Bournemouth, Crime | Posted on September 23rd, 2025 | return to news

Students in Bournemouth face increasing threat of crime

University students are increasingly at risk of falling victim to crimes such as spiking, drug abuse, fraud and theft, according to Crimestoppers.

Bournemouth University students are becoming further at risk of falling victim to crimes such as spiking, drug abuse, fraud and theft, warns UK charity Crimestoppers.

With a new year at the university starting, thousands of new students in Bournemouth and freshers in full flow, students are urged to be cautious. Crimestoppers have launched a new campaign to tackle crime across the nation to ensure a safer time for all students.

Crimestoppers reported that the use of drugs such as ketamine have skyrocketed 231 per cent since 2013. UK data has also revealed that three in five students have been approached to be ‘money mules’ (someone who allows criminals to use their bank account to launder money), while the theft of essential items such as phones and laptops are a daily risk for students.

Fraud cases involving under-21s have also risen by 78 per cent, and drink spiking affects 1.2 million adults annually.

Mick Duthie, Crimestoppers director of operations, said: “Student life should be safe, not stressful. We want students to spot the signs, share what they know, and protect themselves and their friends.

“By coming together, we can keep student communities secure.”

The new initiative from the independent charity provides a “students: stay safe” webpage and aims to ensure that students are community protectors, not passive victims.

Students are advised to look out for any suspicious behaviour and can report it back to Crimestoppers via fearless.org or crimestoppers-uk.org. They can also be called on 0800 555111. IP addresses are never tracked, and callers will always stay anonymous.