Newry Crime Overview
Newry is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Down, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of Down's 48 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Newry in 2020 was 82 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Down's overall crime rate, coming in 45% higher than the Down rate of 45 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newry is the 75th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 906th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Newry had the worst crime rate in Down for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.15 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Newry residents, when it was Down's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 15 crimes at a rate of 0.56 per 1,000 residents. Newry recorded 35 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 1.3 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Down that month.
The most common crimes in Newry are violence and sexual offences, with 862 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 6% higher than 2019's figure of 810 offences and a difference of 1.92 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Newry's least common crime is theft from the person, with 7 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 29% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.
Compare Newry to other towns and cities
See how Newry shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newry and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newry Crime Map
Crime in Newry Compared To Down
Summary of Crimes in Newry This Year
| Newry | Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,396 | 51.77 | 13,458 | 40.19 | 22% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 26 | 0.96 | 78 | 0.23 | 76% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 121 | 4.49 | 667 | 1.99 | 56% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 430 | 15.95 | 3,046 | 9.10 | 43% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 165 | 6.12 | 1,076 | 3.21 | 48% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 77 | 2.86 | 461 | 1.38 | 52% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 154 | 5.71 | 1,280 | 3.82 | 33% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 48 | 1.78 | 186 | 0.56 | 69% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 30 | 1.11 | 176 | 0.53 | 52% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 17 | 0.63 | 72 | 0.22 | 65% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 202 | 7.49 | 783 | 2.34 | 69% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.26 | 27 | 0.08 | 69% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 84 | 3.11 | 387 | 1.16 | 63% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 862 | 31.96 | 6,813 | 20.35 | 36% more dangerous |
Newry Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Castlereagh | 2,051 | 36.72 | 124% safer |
| Newtownards | 1,175 | 41.89 | 97% safer |
| Newry | 2,223 | 82.43 | - |
Crime Over Time in Newry
View crime percentage over time forNewry Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 53 | 51 | 45 | 52 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.30 | 0.44 | 0.59 | 0.96 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 4.0 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 16 | 14 | 13 | 16 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.78 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 1.1 | 0.70 | 0.93 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.22 | 0.59 | 0.48 | 0.63 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.37 | 0.30 | 0.19 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 34 | 32 | 30 | 32 | Safer |
Changes In Newry's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newry to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 22% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 6% safer |
| Newry | 82.43 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 0.95% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 15% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 20% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 23% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 38% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 40% more dangerous |
Crime in Newry During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newry change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Newry saw a 1,200% increase in vehicle crime. Newry saw a large fall in public order during September, when it fell by 80% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +5% | +120% | +38% | -11% | +25% | -10% | +10% | +13% | +25% | -9% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -50% | +100% | +200% | +200% | - | +100% | +300% | -50% | - |
| Burglary | -75% | +122% | -33% | -40% | -27% | +71% | -62% | -23% | -47% | +200% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -17% | +8% | +25% | +6% | +90% | +53% | +67% | +25% | +7% | +30% |
| Drugs | +89% | -56% | -44% | -22% | +125% | -17% | +67% | +23% | +71% | +56% |
| Other Crime | -17% | +25% | +600% | +150% | +200% | +150% | - | +125% | -69% | -17% |
| Other Theft | -45% | -59% | -36% | -56% | +6% | -5% | +57% | -18% | -19% | -38% |
| Possession of Weapons | +800% | - | +200% | +50% | -25% | +200% | +167% | -25% | +67% | +300% |
| Public Order | +50% | -50% | +100% | +200% | +200% | -25% | -80% | - | +33% | - |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | +300% | - | +100% | -33% |
| Shoplifting | -64% | -68% | -67% | -50% | -21% | +16% | -4% | -35% | -10% | +13% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +1,200% | -29% | +200% | +57% | +75% | +60% | +200% | +33% | +50% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | +17% | -6% | +27% | +69% | -18% | -3% | +33% | +7% | -30% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newry
What police force serves Newry?
Newry's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Newry?
Newry is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Down.What is Newry's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newry are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newry?
Newry's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021