If you are paying for a postcode crime report — or comparing free pages with a PDF — ask whether the document states its method clearly enough that you could explain it to someone else. This checklist matches how CrimeMapsUK builds neighbourhood reports.
Scope that should be printed up front
A useful report states:
- the postcode searched
- the centre point used after geocoding
- the search radius (CrimeMapsUK uses a fixed 0.5 km)
- the month window of published data included
Without those four, two “crime in this postcode” PDFs are not comparable.
Data source and honesty
Prefer reports that:
- name the source (for CrimeMapsUK: data.police.uk)
- avoid inventing a single safe/unsafe score
- explain approximate locations
- explain that counts are recorded crime, not all crime experienced
- say outcome labels are not conviction rates
CrimeMapsUK documents processing on the methodology page and walks through the PDF in How to read a neighbourhood report.
Analysis that earns its keep
A solid postcode report usually includes:
- totals inside the radius for the chosen window
- breakdown by crime category
- month-by-month pattern
- outcome / resolution summary with plain-language limits
- comparison against a wider backdrop (force and/or national category mix)
- a map that respects anonymised locations (density or aggregates, not fake pins)
Red flags
Be cautious if a report:
- ranks the postcode as “safe” or “unsafe” without a transparent method
- mixes unofficial sources without saying so
- hides the radius or month window
- presents pins as exact addresses
- uses resident rates without documenting a matching official denominator
How this fits with free tools
Before or after a PDF, you can still explore:
Buying guides that help put the PDF in context:
Next step
If you want a CrimeMapsUK PDF that prints postcode, 0.5 km radius, month window, and limits, order from the neighbourhood reports page.