Liverpool Crime Overview
Liverpool is the most dangerous major city in Merseyside, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Liverpool in 2020 was 107 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 17% higher than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Liverpool is the third most dangerous major city, and the 391st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Liverpool had the worst crime rate in Merseyside for bicycle theft, with 57 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.10 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Liverpool residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 361 crimes at a rate of 0.62 per 1,000 residents. Liverpool recorded 481 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.82 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Liverpool are violence and sexual offences, with 24,145 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 6% higher than 2019's figure of 22,701 offences and a difference of 2.46 from 2019's crime rate of 39. Liverpool's least common crime is robbery, with 661 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 29% from 2019's figure of 851 crimes.
Compare Liverpool to other towns and cities
See how Liverpool shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Liverpool and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Liverpool Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Liverpool This Year
| Liverpool | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18,801 | 32.04 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 885 | 1.51 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 30% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 3,806 | 6.49 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 21% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6,225 | 10.61 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 10% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 7,558 | 12.88 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 33% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 1,358 | 2.31 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 3,740 | 6.37 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 24% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 696 | 1.19 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 23% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 6,919 | 11.79 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 17% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 661 | 1.13 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 34% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 2,774 | 4.73 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 16% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 891 | 1.52 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 41% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 3,306 | 5.63 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 19% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24,145 | 41.14 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 11% more dangerous |
Crime in Liverpool Compared To Merseyside
Liverpool Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 37 | 25 | 22 | 32 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.74 | 0.90 | 1.2 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 36 | 39 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Liverpool's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Liverpool to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Liverpool's Neighbourhoods
Albert Dock & Queen's Dock is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Liverpool, followed by Central & Islington in second place, and Walton South as the third most dangerous area. Liverpool's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Calderstones, Childwall East, and Halewood Central.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aigburth & Grassendale | 451 | 49 | 61st |
| Aintree West & Old Roan | 564 | 79 | 45th |
| Albert Dock & Queen's Dock | 3,396 | 398 | First |
| Allerton | 416 | 62 | 54th |
| Anfield East | 1,733 | 181 | Eighth |
| Anfield North | 635 | 86 | 39th |
| Anfield West | 843 | 143 | 15th |
| Belle Vale | 604 | 78 | 47th |
| Broad Green | 417 | 55 | 57th |
| Calderstones | 204 | 27 | 69th |
| Central & Islington | 5,089 | 291 | Second |
| Childwall East | 211 | 31 | 67th |
| Childwall West & Wavertree Green | 271 | 35 | 65th |
| Chinatown, St James & Georgian Quarter | 1,205 | 123 | 19th |
| Court Hey & Swanside | 338 | 36 | 64th |
| Croxteth East | 292 | 40 | 63rd |
| Croxteth Park | 466 | 86 | 38th |
| Croxteth West & Gillmoss | 767 | 96 | 33rd |
| Dingle | 617 | 77 | 49th |
| Dovecot | 706 | 119 | 20th |
| Edge Hill | 1,342 | 83 | 42nd |
| Everton East | 1,365 | 190 | Fifth |
| Everton West | 1,518 | 185 | Sixth |
| Fairfield East | 1,369 | 149 | 13th |
| Fairfield West & Newsham Park | 2,022 | 211 | Fourth |
| Fazakerley North | 895 | 114 | 23rd |
| Fazakerley South | 1,103 | 127 | 18th |
| Garston | 546 | 82 | 44th |
| Gateacre | 319 | 53 | 59th |
| Halewood Central | 168 | 31 | 68th |
| Halewood South | 712 | 95 | 34th |
| Hunts Cross | 556 | 72 | 52nd |
| Huyton East | 820 | 110 | 25th |
| Huyton Farm | 488 | 83 | 43rd |
| Huyton West & Roby | 359 | 49 | 60th |
| Kensington | 1,443 | 152 | 12th |
| Kirkdale North | 1,591 | 183 | Seventh |
| Kirkdale South & Vauxhall | 1,081 | 155 | 11th |
| Knotty Ash | 636 | 88 | 35th |
| Mosscroft & Bakers Green | 469 | 78 | 46th |
| Mossley Hill East | 271 | 44 | 62nd |
| Mossley Hill West & Sefton Park | 822 | 85 | 40th |
| Muirhead Avenue | 557 | 78 | 48th |
| Netherley | 445 | 77 | 50th |
| Norris Green East | 886 | 106 | 27th |
| Norris Green West | 684 | 97 | 32nd |
| Orrell Park | 599 | 77 | 51st |
| Page Moss & Fincham | 832 | 141 | 16th |
| Pier Head | 1,211 | 144 | 14th |
| Princes Park | 819 | 119 | 21st |
| Sandfield Park & Holly Lodge | 567 | 60 | 56th |
| Speke East | 1,066 | 110 | 24th |
| St Michael's & Otterspool | 525 | 68 | 53rd |
| Stoneycroft | 697 | 103 | 29th |
| Toxteth | 1,124 | 118 | 22nd |
| Toxteth Park | 1,055 | 105 | 28th |
| Tuebrook | 1,199 | 133 | 17th |
| Walton East | 749 | 99 | 30th |
| Walton Hall | 1,121 | 169 | Tenth |
| Walton North | 1,240 | 173 | Ninth |
| Walton South | 1,562 | 223 | Third |
| Walton Vale | 588 | 87 | 37th |
| Wavertree East | 658 | 85 | 41st |
| Wavertree Penny Lane | 449 | 53 | 58th |
| Wavertree South | 1,085 | 98 | 31st |
| Wavertree West | 1,050 | 106 | 26th |
| West Allerton | 233 | 33 | 66th |
| Woolton | 445 | 60 | 55th |
| Yewtree | 674 | 87 | 36th |
Liverpool Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Liverpool for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Childwall West & Wavertree Green (75) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (877) |
| Bicycle Theft | Huyton West & Roby (1) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (136) |
| Burglary | Croxteth East (13) | Walton South (111) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Childwall East (14) | Walton South (183) |
| Drugs | West Allerton (12) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (649) |
| Other Crime | Calderstones (1) | Walton North (58) |
| Other Theft | Childwall West & Wavertree Green (7) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (315) |
| Possession of Weapons | St Michael's & Otterspool (1) | Central & Islington (88) |
| Public Order | Calderstones (13) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (304) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Woolton (1) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (52) |
| Shoplifting | Toxteth Park (1) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (284) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Sandfield Park & Holly Lodge (1) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (243) |
| Vehicle Crime | Halewood Central (6) | Pier Head (89) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Childwall East (56) | Albert Dock & Queen's Dock (956) |
Crime in Liverpool During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Liverpool change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Liverpool saw a 94% increase in anti-social behaviour. Liverpool saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 86% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +10% | +85% | +51% | +54% | +23% | +14% | +59% | +66% | +94% | +90% |
| Bicycle Theft | +33% | -42% | -34% | +2% | +15% | +37% | -29% | -39% | -44% | +12% |
| Burglary | -13% | -30% | -45% | -19% | -12% | +19% | +19% | +9% | -16% | -14% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +12% | -40% | -22% | -1% | -5% | +10% | +19% | -15% | -8% | -3% |
| Drugs | -1% | +3% | +38% | +54% | +37% | +15% | +53% | -4% | -23% | +1% |
| Other Crime | -23% | -10% | +17% | +4% | +9% | -7% | +19% | +41% | +25% | +6% |
| Other Theft | -17% | -54% | -49% | -25% | -27% | -22% | -12% | -30% | -23% | -39% |
| Possession of Weapons | +14% | -26% | +57% | +26% | +17% | +4% | +14% | -34% | -35% | -5% |
| Public Order | +11% | -14% | -4% | +39% | +14% | +32% | +28% | 0% | +15% | +14% |
| Robbery | -4% | -36% | -37% | -30% | -51% | -13% | -25% | -10% | -18% | -27% |
| Shoplifting | -36% | -37% | -44% | -48% | -31% | -31% | -27% | -29% | -21% | -30% |
| Theft From the Person | -7% | -69% | -86% | -79% | -72% | -51% | -51% | -69% | -73% | -59% |
| Vehicle Crime | -6% | -42% | -46% | -33% | -29% | -18% | -31% | -33% | -34% | -40% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | - | -9% | -8% | +9% | +16% | +29% | +16% | -5% | +0% | +7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Liverpool
What police force serves Liverpool?
Liverpool's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Liverpool?
Liverpool is the most dangerous major city in Merseyside.What is Liverpool's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Liverpool are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Liverpool?
Liverpool's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021