Birkenhead Crime Overview
Birkenhead is the most dangerous major town in Merseyside, and is the third most dangerous overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Birkenhead in 2020 was 116 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 24% higher than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Birkenhead is among the top 20 most dangerous major towns, and the 306th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Birkenhead was the worst major town in Merseyside for burglary, with 43 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.47 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Birkenhead residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous major town for criminal damage and arson, recording 129 crimes at a rate of 1.4 per 1,000 residents. Birkenhead recorded 57 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.63 the worst major town for drugs in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Birkenhead are violence and sexual offences, with 4,541 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 50. This is 0.53% lower than 2019's figure of 4,565 offences and a difference of 0.26 from 2019's crime rate of 50. Birkenhead's least common crime is robbery, with 75 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 4.0% from 2019's figure of 72 crimes.
Compare Birkenhead to other towns and cities
See how Birkenhead shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Birkenhead and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Birkenhead Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Birkenhead This Year
| Birkenhead | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,425 | 37.81 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 88 | 0.97 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 9% safer |
| Burglary | 400 | 4.42 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 15% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,250 | 13.80 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 31% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 828 | 9.14 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 6% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 258 | 2.85 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 30% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 567 | 6.26 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 23% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 112 | 1.24 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 26% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,289 | 14.23 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 31% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 75 | 0.83 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 10% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 619 | 6.83 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 42% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 94 | 1.04 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 14% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 400 | 4.42 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 3.2% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,541 | 50.13 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 27% more dangerous |
Crime in Birkenhead Compared To Merseyside
Birkenhead Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 41 | 33 | 25 | 38 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.85 | 1.4 | 0.82 | 0.97 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | Safer |
| Drugs | 4.0 | 6 | 8 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.0 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.76 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 13 | 13 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.1 | 0.99 | 0.79 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 34 | 48 | 50 | 50 | Getting worse |
Changes In Birkenhead's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Birkenhead to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Birkenhead's Neighbourhoods
Birkenhead Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Birkenhead, followed by Birkenhead South in second place, and Bidston Hill as the third most dangerous area. Birkenhead's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Claughton North, Noctorum South, and Prenton.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidston Hill | 1,151 | 150 | Third |
| Birkenhead Central | 2,640 | 322 | First |
| Birkenhead South | 1,650 | 170 | Second |
| Claughton North | 512 | 63 | Ninth |
| Claughton South & Oxton North | 576 | 71 | Sixth |
| Egerton Park | 551 | 69 | Seventh |
| Noctorum North & Upton East | 474 | 69 | Eighth |
| Noctorum South | 321 | 39 | Tenth |
| Oxton South | 849 | 101 | Fifth |
| Prenton | 185 | 30 | 11th |
| Tranmere | 1,043 | 126 | Fourth |
Birkenhead Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Birkenhead for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Prenton (77) | Birkenhead Central (853) |
| Bicycle Theft | Prenton (1) | Birkenhead Central (30) |
| Burglary | Egerton Park (17) | Birkenhead Central (84) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Prenton (13) | Birkenhead Central (241) |
| Drugs | Noctorum South (5) | Birkenhead Central (260) |
| Other Crime | Claughton South & Oxton North (4) | Birkenhead Central (55) |
| Other Theft | Prenton (7) | Birkenhead Central (139) |
| Possession of Weapons | Noctorum South (2) | Birkenhead Central (39) |
| Public Order | Prenton (27) | Birkenhead Central (373) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Oxton South (3) | Birkenhead Central (30) |
| Shoplifting | Claughton South & Oxton North (5) | Birkenhead Central (277) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Noctorum North & Upton East (1) | Birkenhead Central (46) |
| Vehicle Crime | Prenton (9) | Birkenhead Central (81) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Prenton (82) | Birkenhead Central (985) |
Crime in Birkenhead During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Birkenhead change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Birkenhead saw a 275% increase in bicycle theft. Birkenhead saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 80% compared to April in 2019. Rates of shoplifting and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Birkenhead's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +58% | +137% | +68% | +52% | +23% | +25% | +32% | +70% | +52% | +63% |
| Bicycle Theft | -13% | -60% | -33% | +75% | -36% | +38% | -22% | +150% | +275% | - |
| Burglary | -35% | -49% | -28% | -31% | -48% | -60% | +10% | +3% | -40% | -8% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +9% | -26% | -9% | -18% | +2% | -6% | -6% | -11% | +2% | -6% |
| Drugs | +94% | +124% | +85% | +6% | -21% | +38% | -10% | -18% | +7% | -3% |
| Other Crime | -7% | +17% | +50% | -5% | +32% | -4% | -17% | +25% | +93% | +32% |
| Other Theft | +19% | -36% | -19% | -54% | -18% | -6% | -18% | +14% | -27% | -11% |
| Possession of Weapons | +150% | -22% | -13% | +33% | +6% | -25% | +22% | +100% | -75% | -75% |
| Public Order | -1% | +6% | +44% | +55% | +15% | +10% | -3% | -28% | +5% | +15% |
| Robbery | -22% | +40% | - | -13% | +67% | +150% | - | - | +50% | +60% |
| Shoplifting | +25% | -39% | -51% | -37% | -30% | -45% | -8% | -64% | -21% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | +100% | -80% | -80% | - | -47% | +22% | +9% | -13% | - | -36% |
| Vehicle Crime | -26% | -72% | -44% | -39% | -37% | -19% | -8% | +136% | -11% | -17% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -7% | - | -4% | -2% | +2% | +11% | +13% | 0% | -6% | -21% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Birkenhead
What police force serves Birkenhead?
Birkenhead's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Birkenhead?
Birkenhead is the most dangerous major town in Merseyside.What is Birkenhead's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Birkenhead are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Birkenhead?
Birkenhead's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021