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 April 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. March 2019 was also a bad month for Knowsley residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous small town for other crime, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.34 per 1,000 residents. Knowsley recorded 1 report of robbery during November 2019, making its crime rate of 0.09 the worst small town for robbery 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

Click to use map

Crime in Knowsley Compared To Merseyside

Are you researching crime in Knowsley, or have a general question? Please contact our team. We offer free consultation on basic requests. This content is licensed CC BY-ND 4.0. When referencing or citing CrimeRate data or content on third-party sites, we require attribution to the source page on crimerate.co.uk
Creative Commons logo

Summary of Crimes in Knowsley This Year

 KnowsleyMerseyside 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour19016.3540,66028.4574% safer
Bicycle Theft10.091,5121.061078% safer
Burglary363.107,2855.1065% safer
Criminal Damage and Arson494.2213,6509.55126% safer
Drugs554.7312,2518.5781% safer
Other Crime181.552,8461.9928% safer
Other Theft191.636,9194.84197% safer
Possession of Weapons90.771,3200.9219% safer
Public Order474.0414,0409.82143% safer
Robbery10.091,0670.75733% safer
Shoplifting40.345,6903.981071% safer
Vehicle Crime242.076,5194.56120% safer
Violence and Sexual Offences24220.8252,19836.5275% safer

Knowsley Compared to Nearby Small Towns

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Halewood68533.6629% safer
Formby81536.7518% safer
Hoylake41439.2611% safer
West Kirby58439.2611% safer
Maghull78839.6010% safer
Knowsley50543.46-
Rainhill51747.148% more dangerous
Haydock1,03764.4533% more dangerous
Whiston1,00376.9944% more dangerous
Newton-le-Willows1,84477.1944% more dangerous
Litherland1,74992.5353% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Knowsley

View crime percentage over time for

Recent Crimes in Knowsley

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Ainsworth LaneUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Ainsworth LaneUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Quickthorn CrescentUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Hazel RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Hazel RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Public orderOn or near Maple Leaf DriveFurther investigation is not in the public interest
October 2021Other theftOn or near Fountain RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Fountain RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Fountain RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021BurglaryOn or near Croxteth LaneInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Public orderOn or near Croxteth LaneInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Public orderOn or near Boydell CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Haswell DriveUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Other theftOn or near Round HeyInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near St Anthony'S CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Springside CloseInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Corncroft RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Bicycle theftOn or near Lyme Cross RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Lyme Cross RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Lyme Cross RoadUnable to prosecute suspect

Knowsley Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour1213916Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.090.170.430.09Safer
Burglary3.32.23.73.1Getting worse
Criminal Damage and Arson54.654.2Safer
Drugs2.63.23.64.7Getting worse
Other Crime0.770.860.691.6Getting worse
Other Theft2.52.82.61.6Safer
Possession of Weapons0.690.860.520.77Getting worse
Public Order2.24.13.54.0Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.260.170.430.09Safer
Shoplifting0.170.520.260.34Getting worse
Vehicle Crime3.12.22.92.1Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences11151521Getting worse

Changes In Knowsley's Crime Rates Over Time

Comparing Knowsley to the UK's Major Cities

Small TownCrime RateRate Difference
Knowsley43.46-
Barnet67.7136% more dangerous
Coventry77.4144% more dangerous
Croydon83.2248% more dangerous
Sheffield85.8149% more dangerous
Bristol86.2150% more dangerous
Leicester97.4455% more dangerous
Birmingham102.8758% more dangerous
Liverpool107.2859% more dangerous
Bradford133.0267% more dangerous
Leeds137.1068% more dangerous

Crime in Knowsley's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Knowsley Village & Southdene1,011100Second
Longview & Knowsley Park779107First
Stockbridge Village64688Third

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 600% increase in burglary. Knowsley saw a large fall in drugs during October, when it fell by 88% compared to October in 2019.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Anti-Social Behaviour+100%+275%+213%+175%+22%+80%-18%-4%+500%+80%
Bicycle Theft------50%----
Burglary-78%-78%--50%+600%-33%-50%+100%+200%-57%
Criminal Damage and Arson+50%-30%+25%-75%-75%+250%+300%+17%+17%-20%
Drugs-60%-+14%+100%+25%+20%--88%+125%+600%
Other Crime+25%----+300%----
Other Theft-50%--40%---+200%--33%-50%
Possession of Weapons----+100%-----
Public Order-50%+500%-20%+40%+100%+200%+67%+75%+100%-86%
Vehicle Crime---+200%-40%-80%-67%-50%-+500%
Violence and Sexual Offences+42%-+113%+100%-24%+93%+100%+30%+18%+44%

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: 31 Dec 2021