Holywood Crime Overview
Holywood is the second safest small town in Down, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Down's 48 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Holywood in 2020 was 36 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Down's overall crime rate, coming in 24% lower than the Down rate of 45 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Holywood is the 188th safest small town, and the 5,134th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Holywood had the worst crime rate in Down for burglary, with 8 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.71 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2019 was also a bad month for Holywood residents, when it was Down's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.09 per 1,000 residents. Holywood recorded 3 reports of possession of weapons during February 2018, making its crime rate of 0.27 the worst for possession of weapons in Down that month.
The most common crimes in Holywood are violence and sexual offences, with 162 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 14. This is 4.3% higher than 2019's figure of 155 offences and a difference of 0.62 from 2019's crime rate of 14. Holywood's least common crime is public order, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Holywood to other towns and cities
See how Holywood shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Holywood and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Holywood Crime Map
Crime in Holywood Compared To Down
Summary of Crimes in Holywood This Year
| Holywood | Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 395 | 35.09 | 13,458 | 40.19 | 15% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.27 | 78 | 0.23 | 15% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 24 | 2.13 | 667 | 1.99 | 7% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 58 | 5.15 | 3,046 | 9.10 | 77% safer |
| Drugs | 33 | 2.93 | 1,076 | 3.21 | 10% safer |
| Other Crime | 13 | 1.15 | 461 | 1.38 | 20% safer |
| Other Theft | 81 | 7.20 | 1,280 | 3.82 | 47% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 3 | 0.27 | 186 | 0.56 | 107% safer |
| Public Order | 2 | 0.18 | 176 | 0.53 | 194% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.18 | 72 | 0.22 | 22% safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 0.98 | 783 | 2.34 | 139% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 16 | 1.42 | 387 | 1.16 | 18% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 162 | 14.39 | 6,813 | 20.35 | 41% safer |
Holywood Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comber | 267 | 29.43 | 23% safer |
| Holywood | 408 | 36.24 | - |
| Warrenpoint and Burren | 375 | 42.95 | 16% more dangerous |
| Banbridge | 1,057 | 63.53 | 43% more dangerous |
| Newcastle | 665 | 86.68 | 58% more dangerous |
| Downpatrick | 1,181 | 109.13 | 67% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Holywood
View crime percentage over time forHolywood Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 38 | 26 | 26 | 35 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | - | 0.18 | 0.27 | 0.27 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.80 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 10 | 13 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.27 | 0.44 | 0.36 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Public Order | - | 0.27 | 0.36 | 0.18 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.18 | 0.09 | 0.18 | 0.18 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.98 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.7 | 0.98 | 1.4 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | Getting worse |
Changes In Holywood's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Holywood to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Holywood | 36.24 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 46% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 53% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 56% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 58% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 58% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 63% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 65% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 66% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 73% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 74% more dangerous |
Crime in Holywood During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Holywood change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Holywood saw a 500% increase in drugs. Holywood saw a large fall in burglary during June, when it fell by 86% compared to June in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Holywood's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | - | +47% | +190% | -19% | +19% | +6% | +26% | +36% | +142% | +100% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | +200% | - | -86% | - | -80% | -67% | -80% | +167% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -44% | +14% | -20% | -40% | - | -75% | -29% | -29% | +50% | +50% |
| Drugs | +400% | -50% | - | -80% | - | - | - | +50% | +500% | -25% |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -64% | -50% | -53% | -53% | -44% | -47% | -22% | +17% | -17% | -63% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | -86% | -20% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -67% | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | -33% | -33% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -44% | +8% | +17% | +44% | -8% | +44% | -41% | +80% | -25% | +57% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Holywood
What police force serves Holywood?
Holywood's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Holywood?
Holywood is the second safest small town in Down.What is Holywood's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Holywood are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Holywood?
Holywood's least common crime is public order.Last updated: 07 May 2021