Formby Crime Overview
Formby is among the top 5 safest small towns in Merseyside, and is among the top 20 safest overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Formby in 2020 was 37 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 141% lower than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Formby is the 196th safest small town, and the 5,027th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2020, Formby was the worst small town in Merseyside for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.18 per 1,000 inhabitants. July 2020 was also a bad month for Formby residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 11 crimes at a rate of 0.50 per 1,000 residents. Formby recorded 21 reports of drugs during June 2020, making its crime rate of 0.95 the worst small town for drugs in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Formby are violence and sexual offences, with 296 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 13. This is 2.7% higher than 2019's figure of 288 offences and a difference of 0.36 from 2019's crime rate of 13. Formby's least common crime is theft from the person, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 40% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Formby to other towns and cities
See how Formby shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Formby and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Formby Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Formby This Year
| Formby | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 536 | 24.17 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 18% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 20 | 0.90 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 18% safer |
| Burglary | 50 | 2.25 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 127% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 99 | 4.46 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 114% safer |
| Drugs | 77 | 3.47 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 147% safer |
| Other Crime | 12 | 0.54 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 269% safer |
| Other Theft | 62 | 2.80 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 73% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.36 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 156% safer |
| Public Order | 78 | 3.52 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 179% safer |
| Robbery | 10 | 0.45 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 67% safer |
| Shoplifting | 59 | 2.66 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 50% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.23 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 287% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 39 | 1.76 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 159% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 296 | 13.35 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 174% safer |
Crime in Formby Compared To Merseyside
Formby Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eccleston | 237 | 23.15 | 59% safer |
| Rainford | 249 | 32.25 | 14% safer |
| Halewood | 685 | 33.66 | 9% safer |
| Formby | 815 | 36.75 | - |
| Hoylake | 414 | 39.26 | 6% more dangerous |
| West Kirby | 584 | 39.26 | 6% more dangerous |
| Maghull | 788 | 39.60 | 7% more dangerous |
| Knowsley | 505 | 43.46 | 15% more dangerous |
| Rainhill | 517 | 47.14 | 22% more dangerous |
Formby Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 12 | 13 | 24 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.90 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 7 | 3.2 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.63 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.54 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.18 | 0.36 | 0.23 | 0.36 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 1.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.41 | 0.36 | 0.09 | 0.45 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.09 | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.23 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Getting worse |
Changes In Formby's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Formby to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Formby | 36.75 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 46% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 53% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 56% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 57% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 57% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 62% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 64% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 66% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 72% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 73% more dangerous |
Crime in Formby's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formby Central & Freshfield South | 273 | 44 | First |
| Formby South West | 171 | 31 | Third |
| Formby West & Freshfield North | 203 | 32 | Second |
Crime in Formby During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Formby change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Formby saw a 900% increase in shoplifting. Formby saw a large fall in vehicle crime during August, when it fell by 95% compared to August in 2019. Vehicle Crime saw a fall in every month of Formby's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +33% | +81% | +370% | +148% | +19% | +29% | +155% | +7% | +254% | +94% |
| Bicycle Theft | -67% | - | -50% | -67% | -67% | -67% | - | -50% | - | - |
| Burglary | +25% | -63% | -86% | -27% | +120% | - | -67% | -50% | -38% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +50% | -25% | -71% | +120% | -22% | +43% | +43% | -35% | - | -50% |
| Drugs | -86% | +100% | +500% | - | +167% | +25% | - | -50% | - | +100% |
| Other Crime | -50% | - | -75% | +100% | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -25% | -25% | -79% | -40% | - | -89% | +233% | +67% | -50% | +200% |
| Public Order | +13% | -33% | -29% | +11% | +40% | +43% | +29% | +50% | +40% | - |
| Shoplifting | +33% | - | -17% | -25% | -63% | -33% | +450% | +50% | +900% | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -63% | -85% | -50% | -85% | -30% | -95% | -40% | -63% | +25% | -75% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +41% | -59% | +25% | -4% | -22% | -7% | -39% | +35% | +37% | +50% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Formby
What police force serves Formby?
Formby's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Formby?
Formby is among the top 5 safest small towns in Merseyside.What is Formby's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Formby are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Formby?
Formby's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021