Newbury Crime Overview
Newbury is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Berkshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Berkshire's 108 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Newbury in 2020 was 71 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Berkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 6% higher than the Berkshire rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newbury is the 98th safest medium-sized town, and the 1,341st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Newbury was the worst medium-sized town in Berkshire for criminal damage and arson, with 19 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.56 per 1,000 inhabitants. July 2020 was also a bad month for Newbury residents, when it was Berkshire's most dangerous medium-sized town for drugs, recording 20 crimes at a rate of 0.59 per 1,000 residents. Newbury recorded 7 reports of burglary during July 2020, making its crime rate of 0.21 the worst medium-sized town for burglary in Berkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Newbury are violence and sexual offences, with 924 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 8% higher than 2019's figure of 849 offences and a difference of 2.23 from 2019's crime rate of 25. Newbury's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 21 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 38% from 2019's figure of 29 crimes.
Compare Newbury to other towns and cities
See how Newbury shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newbury and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newbury Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Newbury This Year
| Newbury | Berkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 522 | 15.51 | 10,223 | 11.17 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 82 | 2.44 | 1,906 | 2.08 | 15% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 97 | 2.88 | 3,628 | 3.96 | 38% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 300 | 8.92 | 6,602 | 7.21 | 19% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 152 | 4.52 | 2,552 | 2.79 | 38% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 47 | 1.40 | 1,232 | 1.35 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 158 | 4.70 | 4,797 | 5.24 | 11% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 21 | 0.62 | 664 | 0.73 | 18% safer |
| Public Order | 198 | 5.88 | 4,715 | 5.15 | 12% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 24 | 0.71 | 653 | 0.71 | 0% safer |
| Shoplifting | 236 | 7.01 | 3,066 | 3.35 | 52% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 37 | 1.10 | 1,003 | 1.10 | 0% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 128 | 3.80 | 6,171 | 6.74 | 77% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 924 | 27.46 | 24,638 | 26.92 | 2.0% more dangerous |
Crime in Newbury Compared To Berkshire
Newbury Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 21 | 17 | 17 | 16 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.95 | 0.77 | 0.86 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.45 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.71 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 13 | 12 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.4 | 5 | 5 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 25 | 25 | 27 | Getting worse |
Changes In Newbury's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newbury to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 6% safer |
| Newbury | 71.44 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 8% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 14% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 17% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 27% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 31% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 33% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 48% more dangerous |
Crime in Newbury's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newbury Clay Hill | 341 | 49 | Second |
| Newbury South West | 509 | 62 | First |
| Newbury Wash Common | 331 | 35 | Third |
Crime in Newbury During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newbury change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Newbury saw a 400% increase in other crime. Newbury saw a large fall in bicycle theft during April, when it fell by 94% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -47% | -37% | -25% | +23% | +11% | +58% | -19% | -21% | -13% | -13% |
| Bicycle Theft | -71% | -94% | - | -71% | +11% | +325% | -22% | -67% | -57% | -33% |
| Burglary | -67% | -58% | -86% | -44% | -13% | -62% | -36% | -14% | -30% | -62% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -45% | -64% | +4% | - | -7% | -20% | -24% | +73% | -42% | -55% |
| Drugs | +7% | -53% | -6% | -38% | - | -31% | -21% | -72% | +56% | +200% |
| Other Crime | -78% | -20% | -67% | +200% | +75% | +150% | -50% | -75% | +400% | -83% |
| Other Theft | -38% | -72% | -61% | -65% | +45% | -52% | - | -35% | -13% | -42% |
| Possession of Weapons | -75% | - | - | +200% | -50% | - | +150% | -60% | - | - |
| Public Order | -50% | -14% | -20% | +138% | +107% | +175% | +88% | +14% | +209% | +109% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | +100% | -75% | - | -50% | +100% | +50% |
| Shoplifting | -41% | -68% | -66% | -82% | -34% | -45% | -48% | -62% | +4% | +21% |
| Theft From the Person | -20% | -50% | - | -33% | -20% | -20% | +100% | -17% | -80% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -23% | -75% | -94% | -11% | -59% | -13% | +30% | -56% | -7% | +8% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | +7% | -2% | +39% | +4% | +32% | -5% | +12% | +35% | +4% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newbury
What police force serves Newbury?
Newbury's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Newbury?
Newbury is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Berkshire.What is Newbury's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newbury are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newbury?
Newbury's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021