West Kirby Crime Overview
West Kirby is among the top 10 safest 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 West Kirby in 2020 was 39 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 126% lower than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, West Kirby is the 238th safest small town, and the 4,538th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2020, West Kirby was the worst small town in Merseyside for bicycle theft, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.20 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2020 was also a bad month for West Kirby residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous small town for theft from the person, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.07 per 1,000 residents. West Kirby recorded 27 reports of criminal damage and arson during October 2018, making its crime rate of 1.8 the worst small town for criminal damage and arson in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in West Kirby are violence and sexual offences, with 247 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 17. This is 7% higher than 2019's figure of 230 offences and a difference of 1.15 from 2019's crime rate of 15. West Kirby's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare West Kirby to other towns and cities
See how West Kirby shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how West Kirby and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
West Kirby Crime Map
Crime in West Kirby Compared To Merseyside
Summary of Crimes in West Kirby This Year
| West Kirby | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 416 | 27.97 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 1.7% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 13 | 0.87 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 22% safer |
| Burglary | 35 | 2.35 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 117% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 71 | 4.77 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 100% safer |
| Drugs | 38 | 2.55 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 236% safer |
| Other Crime | 13 | 0.87 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 129% safer |
| Other Theft | 37 | 2.49 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 94% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 2 | 0.13 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 608% safer |
| Public Order | 61 | 4.10 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 140% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.13 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 477% safer |
| Shoplifting | 29 | 1.95 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 104% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.20 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 345% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 33 | 2.22 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 105% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 247 | 16.61 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 120% safer |
West Kirby Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eccleston | 237 | 23.15 | 70% safer |
| Rainford | 249 | 32.25 | 22% safer |
| Halewood | 685 | 33.66 | 17% safer |
| Formby | 815 | 36.75 | 7% safer |
| Hoylake | 414 | 39.26 | 0% safer |
| West Kirby | 584 | 39.26 | - |
| Maghull | 788 | 39.60 | 0.86% more dangerous |
| Knowsley | 505 | 43.46 | 10% more dangerous |
| Rainhill | 517 | 47.14 | 17% more dangerous |
| Haydock | 1,037 | 64.45 | 39% more dangerous |
| Whiston | 1,003 | 76.99 | 49% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in West Kirby
View crime percentage over time forWest Kirby Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 20 | 12 | 28 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.87 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.87 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 5 | 3.8 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.54 | 0.61 | 0.54 | 0.87 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 2.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.13 | 0.20 | 0.13 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Public Order | 2.6 | 5 | 3.8 | 4.1 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.27 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5 | 6 | 3.6 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.20 | 0.27 | 0.54 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 6 | 3.0 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9 | 14 | 15 | 17 | Getting worse |
Changes In West Kirby's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing West Kirby to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| West Kirby | 39.26 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 42% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 49% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 53% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 54% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 54% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 60% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 62% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 63% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 70% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 71% more dangerous |
Crime in West Kirby's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Kirby | 380 | 49 | First |
Crime in West Kirby During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in West Kirby change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when West Kirby saw a 700% increase in drugs. West Kirby saw a large fall in bicycle theft during July, when it fell by 89% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +50% | +267% | +190% | +311% | +83% | +63% | +130% | +309% | +200% | +400% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | +200% | -89% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | +100% | -40% | -67% | -80% | +50% | +100% | +100% | -20% | +20% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -56% | -88% | -71% | +14% | +150% | +100% | +60% | +450% | +33% | -43% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | +700% | +50% | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -25% | -60% | -25% | -56% | +50% | -33% | -17% | - | -57% | -50% |
| Public Order | -43% | -50% | +200% | -30% | +80% | +57% | +50% | - | +67% | +67% |
| Shoplifting | -14% | - | -89% | -89% | - | -67% | -50% | - | +100% | -67% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | -67% | -60% | - | -50% | - | +125% | -17% | -80% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +16% | +4% | -15% | -9% | -19% | +154% | +47% | -50% | - | -4% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in West Kirby
What police force serves West Kirby?
West Kirby's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is West Kirby?
West Kirby is among the top 10 safest small towns in Merseyside.What is West Kirby's most common crime?
The most common crimes in West Kirby are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in West Kirby?
West Kirby's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021