Medway Crime Overview
Medway is the third most dangerous city in the South East, and among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Medway in 2020 was 91 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2020, Medway had the worst crime rate in the South East for other crime, with 73 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Medway residents, when it was the South East's most dangerous area for other theft, recording 134 crimes at a rate of 0.48 per 1,000 residents. Medway recorded 42 reports of robbery during July 2020, making its crime rate of 0.15 the worst for robbery in the South East that month.
The most common crimes in Medway are violence and sexual offences, with 12,600 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 45. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 13,597 offences and a difference of 3.58 from 2019's crime rate of 49. Medway's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 130 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 42% from 2019's figure of 185 crimes.
Medway Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Medway This Year
| Medway | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 7,233 | 25.97 |
| Bicycle Theft | 130 | 0.47 |
| Burglary | 947 | 3.40 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,708 | 9.72 |
| Drugs | 713 | 2.56 |
| Other Crime | 833 | 2.99 |
| Other Theft | 1,645 | 5.91 |
| Possession of Weapons | 226 | 0.81 |
| Public Order | 2,197 | 7.89 |
| Robbery | 326 | 1.17 |
| Shoplifting | 1,591 | 5.71 |
| Theft From the Person | 153 | 0.55 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,202 | 4.32 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12,600 | 45.23 |
Medway Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 18 | 18 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.1 | 0.92 | 0.66 | 0.47 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 0.67 | 0.82 | 0.81 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Robbery | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.57 | 0.69 | 0.82 | 0.55 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 40 | 48 | 49 | 45 | Safer |
Comparing Medway to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 27% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 23% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 22% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 18% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 15% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 12% safer |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 1.9% safer |
| Medway | 90.72 | - |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 0.93% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 1.3% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 12% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 14% more dangerous |
Crime in Medway During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Medway change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Medway saw a 156% increase in anti-social behaviour. Medway saw a large fall in bicycle theft during October, when it fell by 67% compared to October in 2019. Rates of other theft and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Medway's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +28% | +156% | +123% | +40% | +34% | +24% | +33% | +20% | +45% |
| Bicycle Theft | -50% | -38% | -24% | +40% | +47% | +27% | -44% | -67% | -41% |
| Burglary | -43% | -41% | -28% | -13% | -23% | +1% | -34% | -33% | -47% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -1% | +2% | -21% | -15% | +29% | +6% | +1% | -9% | -10% |
| Drugs | +30% | +100% | +58% | +129% | +124% | +38% | +59% | +24% | -14% |
| Other Crime | +7% | -3% | -27% | +33% | +13% | +46% | -12% | -18% | -15% |
| Other Theft | -45% | -51% | -43% | -48% | -28% | -37% | -30% | -32% | -46% |
| Possession of Weapons | +4% | -5% | +24% | +69% | +140% | -32% | -33% | -22% | -21% |
| Public Order | -26% | -7% | -25% | +0% | -25% | +4% | -6% | -16% | -26% |
| Robbery | -24% | -34% | -66% | -5% | +75% | -16% | -13% | -6% | -11% |
| Shoplifting | -3% | -45% | -45% | -46% | +13% | +17% | -10% | -16% | -28% |
| Theft From the Person | -61% | -48% | -65% | -52% | -11% | +15% | +16% | -50% | -4% |
| Vehicle Crime | -34% | -53% | -38% | -23% | -10% | -21% | -62% | -33% | -46% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -3% | -8% | -6% | -14% | +2% | +23% | +4% | +12% | -14% |
Medway's Population Centres
| Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Medway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frindsbury Extra | 469 | 62 | 46% safer |
| Hoo St. Werburgh | 623 | 61 | 48% safer |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Medway
What police force serves Medway?
Medway's local territorial police force is the Kent Police.How dangerous is Medway?
Medway is the third most dangerous city in the South East.What is Medway's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Medway are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Medway?
Medway's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021