St Helens Crime Overview
St Helens is the second most dangerous major town in Merseyside, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of Merseyside's 39 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in St Helens in 2020 was 108 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, St Helens is among the top 20 most dangerous major towns, and the 383rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, St Helens was the worst major town in Merseyside for burglary, with 41 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.39 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for St Helens residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous major town for criminal damage and arson, recording 90 crimes at a rate of 0.86 per 1,000 residents. St Helens recorded 82 reports of drugs during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.78 the worst major town for drugs in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in St Helens are violence and sexual offences, with 4,955 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 47. This is 7% higher than 2019's figure of 4,601 offences and a difference of 3.36 from 2019's crime rate of 44. St Helens's least common crime is robbery, with 53 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 66% from 2019's figure of 88 crimes.
Compare St Helens to other towns and cities
See how St Helens shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how St Helens and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
St Helens Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in St Helens This Year
| St Helens | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,684 | 35.04 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 107 | 1.02 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 3.9% safer |
| Burglary | 595 | 5.66 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 10% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,346 | 12.80 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 25% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 818 | 7.78 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 10% safer |
| Other Crime | 287 | 2.73 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 27% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 502 | 4.78 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 1.3% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 137 | 1.30 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 29% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,316 | 12.52 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 22% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 53 | 0.50 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 50% safer |
| Shoplifting | 612 | 5.82 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 56 | 0.53 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 68% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 571 | 5.43 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 16% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,955 | 47.13 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 23% more dangerous |
Crime in St Helens Compared To Merseyside
St Helens Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southport | 6,340 | 67.52 | 60% safer |
| Wallasey | 4,633 | 76.12 | 42% safer |
| St Helens | 11,355 | 108.01 | - |
| Birkenhead | 10,521 | 116.14 | 7% more dangerous |
St Helens Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 43 | 31 | 26 | 35 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.0 | 0.90 | 0.86 | 1.0 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 4.0 | 4.4 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.65 | 0.78 | 0.99 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.71 | 0.88 | 0.84 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.75 | 0.95 | 1.2 | 0.53 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 38 | 44 | 47 | Getting worse |
Changes In St Helens's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing St Helens to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in St Helens's Neighbourhoods
Town Centre West is the most dangerous neighbourhood in St Helens, followed by Town Centre East & Fingerpost in second place, and Derbyshire Hill as the third most dangerous area. St Helens's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Moss Bank, Sutton Leach, and West Park.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire Hill | 771 | 112 | Third |
| Moss Bank | 901 | 88 | Fifth |
| Sutton Leach | 881 | 86 | Sixth |
| Thatto Heath & Lea Green | 1,480 | 101 | Fourth |
| Town Centre East & Fingerpost | 1,887 | 259 | Second |
| Town Centre West | 2,207 | 299 | First |
| West Park | 848 | 80 | Seventh |
St Helens Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of St Helens for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | West Park (269) | Town Centre West (573) |
| Bicycle Theft | Derbyshire Hill (2) | Town Centre West (40) |
| Burglary | Sutton Leach (39) | Town Centre West (117) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | West Park (81) | Town Centre West (261) |
| Drugs | Derbyshire Hill (38) | Town Centre West (197) |
| Other Crime | Moss Bank (23) | Town Centre West (43) |
| Other Theft | Sutton Leach (22) | Town Centre East & Fingerpost (119) |
| Possession of Weapons | Derbyshire Hill (3) | Town Centre West (40) |
| Public Order | West Park (96) | Town Centre West (260) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Moss Bank (3) | Town Centre East & Fingerpost (10) |
| Shoplifting | Moss Bank (8) | Town Centre West (247) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | West Park (2) | Town Centre West (19) |
| Vehicle Crime | Sutton Leach (46) | Town Centre East & Fingerpost (69) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Sutton Leach (367) | Town Centre West (810) |
Crime in St Helens During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in St Helens change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when St Helens saw a 333% increase in robbery. St Helens saw a large fall in robbery during October, when it fell by 92% compared to October in 2019. Theft From the Person saw a fall in every month of St Helens's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +11% | +109% | +93% | +44% | -8% | +6% | +18% | +36% | +24% | +86% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | - | -60% | +83% | +50% | +150% | +50% | +22% | -14% | - |
| Burglary | +28% | - | -36% | -27% | +51% | -21% | -34% | -33% | -54% | -38% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -9% | -42% | -19% | +9% | +26% | +7% | +1% | -25% | +1% | -20% |
| Drugs | +29% | +55% | +96% | +42% | +27% | -35% | +28% | +19% | -12% | -7% |
| Other Crime | +58% | -5% | -6% | +25% | +38% | +36% | -22% | +36% | +6% | +16% |
| Other Theft | -29% | -43% | -48% | -11% | -32% | -17% | -28% | -14% | -38% | -4% |
| Possession of Weapons | -46% | +13% | +75% | +220% | +50% | -35% | +33% | +122% | +57% | -30% |
| Public Order | -14% | -10% | -11% | +4% | +16% | +35% | +56% | +8% | -2% | +17% |
| Robbery | -43% | -14% | -64% | -55% | +333% | -75% | +40% | -92% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +74% | -42% | -19% | -33% | -19% | +23% | -12% | -50% | +12% | +47% |
| Theft From the Person | -55% | -75% | -89% | -40% | -50% | +11% | -50% | -73% | -85% | -25% |
| Vehicle Crime | +5% | -30% | -18% | +30% | -46% | +24% | -29% | -9% | +18% | -40% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +3% | -6% | -2% | +6% | +23% | +16% | +13% | +2% | +3% | +3% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in St Helens
What police force serves St Helens?
St Helens's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is St Helens?
St Helens is the second most dangerous major town in Merseyside.What is St Helens's most common crime?
The most common crimes in St Helens are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in St Helens?
St Helens's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021