Southport Crime Overview
Southport is the safest major town in Merseyside, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Southport in 2020 was 68 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 31% lower than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Southport is the 34th safest major town, and the 1,572nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Southport was the worst major town in Merseyside for bicycle theft, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.06 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Southport residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous major town for theft from the person, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.03 per 1,000 residents. Southport recorded 28 reports of vehicle crime during July 2020, making its crime rate of 0.30 the worst major town for vehicle crime in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Southport are violence and sexual offences, with 2,988 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 8% higher than 2019's figure of 2,742 offences and a difference of 2.62 from 2019's crime rate of 29. Southport's least common crime is robbery, with 31 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 81% from 2019's figure of 56 crimes.
Compare Southport to other towns and cities
See how Southport shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Southport and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Southport Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Southport This Year
| Southport | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,828 | 19.47 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 46% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 82 | 0.87 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 22% safer |
| Burglary | 335 | 3.57 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 43% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 599 | 6.38 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 50% safer |
| Drugs | 450 | 4.79 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 79% safer |
| Other Crime | 116 | 1.24 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 60% safer |
| Other Theft | 352 | 3.75 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 29% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 58 | 0.62 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 48% safer |
| Public Order | 672 | 7.16 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 37% safer |
| Robbery | 31 | 0.33 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 127% safer |
| Shoplifting | 369 | 3.93 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 1.3% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 45 | 0.48 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 85% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 243 | 2.59 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 76% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,988 | 31.82 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 15% safer |
Crime in Southport Compared To Merseyside
Southport Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southport | 6,340 | 67.52 | - |
| Wallasey | 4,633 | 76.12 | 11% more dangerous |
| St Helens | 11,355 | 108.01 | 37% more dangerous |
| Birkenhead | 10,521 | 116.14 | 42% more dangerous |
Southport Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 23 | 18 | 13 | 19 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.87 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 2.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.52 | 0.62 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.55 | 0.47 | 0.60 | 0.33 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.0 | 0.81 | 1.3 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 29 | 29 | 32 | Getting worse |
Changes In Southport's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Southport to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Southport | 67.52 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 0.28% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 13% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 19% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 21% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 31% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 34% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 49% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 51% more dangerous |
Crime in Southport's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesketh Park | 389 | 52 | Fourth |
| Hillside | 285 | 39 | Fifth |
| Marshside | 209 | 30 | Sixth |
| Meols Cop | 469 | 63 | Second |
| Southport High Park | 441 | 57 | Third |
| Southport South | 565 | 66 | First |
Southport Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Southport for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Hillside (75) | Southport South (145) |
| Bicycle Theft | Marshside (2) | Southport South (7) |
| Burglary | Marshside (16) | Meols Cop (31) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Marshside (24) | Meols Cop (52) |
| Drugs | Marshside (12) | Southport South (38) |
| Other Crime | Southport High Park (3) | Hesketh Park (15) |
| Other Theft | Marshside (11) | Southport South (29) |
| Possession of Weapons | Marshside (1) | Southport High Park (5) |
| Public Order | Marshside (23) | Southport High Park (55) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Southport High Park (1) | Southport South (5) |
| Shoplifting | Hesketh Park (2) | Meols Cop (33) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Meols Cop (1) | Southport South (3) |
| Vehicle Crime | Hesketh Park (6) | Southport South (24) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Marshside (88) | Southport South (297) |
Crime in Southport During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Southport change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Southport saw a 300% increase in possession of weapons. Southport saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 92% compared to May in 2019. Rates of theft from the person and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Southport's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -17% | +83% | +154% | +54% | +24% | -5% | +6% | +79% | +100% | +133% |
| Bicycle Theft | +20% | -86% | - | -22% | -44% | -72% | -64% | -40% | -64% | +100% |
| Burglary | -39% | -23% | -65% | -57% | -34% | -56% | -46% | -40% | -74% | -46% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +6% | -32% | -57% | -14% | +2% | +13% | -22% | -9% | -35% | -2% |
| Drugs | -14% | -29% | -3% | +13% | +17% | +6% | +125% | -15% | +6% | -10% |
| Other Crime | -52% | -62% | -23% | +117% | -57% | -53% | -17% | +130% | - | +120% |
| Other Theft | - | -41% | -67% | -45% | +7% | -56% | -7% | -53% | -44% | -39% |
| Possession of Weapons | +20% | -17% | +300% | - | -50% | - | - | +40% | +100% | +33% |
| Public Order | -17% | -9% | +15% | +66% | +54% | +24% | -20% | +8% | -12% | +46% |
| Robbery | -20% | -50% | -67% | +100% | -33% | - | -50% | -67% | - | +25% |
| Shoplifting | -36% | +21% | -24% | -54% | -57% | -58% | +8% | -11% | +18% | +6% |
| Theft From the Person | -60% | -70% | -92% | - | -88% | -30% | -64% | -70% | -82% | -25% |
| Vehicle Crime | -25% | -67% | -45% | -45% | +22% | -49% | -19% | -33% | -32% | -63% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +3% | -6% | -1% | +20% | 0% | +34% | +17% | +23% | -7% | +3% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Southport
What police force serves Southport?
Southport's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Southport?
Southport is the safest major town in Merseyside.What is Southport's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Southport are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Southport?
Southport's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021