Knowsley Crime Overview
Knowsley is among the top 10 most dangerous 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 Knowsley in 2020 was 43 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 104% lower than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Knowsley is the 299th safest small town, and the 3,839th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Knowsley was the worst small town in Merseyside for possession of weapons, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.17 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Knowsley residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous small town for vehicle crime, recording 6 crimes at a rate of 0.52 per 1,000 residents. Knowsley recorded 3 reports of other crime during January 2017, making its crime rate of 0.26 the worst small town for other crime in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Knowsley are violence and sexual offences, with 242 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 27% higher than 2019's figure of 176 offences and a difference of 5.68 from 2019's crime rate of 15. Knowsley's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 1 offence recorded in 2020, a decrease of 400% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.
Compare Knowsley to other towns and cities
See how Knowsley shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Knowsley and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Knowsley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Knowsley This Year
| Knowsley | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 190 | 16.35 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 74% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1 | 0.09 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 1078% safer |
| Burglary | 36 | 3.10 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 65% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 49 | 4.22 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 126% safer |
| Drugs | 55 | 4.73 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 81% safer |
| Other Crime | 18 | 1.55 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 28% safer |
| Other Theft | 19 | 1.63 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 197% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.77 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 19% safer |
| Public Order | 47 | 4.04 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 143% safer |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.09 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 733% safer |
| Shoplifting | 4 | 0.34 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 1071% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 24 | 2.07 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 120% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 242 | 20.82 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 75% safer |
Crime in Knowsley Compared To Merseyside
Knowsley Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halewood | 685 | 33.66 | 29% safer |
| Formby | 815 | 36.75 | 18% safer |
| Hoylake | 414 | 39.26 | 11% safer |
| West Kirby | 584 | 39.26 | 11% safer |
| Maghull | 788 | 39.60 | 10% safer |
| Knowsley | 505 | 43.46 | - |
| Rainhill | 517 | 47.14 | 8% more dangerous |
| Haydock | 1,037 | 64.45 | 33% more dangerous |
| Whiston | 1,003 | 76.99 | 44% more dangerous |
| Newton-le-Willows | 1,844 | 77.19 | 44% more dangerous |
| Litherland | 1,749 | 92.53 | 53% more dangerous |
Knowsley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 12 | 13 | 9 | 16 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.43 | 0.09 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.3 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5 | 4.6 | 5 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.77 | 0.86 | 0.69 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.69 | 0.86 | 0.52 | 0.77 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.0 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.26 | 0.17 | 0.43 | 0.09 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 0.17 | 0.52 | 0.26 | 0.34 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 11 | 15 | 15 | 21 | Getting worse |
Changes In Knowsley's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Knowsley to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Knowsley | 43.46 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 36% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 44% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 48% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 49% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 55% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 58% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 59% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 67% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 68% more dangerous |
Crime in Knowsley's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowsley Village & Southdene | 1,011 | 100 | Second |
| Longview & Knowsley Park | 779 | 107 | First |
| Stockbridge Village | 646 | 88 | Third |
Crime in Knowsley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Knowsley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Knowsley saw a 700% increase in burglary. Knowsley saw a large fall in drugs during October, when it fell by 86% compared to October in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +29% | +250% | +257% | +300% | +75% | +100% | -31% | - | +633% | +60% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -78% | -71% | - | -50% | +700% | -67% | +100% | +100% | +200% | -60% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -20% | -11% | +100% | - | - | +250% | - | - | -43% | -25% |
| Drugs | - | +50% | +14% | - | +25% | -33% | - | -86% | +200% | +400% |
| Other Crime | +150% | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -75% | - | -60% | - | - | -25% | +200% | +100% | -33% | - |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -50% | +300% | -20% | +50% | +100% | +350% | +33% | +50% | +33% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | - | +200% | -40% | -80% | -67% | - | - | +500% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +75% | -17% | +163% | +108% | - | +100% | +188% | -25% | - | +41% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Knowsley
What police force serves Knowsley?
Knowsley's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Knowsley?
Knowsley is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Merseyside.What is Knowsley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Knowsley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Knowsley?
Knowsley's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021