FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about what the data is, what it is not, and how to read CrimeMapsUK. For processing detail, see the methodology page. To report a problem or request a feature, use Help and feedback.
About the service
- What is CrimeMapsUK?
- A free site for exploring published UK street-crime and stop-and-search data from data.police.uk. Dashboards, maps, and articles stay free. Optional neighbourhood PDF reports help fund the service. See About.
- Is this official police data?
- Yes. Everything shown here comes from data.police.uk. We reshape published records for search, maps, and summaries — we do not invent or alter the underlying incidents. Processing detail is on the methodology page.
- Do you cover the whole UK?
- CrimeMapsUK follows the published data.police.uk extract for England and Wales police forces. Coverage depends on which months and forces have been loaded; current totals are on the about page.
- Is anything behind a paywall?
- No for the open site: dashboards, maps, and articles are free and will stay free. There is no subscription. Neighbourhood reports are an optional paid PDF for a documented postcode circle; the same underlying published data remains explorable without buying a report.
- Do you say which areas are safe or unsafe?
- No. We present published counts and patterns. We do not rank neighbourhoods or label them as safe or unsafe, and we do not invent resident-based “crime scores”.
- Do you use advertising or sell my data?
- No. There is no advertising, no selling of user data, and no third-party tracking. Product analytics, where used, is self-hosted and cookie-free. See the privacy page.
Understanding the records
- Are street crimes police call-outs?
- No. Street-crime records are recorded crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents published by police forces — not a log of every 999/101 call or every time an officer attended. Forces typically build the monthly file from Crime Management and Command and Control systems. A public report can become a record without a visit; a call-out does not always become a published crime or ASB record. See What is a street crime.
- What is a stop and search record?
- It is a published record of a stop-and-search encounter: when and roughly where it happened, the legislation and object of search, and the outcome of that search. See What is a stop and search record.
- What does a crime outcome mean?
- An outcome is the latest published status for a recorded crime — for example a charge, caution, local resolution, or that no suspect was identified. Outcomes can lag the original month and are not a full case file or a court verdict. See What is a crime outcome.
- Is the action/local resolution rate a conviction rate?
- No. On CrimeMapsUK it is the share of loaded street-crime records with a police-recorded action outcome or local resolution in this dataset. It excludes many unresolved or no-further-action labels and is not a court conviction rate. Open How these figures are calculated on any dashboard for the exact definition used there.
- What does stop-and-search find rate mean?
- It is the share of loaded stop-and-search records treated as a recorded find from the published outcome labels. It does not show whether a search was justified, proportionate, or effective.
- Why aren’t there rates per 1,000 residents?
- Resident-normalised rates need an official, geometry-matched population denominator for the same areas being counted. CrimeMapsUK currently reports published record counts and descriptive shares within the selected filters, not population rates.
- What does a police force area cover?
- A territorial force covers a wide geography, often a county or metropolitan area, not a single neighbourhood. Force comparisons use that wider backdrop. Browse published totals on crime by police force area (for example Crime in London). See also What is a police force or constabulary.
- How do I check crime before buying or renting?
- Start with the free buying guide, the crime map, and a force area page. For a documented 0.5 km postcode circle, order a neighbourhood report. Conveyancing searches are separate from this site — see crime checks vs conveyancing searches.
- Why might my area look different from what I expect?
- Counts only include incidents that were reported and recorded as crime or ASB. Many offences never reach the police. Location anonymisation, force recording differences, seasonality, publication timing, and later reclassification can also change how an area appears. The Crime Survey for England and Wales covers crimes that never appear in police records.
Maps
- Are the map locations exact?
- No. Published coordinates are approximate by design — snapped to anonymous street or public points before release. That is why CrimeMapsUK uses hex grids rather than address pins. See How to interpret the hex maps.
- What do the hex colours mean?
- Darker hexes mean more published records in that area for the selected month, relative to the other hexes in the current view. The scale is not a fixed national “danger” scale and is not a rate per resident. Click a hex for totals and breakdowns.
- Why does the hex grid change when I zoom?
- Zoomed out, hexes are larger (regional view). Zoomed in, they get finer so local shape is easier to see. A dark large hex can cover several streets — zoom in before treating it as a neighbourhood summary.
Dashboards and comparisons
- How do I use the statistics dashboards?
- Crime Statistics and Stop and Search summarise a selected period; Trends shows change over the loaded history; Comparisons puts two selections side by side. See How to use the dashboards.
- What does each dashboard answer?
- Crime Statistics and Stop and Search Statistics answer “what was recorded in these months?”. Trends answers “how have totals changed over the loaded history?”. Comparisons answers “how do two places or periods differ?”.
- Why do dashboards default to the latest month?
- The latest loaded month is usually the most useful starting point. Use the filters to widen the range, pick one police force, or compare earlier months. Trends defaults to a longer window across the loaded history.
- How does Comparisons work?
- You choose two selections (each with its own force and month range). Presets cover common questions such as latest month vs previous month or one force vs all forces; Advanced lets you set any pair. Read the plain-English summary and paired cards before the charts. Blue/orange change charts mark lower vs higher in the second selection.
- Can I download chart data?
- Yes. Use Download chart for a PNG of the current chart, and open View data table under a chart for the exact figures. On Trends you can also download the page’s underlying series as CSV.
Neighbourhood reports
- What do neighbourhood reports include?
- A PDF scoped to a postcode with a documented radius, month window, and the same published crime data used on the site — with the same location and outcome caveats. See How to read a neighbourhood report, or order a report.
- What radius do reports use?
- Every neighbourhood report uses a fixed 0.5 km radius around the geocoded postcode centre. That scope is printed in the PDF and cannot be changed per order.
- Do I need an account?
- No. You never need an account or subscription to use the site. Report orders give you a reference and secure link to check status and download the PDF.
Updates, help, and privacy
- How often is the data updated?
- Forces publish monthly releases on data.police.uk. CrimeMapsUK ingests those releases and rebuilds maps and summaries after each import. Current coverage dates are on the about page.
- How do I report a problem or request a feature?
- Use the help and feedback form. Your message is emailed to the CrimeMapsUK inbox; include a page URL and enough detail for us to investigate. This is a small project, so replies may take a few days.
- Where can I learn more in depth?
- Start with the articles, especially How to use the dashboards and How to interpret the hex maps. Processing choices and limits are on the methodology page.