Newcastle Crime Overview
Newcastle is the second most dangerous small town in Down, and is the third most dangerous overall out of Down's 48 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Newcastle in 2020 was 87 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Down's overall crime rate, coming in 48% higher than the Down rate of 45 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newcastle is the 91st most dangerous small town, and the 785th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2020, Newcastle had the worst crime rate in Down for public order, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2019 was also a bad month for Newcastle residents, when it was Down's most dangerous area for bicycle theft, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 residents. Newcastle recorded 4 reports of other crime during October 2019, making its crime rate of 0.52 the worst for other crime in Down that month.
The most common crimes in Newcastle are violence and sexual offences, with 311 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 21% higher than 2019's figure of 246 offences and a difference of 8.48 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Newcastle's least common crime is theft from the person, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Newcastle to other towns and cities
See how Newcastle shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newcastle and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newcastle Crime Map
Crime in Newcastle Compared To Down
Summary of Crimes in Newcastle This Year
| Newcastle | Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 543 | 70.78 | 13,458 | 40.19 | 43% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.52 | 78 | 0.23 | 56% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 37 | 4.82 | 667 | 1.99 | 59% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 134 | 17.47 | 3,046 | 9.10 | 48% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 56 | 7.30 | 1,076 | 3.21 | 56% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 19 | 2.48 | 461 | 1.38 | 44% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 62 | 8.08 | 1,280 | 3.82 | 53% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 3 | 0.39 | 186 | 0.56 | 44% safer |
| Public Order | 6 | 0.78 | 176 | 0.53 | 32% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.39 | 72 | 0.22 | 44% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 16 | 2.09 | 783 | 2.34 | 12% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1 | 0.13 | 27 | 0.08 | 38% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 13 | 1.69 | 387 | 1.16 | 31% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 311 | 40.54 | 6,813 | 20.35 | 50% more dangerous |
Newcastle Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comber | 267 | 29.43 | 195% safer |
| Holywood | 408 | 36.24 | 139% safer |
| Warrenpoint and Burren | 375 | 42.95 | 102% safer |
| Banbridge | 1,057 | 63.53 | 36% safer |
| Newcastle | 665 | 86.68 | - |
| Downpatrick | 1,181 | 109.13 | 21% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Newcastle
View crime percentage over time forNewcastle Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 62 | 56 | 57 | 71 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.52 | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.52 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 7 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 4.8 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 21 | 15 | 19 | 17 | Safer |
| Drugs | 5.0 | 5 | 4.8 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 0.65 | 0.65 | 0.39 | Safer |
| Public Order | 0.78 | 0.65 | 0.39 | 0.78 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.26 | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.39 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.5 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.26 | 0.52 | 0.26 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 34 | 34 | 32 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Newcastle's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newcastle to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 28% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 12% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.2% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 1.0% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 0.55% safer |
| Newcastle | 86.68 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 11% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 16% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 37% more dangerous |
Crime in Newcastle During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newcastle change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Newcastle saw a 900% increase in drugs. Newcastle saw a large fall in other theft during July, when it fell by 83% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +9% | - | +100% | +24% | +18% | +27% | -13% | +33% | +6% | +71% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +50% | +100% | - | +50% | - | +200% | +100% | - | +100% | +300% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +120% | +10% | -20% | -15% | +178% | +45% | +8% | -58% | -71% | -75% |
| Drugs | - | -67% | +67% | +75% | +900% | -25% | +100% | +100% | +133% | +200% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +100% | -33% | - | +500% | +100% | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -13% | +150% | -50% | - | -83% | +67% | +350% | -20% | -67% | -60% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | -80% | - | +100% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -67% | -50% | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | +200% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +39% | - | +8% | +45% | +170% | -16% | -33% | +41% | +80% | -8% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newcastle
What police force serves Newcastle?
Newcastle's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Newcastle?
Newcastle is the second most dangerous small town in Down.What is Newcastle's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newcastle are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newcastle?
Newcastle's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021