Interactive data map for violent and sexual crime in Dorset

This map shows the location of reported incidents - and, at the click of a button, you can also view the outcome of each report. 

In September alone, the latest data available, 1,863 incidents of this kind were reported to Dorset Police.

Scroll around the map and click individual markers for specific details.

To view the outcome of each case, click on the top left corner icon to bring up the layers menu, then tick the outcomes box to add the colour-coded map layer.

'Violence and sexual offences' includes offences against the person such as common assaults, Grievous Bodily Harm, and sexual offences.

In Weymouth there were 189 violence and sexual offence reports during September - making it the most frequently reported type of crime. There were 162 anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents, the second-highest category. 

The most frequently reported type of crime in Dorchester during September was ASB: 62 incidents. The second most frequently reported was violence and sexual offences: 60 incidents.

• Read more: In the Dock: See who has been before the courts 

Violence and sexual offences was the most frequently reported type of crime in Bridport: 46 incidents. ASB was the second-highest, with 39 incidents.

Violence and sexual offences was the most frequently recorded type of crime in Bournemouth, with 231 incidents, ahead of ASB: 203 incidents.

The above image shows how to view the outcome of each crime on the map

Poole South saw 157 violence and sexual offence incidents, the highest category; the second-highest was ASB: 156 reports.

Sherborne saw 32 violence and sexual offence incidents. Second highest was ASB: 17 incidents.

Purbeck North's largest category of crime in September was ASB: 62 incidents. The second-largest was violence and sexual offences: 43 incidents.

Blandford: Largest category was violence and sexual offences (19), second largest was ASB, 18 incidents.

Gillingham and Shaftesbury: Violence and sexual offences 37, ASB 36.

Why is such a large proportion of crime result in no action being taken against offenders?

The police and the Crown Prosecution Service have to make an assessment of the evidence available, whether it is witness, forensic or even hearsay.

• Read more: Record low rate of suspects charged in Dorset

In circumstances where there is insufficient evidence, the decision may be taken to focus resources on those offences which are capable of being charged and prosecuted.

There might be a number of reasons why no further action was possible. Some cases are just undetectable. However, cases can be reopened if more evidence becomes available.

Why are some incidents not displayed on the map?

The data used to power this map and graph came from data.police.uk, which is the official website that constabularies across England and Wales update regularly.

Wherever possible all incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour are displayed on the map, on or near the street or point of interest that they happened. However, there may be certain incidents where the location of the crime is not known by the victim or investigating police force. For example, the victim may not know or be able to recall where a crime took place, or it may have occurred during travel between two locations.

Additionally, if anonymising the crime location would lead to it being shown more than 20km from where it actually took place, then these crimes are not shown on the map.

 You can find out more about the data at data.police.uk/about.