Derry City Crime Overview
Derry City is the most dangerous major town in Londonderry, and is the second most dangerous overall out of Londonderry's 21 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Derry City in 2020 was 79 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Londonderry's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Londonderry rate of 65 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Derry City is the 51st safest major town, and the 1,020th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Derry City had the worst crime rate in Londonderry for burglary, with 7 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.08 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Derry City residents, when it was Londonderry's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 85 crimes at a rate of 1.0 per 1,000 residents. Derry City recorded 63 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.76 the worst for drugs in Londonderry that month.
The most common crimes in Derry City are violence and sexual offences, with 3,159 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 38. This is 3.5% higher than 2019's figure of 3,047 offences and a difference of 1.35 from 2019's crime rate of 37. Derry City's least common crime is theft from the person, with 10 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 150% from 2019's figure of 25 crimes.
Compare Derry City to other towns and cities
See how Derry City shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Derry City and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Derry City Crime Map
Crime in Derry City Compared To Londonderry
Summary of Crimes in Derry City This Year
| Derry City | Londonderry | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,431 | 53.28 | 8,020 | 46.49 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 30 | 0.36 | 62 | 0.36 | 0% safer |
| Burglary | 223 | 2.68 | 397 | 2.30 | 14% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,245 | 14.97 | 2,109 | 12.22 | 18% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 571 | 6.87 | 938 | 5.44 | 21% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 171 | 2.06 | 314 | 1.82 | 12% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 556 | 6.69 | 936 | 5.43 | 19% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 70 | 0.84 | 104 | 0.60 | 29% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 90 | 1.08 | 141 | 0.82 | 24% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 64 | 0.77 | 77 | 0.45 | 42% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 289 | 3.48 | 434 | 2.52 | 28% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 10 | 0.12 | 13 | 0.08 | 33% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 124 | 1.49 | 227 | 1.32 | 11% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,159 | 37.99 | 5,479 | 31.76 | 16% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Derry City
View crime percentage over time forDerry City Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 46 | 43 | 42 | 53 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.29 | 0.36 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | Safer |
| Drugs | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.65 | 0.67 | 0.90 | 0.84 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 0.97 | 0.69 | 1.1 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.36 | 0.41 | 0.58 | 0.77 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.30 | 0.12 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 31 | 37 | 38 | Getting worse |
Changes In Derry City's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Derry City to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 17% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 2.6% safer |
| Derry City | 79.39 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 8% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 19% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 23% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 40% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 42% more dangerous |
Crime in Derry City During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Derry City change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Derry City saw a 600% increase in robbery. Derry City saw a large fall in public order during April, when it fell by 83% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +18% | +48% | +40% | +38% | +33% | +28% | +33% | +51% | +7% | +7% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | +300% | +75% | -67% | -50% | +200% | +200% | +100% | - | - |
| Burglary | -24% | -44% | +33% | +63% | -12% | -43% | -50% | -7% | +20% | -77% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -23% | -34% | -33% | +1% | +36% | -7% | +17% | -27% | +13% | -33% |
| Drugs | -50% | -11% | +69% | +27% | +36% | -11% | +43% | +49% | +23% | +15% |
| Other Crime | +23% | -17% | +200% | -33% | +36% | -13% | -25% | -62% | -33% | - |
| Other Theft | -13% | -32% | -23% | +15% | -2% | +22% | +9% | +41% | +2% | - |
| Possession of Weapons | +50% | -60% | +50% | +29% | -14% | -25% | -33% | +20% | +133% | -67% |
| Public Order | +133% | -83% | -63% | -14% | -20% | +64% | -40% | -8% | +300% | +200% |
| Robbery | -25% | -20% | -50% | +100% | +67% | +350% | +50% | -33% | +600% | - |
| Shoplifting | +70% | -36% | -39% | -52% | -12% | -35% | +10% | +18% | +13% | -7% |
| Theft From the Person | +50% | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | +10% | -33% | +67% | -23% | -73% | +13% | - | +70% | +86% | -48% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +18% | -15% | +3% | - | +10% | -14% | -8% | +7% | +0% | -13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Derry City
What police force serves Derry City?
Derry City's local territorial police force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland.How dangerous is Derry City?
Derry City is the most dangerous major town in Londonderry.What is Derry City's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Derry City are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Derry City?
Derry City's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 31 Dec 2021