Safety index · Bristol · data through July 2026
Is Central safe?
Central records a high level of reported crime for Bristol. Its SafeRoute safety index is 16 out of 100 — 39 points below the Bristol median of 55, ranking 34th of 34 Bristol wards — based on 1,220 incidents reported to Avon and Somerset Police within 1 km of the ward centre over the month to July 2026.
DATA THROUGH JULY 2026 · 1 MONTH OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Bristol — a typical Bristol ward sits near 55. It ranks Central against other wards here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (26% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 315 · 26% | |
| Anti-social behaviour | 165 · 14% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 92 · 8% | |
| Public order | 92 · 8% | |
| Other theft | 124 · 10% | |
| Vehicle crime | 92 · 8% |
Walking in Central at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreCommon questions
Is Central safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 16/100). At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a short detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Central?
Violent crime — 315 of 1,220 incidents (26%) reported within 1 km of the ward centre over the month to July 2026.
How is the Central safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each police-recorded incident by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last published month within 1 km of the ward centre, and normalises against Bristol rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety. The scale is calibrated within Bristol, so scores compare wards to each other and cannot be read against another city's.