Newtownards Crime Overview
Newtownards is the second most dangerous medium-sized 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 Newtownards in 2020 was 42 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Down's overall crime rate, coming in 7% lower than the Down rate of 45 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newtownards is among the top 20 safest medium-sized towns, and the 4,094th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Newtownards had the worst crime rate in Down for drugs, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.46 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Newtownards residents, when it was Down's most dangerous area for other crime, recording 5 crimes at a rate of 0.18 per 1,000 residents. Newtownards recorded 1 report of theft from the person during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.04 the worst for theft from the person in Down that month.
The most common crimes in Newtownards are violence and sexual offences, with 589 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 1.0% higher than 2019's figure of 583 offences and a difference of 0.22 from 2019's crime rate of 21. Newtownards's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 800% from 2019's figure of 9 crimes.
Compare Newtownards to other towns and cities
See how Newtownards shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newtownards and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newtownards Crime Map
Crime in Newtownards Compared To Down
Summary of Crimes in Newtownards This Year
| Newtownards | Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,367 | 48.73 | 13,458 | 40.19 | 18% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 1 | 0.04 | 78 | 0.23 | 475% safer |
| Burglary | 33 | 1.18 | 667 | 1.99 | 69% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 271 | 9.66 | 3,046 | 9.10 | 6% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 70 | 2.50 | 1,076 | 3.21 | 28% safer |
| Other Crime | 41 | 1.46 | 461 | 1.38 | 5% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 76 | 2.71 | 1,280 | 3.82 | 41% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.32 | 186 | 0.56 | 75% safer |
| Public Order | 8 | 0.29 | 176 | 0.53 | 83% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.11 | 72 | 0.22 | 100% safer |
| Shoplifting | 43 | 1.53 | 783 | 2.34 | 53% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.18 | 27 | 0.08 | 56% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 26 | 0.93 | 387 | 1.16 | 25% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 589 | 21.00 | 6,813 | 20.35 | 3.1% more dangerous |
Newtownards Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Castlereagh | 2,051 | 36.72 | 14% safer |
| Newtownards | 1,175 | 41.89 | - |
| Newry | 2,223 | 82.43 | 49% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Newtownards
View crime percentage over time forNewtownards Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 38 | 37 | 35 | 49 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.18 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.04 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.53 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.32 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.0 | 0.93 | 0.86 | 0.29 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.82 | 0.29 | 0.07 | 0.11 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.18 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.18 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.93 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | Safer |
Changes In Newtownards's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newtownards to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Newtownards | 41.89 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 38% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 46% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 50% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 51% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 57% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 59% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 61% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 69% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 69% more dangerous |
Crime in Newtownards During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newtownards change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Newtownards saw a 200% increase in vehicle crime. Newtownards saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 92% compared to June in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -11% | +102% | +103% | +24% | +57% | +26% | +38% | +53% | +13% | +52% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -64% | -57% | -80% | -50% | -83% | -57% | -86% | - | +67% | -33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +50% | +125% | -41% | -18% | -4% | +25% | +24% | -22% | -21% | -10% |
| Drugs | +17% | -25% | -63% | -89% | - | - | - | +60% | +86% | -17% |
| Other Crime | -40% | +25% | +67% | - | - | - | +100% | +100% | +150% | +150% |
| Other Theft | -44% | -79% | -68% | -64% | -30% | -50% | +14% | -17% | -43% | +17% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -50% |
| Public Order | - | - | -50% | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -75% | -71% | -90% | -92% | -82% | -67% | -83% | -70% | -33% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -67% | -57% | - | - | -67% | -33% | - | - | -75% | +200% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -46% | - | -39% | +21% | +18% | -4% | -21% | +43% | +83% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newtownards
What police force serves Newtownards?
Newtownards's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Newtownards?
Newtownards is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in Down.What is Newtownards's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newtownards are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newtownards?
Newtownards's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 31 Dec 2021