Carrickfergus Crime Overview
Carrickfergus is the safest medium-sized town in Antrim, and is among the top 20 safest overall out of Antrim's 33 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Carrickfergus in 2020 was 34 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Antrim's overall crime rate, coming in 105% lower than the Antrim rate of 69 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Carrickfergus is among the top 20 safest medium-sized towns, and the 5,663rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2019, Carrickfergus was the worst medium-sized town in Antrim for other theft, with 26 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.93 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2018 was also a bad month for Carrickfergus residents, when it was Antrim's most dangerous medium-sized town for bicycle theft, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.04 per 1,000 residents. Carrickfergus recorded 6 reports of public order during October 2018, making its crime rate of 0.21 the worst medium-sized town for public order in Antrim that month.
The most common crimes in Carrickfergus are violence and sexual offences, with 442 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 16. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 468 offences and a difference of 0.93 from 2019's crime rate of 17. Carrickfergus's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Carrickfergus to other towns and cities
See how Carrickfergus shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Carrickfergus and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Carrickfergus Crime Map
Crime in Carrickfergus Compared To Antrim
Summary of Crimes in Carrickfergus This Year
| Carrickfergus | Antrim | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 872 | 31.15 | 31,273 | 52.64 | 69% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 8 | 0.29 | 467 | 0.79 | 172% safer |
| Burglary | 31 | 1.11 | 2,141 | 3.60 | 224% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 166 | 5.93 | 7,367 | 12.40 | 109% safer |
| Drugs | 68 | 2.43 | 3,398 | 5.72 | 135% safer |
| Other Crime | 18 | 0.64 | 943 | 1.59 | 148% safer |
| Other Theft | 101 | 3.61 | 4,488 | 7.55 | 109% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.32 | 532 | 0.90 | 181% safer |
| Public Order | 19 | 0.68 | 538 | 0.91 | 34% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.07 | 284 | 0.48 | 586% safer |
| Shoplifting | 65 | 2.32 | 2,753 | 4.63 | 100% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 15 | 0.54 | 1,154 | 1.94 | 259% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 442 | 15.79 | 16,777 | 28.24 | 79% safer |
Carrickfergus Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrickfergus | 944 | 33.72 | - |
| Metropolitan Lisburn | 1,512 | 48.48 | 30% more dangerous |
| Lisburn City | 2,830 | 62.38 | 46% more dangerous |
| Ballymena | 2,497 | 84.50 | 60% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Carrickfergus
View crime percentage over time forCarrickfergus Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 32 | 28 | 26 | 31 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.18 | 0.25 | 0.14 | 0.29 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 1.7 | 0.82 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | No change |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.68 | 0.64 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.5 | 6 | 9 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.46 | 0.39 | 0.50 | 0.32 | Safer |
| Public Order | 0.43 | 0.54 | 0.36 | 0.68 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.11 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 0.57 | 0.71 | 0.96 | 0.54 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | Getting worse |
Changes In Carrickfergus's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Carrickfergus to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Carrickfergus | 33.72 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 50% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 56% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 59% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 61% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 61% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 65% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 67% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 69% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 75% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 75% more dangerous |
Crime in Carrickfergus During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Carrickfergus change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Carrickfergus saw a 500% increase in other crime. Carrickfergus saw a large fall in other theft during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +28% | +48% | +88% | -10% | -1% | +18% | +14% | +51% | +14% | +24% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -63% | -50% | -25% | - | - | +50% | - | -67% | -67% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -44% | -35% | -50% | -17% | +40% | - | -8% | -33% | +150% | -13% |
| Drugs | -33% | - | +400% | - | +50% | -46% | - | +20% | +43% | -33% |
| Other Crime | +500% | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | -67% | - |
| Other Theft | -57% | -88% | -77% | -42% | -77% | -33% | -85% | -70% | -54% | -69% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Public Order | - | - | - | -50% | +300% | - | +200% | - | -33% | - |
| Shoplifting | +233% | - | -33% | - | -71% | -60% | +80% | -78% | -50% | -25% |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | +100% | -33% | +100% | +50% | - | -50% | - | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +37% | +4% | -15% | -41% | -5% | -8% | -39% | -23% | +70% | -46% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Carrickfergus
What police force serves Carrickfergus?
Carrickfergus's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Carrickfergus?
Carrickfergus is the safest medium-sized town in Antrim.What is Carrickfergus's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Carrickfergus are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Carrickfergus?
Carrickfergus's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021