most dangerous area in Bristol. Last year, Lawrence Hill had a crime count of 4,428 and an average crime rate of 142 crimes.
Bristol Central was considered as Bristol’s worst area for crime in 2023. In one year, the city centre had over 8,257 crimes reported, and an average crime count of 132 crimes. The worst crimes committed in Bristol Central were violence and sexual offences, shoplifting, and public order crimes.
Is Bristol A Dangerous City?
A common question asked about Bristol is whether it is a dangerous place to live. But when compared to the rest of the UK, Bristol is actually considered as the third safest major town.
Is It Safe To Live In Bristol?
Another question people often ask when they’re thinking about relocating to Bristol is: “Is it safe to live in Bristol? The answer is the same as most areas in the UK of this size, it depends. Whilst there certainly are dangerous areas and neighbourhoods in and around Bristol, there are also a lot of safer areas.
The general advice for moving to Bristol, or any given area for that matter, is to do your research, look into the neighbourhoods near yours, read the local paper and pay attention to dangerous areas. It is also important that you know how to protect yourself if worst comes to worst.
Is Bristol Safe At Night?
Nighttime is always a more dangerous time for crime as criminals tend to strike when it is dark. Although night crime lurks throughout Bristol it can be safe at night. Bristol for the last 12 years has been awarded the purple flag accreditation (this is an award given to cities that provide a fun yet safe night out).
Is Bristol Rough?
Another common question asked about Bristol is whether it is a rough place to live or not. Like all cities within the UK, there will be both rough and safe areas to live in. The most roughest area is Bristol is currently Bristol’s city centre.
Is Bristol Good For Business?
One of the reasons why you might be thinking of moving to Bristol is to start/move your business there, so you might be wondering, what about the entrepreneurs amongst us? Is Bristol a good place for us to live?
Well, Bristol is a very forward-thinking city, having technology and creative media dominate a large amount of its income, meaning, for up-and-coming business owners, there is a lot of potential. On top of this, Bristol and Bath were both revealed to be the top two most productive tech and digital clusters in the country.
All of this together, reveals a larger narrative that Bristol is a brilliant place to live on almost all fronts, now whilst the city does fall short in certain aspects such as certain areas being potentially fairly dangerous, this is more so a fault of society than Bristol itself.
Safety During Festivals In Bristol
First things first, the most notable aspect of life in Bristol is the festivals. Bristol knows how to have fun, and this is no more obvious than in its festival scene. From the internationally renowned balloon fiesta to more subdued activities such as food festivals, Bristol is a city that is no stranger to the concept of letting its hair down and having a good time.
However, it’s also important to remember about safety and security at any kind of event you’re attending. Sometimes you can forget about the importance of keeping yourself safe because you’re having so much fun. While there will almost certainly be an event security management in place run by a security company, it’s still a good practice to know about the best tips on how to keep yourself safe during events.
Interested in staying updated with all the latest South West news? Check out our news page where you can find articles about the crime in Dorset and how safe Bournemouth really is.
Related Articles
Cornwall Crime Rate 2024
Over the past few years, Cornwall has hit the headlines as being one of the safest places to live in the UK, with the second-lowest reported crime rate in England and Wales.
Crime in Dorset
The county of Dorset, located in Southwest England, contains a number of large towns and urban areas as well as stunning countryside. The crime rate of the region sits at around 27.5 crimes reported per year per 1000 people.
How Safe is Bournemouth?
Bournemouth, located on the South coast of England sits within the county of Dorset. It’s a coastal resort town with a population of over 510,000 according to World Population Review.
Gloucester Vs Cheltenham
Gloucester or Cheltenham, we have seen this debate rage on for years, never finding a satisfactory conclusion, both are similarly sized towns in the Gloucestershire region.