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Dorset Police

South West · Territorial force · 1,350 officers

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Key Statistics

Officers

1,350

Staff

700

Area (sq miles)

1,024

Population served

780,000

About Dorset Police

Covering Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset including the Jurassic Coast. A coastal force with seasonal tourism challenges, strong community policing and good quality of life.

Founded 1855Headquarters Winfrith NewburghSource: Wikidata (CC0)

Dorset Police is a territorial force serving an area that includes both urban and rural environments, prominently featuring Bournemouth, Poole, and the scenic Jurassic Coast. This region balances a mix of vibrant urban communities and tranquil countryside, making it unique in its policing requirements. Alongside its stunning natural landscapes, the force faces specific operational quirks, such as its proximity to the New Forest National Park and shared borders with Wiltshire and Devon and Cornwall police forces. This geographic arrangement necessitates careful cooperation in policing efforts, especially in cross-border crime and resource sharing.

Dorset Police is equipped with several notable specialist units that enhance its operational capabilities, including a Dog Unit for public safety and community engagement, and a Cyber Crime Team focusing on digital threats. Additionally, the force has established a Rural Crime Team aimed at addressing the unique challenges posed by rural areas, such as agricultural crime.

The force prioritizes numerous strategic areas to uphold community safety and wellbeing. Current key focus areas include tackling domestic violence, combatting serious and organized crime, enhancing road safety, and responding effectively to public concerns about anti-social behavior. By addressing these priorities and leveraging its specialized skills, Dorset Police aims to maintain safety and trust within its diverse communities.

Current priorities

  • Combatting domestic violence
  • Tackling serious and organized crime
  • Enhancing road safety
  • Addressing anti-social behaviour concerns

Notable specialisms

Dog UnitCyber Crime TeamRural Crime Team

Source: About Dorset Police. Summary fetched 2026-07-05.

Public-data snapshot

Workforce

Officers

1,350

Staff

700

Total headcount

2,050

Source: Home Office Police Workforce Statistics as of 31 March 2025 · OGL v3

HMICFRS PEEL rating

good

Inspection cycle: 2023-2025

Source: HMICFRS PEEL assessments · Open Government Licence v3.0

In recent oversight reports

Dorset Police is named in 1 recent IOPC investigation outcome or HMICFRS thematic report.

  • Terms of reference: Home Secretary’s commission for a thematic inspection of the handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services

    2023-07-19 · HMICFRS

See all thematic reports

From data.police.uk

data.police.uk covers England, Wales & Northern Ireland; not Police Scotland.

Engagement & social channels

Stop and search

Latest available month: 2026-08. 201 recorded stop-and-search records that month. Officer-defined ethnicity was recorded on 78.1% of records.

By object of search (2026-08)

Controlled drugs150
Stolen goods23
Offensive weapons20
Article for use in theft4
Articles for use in criminal damage2
(not recorded)2

By outcome (2026-08)

(not recorded)101
Community resolution41
A no further action disposal30
Arrest21
Summons / charged by post7
Khat or Cannabis warning1

⭳ Download all forces' stop & search (CSV)

Source: data.police.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0

Recorded crime by category

5,858 crimes recorded by Dorset Police in 2026-08 (latest published month), by category. Counted from the published street-level archive; England, Wales & Northern Ireland only.

Crime type (2026-08)Recorded
Violence and sexual offences1,800
Anti-social behaviour1,790
Shoplifting471
Criminal damage and arson405
Other theft362
Public order314
Vehicle crime210
Burglary201
Drugs117
Robbery49
Bicycle theft47
Other crime40
Possession of weapons39
Theft from the person13
Total5,858

Source: data.police.uk street-level archive · Open Government Licence v3.0

Deaths during or following police contact

IOPC-recorded fatalities involving Dorset Police over 2004/05 to 2024/25 (2024/25 in brackets). These use the IOPC’s five categories, which have different definitions and are not additive. Figures count incidents the IOPC attributed to Dorset Police; see the national page for how multi-force incidents are handled.

Road traffic: 9 (2024/25: 0)Fatal shootings: 0 (2024/25: 0)In/following custody: 2 (2024/25: 0)Apparent suicides: 13 (2024/25: 2)Other contact: 21 (2024/25: 1)

Recruitment

How to join Dorset Police

Application stages, entry routes, fitness and vetting requirements.

Open data for this force

Specialist Units

Major Crime Investigation Team
Firearms
Roads Policing
Dog Unit
Marine Unit

Official Sources

Topics for Dorset Police

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