Bootle Crime Overview
Bootle is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Merseyside, and is the second most dangerous overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bootle in 2020 was 123 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 28% higher than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bootle is among the top 10 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 249th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Bootle was the worst medium-sized town in Merseyside for bicycle theft, with 13 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.25 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Bootle residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous medium-sized town for burglary, recording 41 crimes at a rate of 0.78 per 1,000 residents. Bootle recorded 40 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.76 the worst medium-sized town for drugs in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Bootle are violence and sexual offences, with 2,769 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 52. This is 6% higher than 2019's figure of 2,596 offences and a difference of 3.28 from 2019's crime rate of 49. Bootle's least common crime is theft from the person, with 35 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 74% from 2019's figure of 61 crimes.
Compare Bootle to other towns and cities
See how Bootle shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bootle and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bootle Crime Map
Crime in Bootle Compared To Merseyside
Summary of Crimes in Bootle This Year
| Bootle | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,802 | 34.11 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 17% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 89 | 1.68 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 37% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 393 | 7.44 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 31% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 740 | 14.01 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 32% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 636 | 12.04 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 117 | 2.21 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 302 | 5.72 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 15% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 52 | 0.98 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 6% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 713 | 13.49 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 27% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 59 | 1.12 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 33% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 278 | 5.26 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 24% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 35 | 0.66 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 35% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 293 | 5.55 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 18% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,769 | 52.41 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Bootle
View crime percentage over time forBootle Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 47 | 30 | 25 | 34 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.7 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | Safer |
| Drugs | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.91 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.98 | Safer |
| Public Order | 7 | 11 | 11 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.64 | 0.97 | 1.2 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 32 | 44 | 49 | 52 | Getting worse |
Changes In Bootle's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Bootle's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Bootle that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootle South Recreation Ground | 3 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 | 6 | 3.6 |
Comparing Bootle to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Bootle's Neighbourhoods
Bootle South is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Bootle, followed by Bootle North in second place, and Netherton South as the third most dangerous area. Bootle's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Litherland South, Netherton North, and Orrell.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bootle East | 1,017 | 117 | Fourth |
| Bootle North | 1,051 | 150 | Second |
| Bootle South | 1,708 | 235 | First |
| Litherland South | 403 | 61 | Seventh |
| Netherton North | 503 | 83 | Fifth |
| Netherton South | 868 | 126 | Third |
| Orrell | 581 | 82 | Sixth |
Bootle Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Bootle for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Litherland South (114) | Bootle South (427) |
| Bicycle Theft | Orrell (4) | Bootle South (35) |
| Burglary | Netherton North (25) | Bootle South (109) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Litherland South (50) | Bootle South (141) |
| Drugs | Netherton North (30) | Bootle South (152) |
| Other Crime | Litherland South (3) | Bootle South (33) |
| Other Theft | Litherland South (18) | Bootle South (110) |
| Possession of Weapons | Litherland South (3) | Bootle South (15) |
| Public Order | Litherland South (32) | Bootle South (191) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Litherland South (3) | Bootle South (21) |
| Shoplifting | Litherland South (4) | Bootle South (180) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Litherland South (2) | Bootle South (15) |
| Vehicle Crime | Netherton North (24) | Bootle South (63) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Litherland South (156) | Bootle South (643) |
Crime in Bootle During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bootle change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Bootle saw a 233% increase in possession of weapons. Bootle saw a large fall in bicycle theft during April, when it fell by 71% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +19% | +72% | +113% | +31% | +24% | +6% | +41% | +63% | +49% | +63% |
| Bicycle Theft | -14% | -71% | -63% | +150% | -33% | +117% | +133% | +75% | - | -50% |
| Burglary | +79% | +8% | -41% | -28% | -3% | +29% | +3% | -18% | +44% | +78% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +21% | -41% | -14% | -11% | -44% | +4% | +16% | -7% | +6% | -2% |
| Drugs | +31% | +74% | +179% | +8% | -64% | -55% | +4% | +15% | +19% | -2% |
| Other Crime | -31% | -44% | -25% | +11% | -13% | -30% | -9% | +73% | +9% | -17% |
| Other Theft | -38% | -61% | +4% | -23% | -21% | +17% | +11% | -65% | +21% | -19% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | +20% | +75% | -25% | -56% | -13% | +233% | -67% | -63% | -33% |
| Public Order | +72% | +23% | -8% | +56% | +7% | +17% | +11% | +12% | +23% | +16% |
| Robbery | -29% | -33% | +167% | -57% | - | - | -40% | +40% | - | +50% |
| Shoplifting | +27% | -36% | -39% | -46% | -50% | -11% | -39% | -18% | -8% | +19% |
| Theft From the Person | -33% | - | - | - | +150% | - | -29% | -33% | -50% | -25% |
| Vehicle Crime | -36% | -38% | -34% | -11% | -39% | -12% | -36% | +22% | -53% | +4% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +1% | +12% | +19% | -6% | +3% | +6% | +20% | -14% | -6% | +18% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bootle
What police force serves Bootle?
Bootle's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Bootle?
Bootle is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Merseyside.What is Bootle's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bootle are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bootle?
Bootle's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021