Prestons

Christchurch City•Canterbury Region
Police data to:

Safety Score (12-month average)

90

–

Crime rate

17.8 per 1,000

Population 2,307

Total crimes (past 12 months)

41

Trend (last 3 months)

▲ 30.0%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#234 / 331

Bottom 29%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Police data to August 2026

Prestons Overview

Crime Count
No data
0
20
50
100
Assault
Burglary
Theft

Most common offences by count were theft (78.0%) and burglary (17.1%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime Summary

The annual total crime rate in Prestons is 17.772 crimes per thousand residents, placing it at rank 234 within Canterbury Region. The overall crime trend in the area has increased in recent months with criminal activity peaking in Oct 2025, Mar 2026, Aug 2026.

Crime activity peaked in October 2025, March 2026, and August 2026.

Prestons crime statistics: common questions

Is Prestons safe?

Prestons recorded 41 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 17.8 per 1,000 residents across about 2,307 residents. These are offences recorded by New Zealand Police, which reflect what was reported and recorded rather than all crime that occurred.

What is the crime rate in Prestons?

The crime rate in Prestons is 17.8 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 41 recorded offences across about 2,307 residents. A rate counts offences against a suburb's resident population, so town centres and commercial areas can show high rates because offences there involve people who do not live there.

What is the most common crime in Prestons?

The most common offence category in Prestons is theft, with 32 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 78% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is burglary (7).

Is crime going up or down in Prestons?

Recorded offences in Prestons have risen 30.0% over the most recent three-month period compared with the previous three months. This is a three-month comparison, not a year-on-year one, and short windows move around a lot in small areas.

How does Prestons compare with other suburbs in Canterbury Region?

Prestons ranks 234 of 331 suburbs in Canterbury Region by crime rate, where 1 is the highest rate. This is a ranking of recorded crime, not a safety rating, and it compares Prestons only with other suburbs in Canterbury Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Prestons come from?

Figures for Prestons, Christchurch City come from New Zealand Police recorded victimisation data, published through police.govt.nz, and are grouped to Stats NZ Statistical Area 2 (SA2) boundaries. They count offences recorded by Police, so they reflect reporting and recording practice as well as underlying offending.

Looking for a plain-English safety summary?

👉 See how safe Prestons is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz