Northwich Crime Overview
Northwich is the most dangerous small town in Cheshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Cheshire's 343 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Northwich in 2020 was 102 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cheshire's overall crime rate, coming in 29% higher than the Cheshire rate of 73 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Northwich is the 57th most dangerous small town, and the 465th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Northwich was the worst small town in Cheshire for bicycle theft, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Northwich residents, when it was Cheshire's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 25 crimes at a rate of 1.1 per 1,000 residents. Northwich recorded 4 reports of drugs during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.18 the worst small town for drugs in Cheshire that month.
The most common crimes in Northwich are violence and sexual offences, with 990 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 45. This is 12% higher than 2019's figure of 872 offences and a difference of 5.38 from 2019's crime rate of 40. Northwich's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 250% from 2019's figure of 14 crimes.
Compare Northwich to other towns and cities
See how Northwich shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Northwich and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Northwich Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Northwich This Year
| Northwich | Cheshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 866 | 39.47 | 27,840 | 26.10 | 34% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 29 | 1.32 | 1,116 | 1.05 | 20% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 92 | 4.19 | 3,394 | 3.18 | 24% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 193 | 8.80 | 7,682 | 7.20 | 18% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 43 | 1.96 | 1,624 | 1.52 | 22% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 50 | 2.28 | 1,520 | 1.43 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 143 | 6.52 | 4,722 | 4.43 | 32% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.18 | 323 | 0.30 | 67% safer |
| Public Order | 362 | 16.50 | 12,451 | 11.67 | 29% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.36 | 377 | 0.35 | 2.8% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 257 | 11.71 | 4,410 | 4.13 | 65% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.32 | 220 | 0.21 | 34% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 59 | 2.69 | 2,332 | 2.19 | 19% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 990 | 45.12 | 37,427 | 35.09 | 22% more dangerous |
Crime in Northwich Compared To Cheshire
Northwich Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alsager | 589 | 48.22 | 111% safer |
| Sandbach | 1,127 | 54.30 | 88% safer |
| Knutsford | 753 | 57.50 | 77% safer |
| Middlewich | 951 | 67.30 | 52% safer |
| Nantwich | 1,068 | 76.25 | 34% safer |
| Northwich | 2,237 | 101.96 | - |
Northwich Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 30 | 23 | 39 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.55 | 0.68 | 0.64 | 0.18 | Safer |
| Public Order | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.18 | 0.27 | 0.50 | 0.36 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.46 | 0.87 | 0.82 | 0.32 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 40 | 40 | 45 | Getting worse |
Changes In Northwich's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Northwich to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 51% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 32% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 23% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 19% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 18% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 4.6% safer |
| Northwich | 101.96 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 0.88% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 5.0% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 26% more dangerous |
Crime in Northwich's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbank | 466 | 79 | Second |
| Northwich Central & Winnington | 1,119 | 129 | First |
Crime in Northwich During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Northwich change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Northwich saw a 333% increase in other crime. Northwich saw a large fall in vehicle crime during December, when it fell by 85% compared to December in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Northwich's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +15% | +162% | +126% | +163% | +63% | +23% | +63% | +120% | +65% | +74% |
| Bicycle Theft | +150% | - | -67% | -33% | -25% | - | -63% | -50% | -33% | -67% |
| Burglary | -11% | +67% | +100% | -17% | +20% | -83% | +60% | +200% | -11% | +60% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -32% | -53% | -7% | -9% | -6% | -19% | -44% | -59% | -14% | -11% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | +40% | -78% | +75% | - | -75% | - | -67% |
| Other Crime | -38% | -50% | +100% | -50% | +50% | -25% | +333% | -40% | -33% | -57% |
| Other Theft | -29% | -69% | -15% | -43% | +17% | -18% | -37% | -35% | -8% | -50% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -53% | -30% | +115% | +46% | +58% | +13% | -12% | +50% | -18% | -16% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% |
| Shoplifting | +55% | -55% | -9% | +93% | +50% | +12% | -17% | -35% | -69% | -68% |
| Theft From the Person | -75% | - | - | +100% | - | - | -50% | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +133% | -50% | -67% | - | +300% | - | -83% | -50% | +25% | -85% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -16% | -25% | +3% | +7% | +19% | +39% | +37% | +8% | +26% | -13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Northwich
What police force serves Northwich?
Northwich's local territorial police force is the Cheshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Northwich?
Northwich is the most dangerous small town in Cheshire.What is Northwich's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Northwich are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Northwich?
Northwich's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021