Whiston Crime Overview
Whiston is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns 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 Whiston in 2020 was 77 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Merseyside's overall crime rate, coming in 15% lower than the Merseyside rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Whiston is the 143rd most dangerous small town, and the 1,099th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2020, Whiston was the worst small town in Merseyside for vehicle crime, with 9 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.69 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2019 was also a bad month for Whiston residents, when it was Merseyside's most dangerous small town for theft from the person, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.08 per 1,000 residents. Whiston recorded 4 reports of other crime during October 2019, making its crime rate of 0.31 the worst small town for other crime in Merseyside that month.
The most common crimes in Whiston are violence and sexual offences, with 532 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 21% higher than 2019's figure of 421 offences and a difference of 8.52 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Whiston's least common crime is theft from the person, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 67% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.
Compare Whiston to other towns and cities
See how Whiston shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Whiston and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Whiston Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Whiston This Year
| Whiston | Merseyside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 385 | 29.55 | 40,660 | 28.45 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.31 | 1,512 | 1.06 | 242% safer |
| Burglary | 29 | 2.23 | 7,285 | 5.10 | 129% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 134 | 10.29 | 13,650 | 9.55 | 7% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 47 | 3.61 | 12,251 | 8.57 | 137% safer |
| Other Crime | 21 | 1.61 | 2,846 | 1.99 | 24% safer |
| Other Theft | 28 | 2.15 | 6,919 | 4.84 | 125% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.46 | 1,320 | 0.92 | 100% safer |
| Public Order | 125 | 9.59 | 14,040 | 9.82 | 2.4% safer |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.31 | 1,067 | 0.75 | 142% safer |
| Shoplifting | 21 | 1.61 | 5,690 | 3.98 | 147% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.23 | 1,265 | 0.89 | 287% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 49 | 3.76 | 6,519 | 4.56 | 21% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 532 | 40.84 | 52,198 | 36.52 | 11% more dangerous |
Crime in Whiston Compared To Merseyside
Whiston Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Kirby | 584 | 39.26 | 96% safer |
| Maghull | 788 | 39.60 | 94% safer |
| Knowsley | 505 | 43.46 | 77% safer |
| Rainhill | 517 | 47.14 | 63% safer |
| Haydock | 1,037 | 64.45 | 19% safer |
| Whiston | 1,003 | 76.99 | - |
| Newton-le-Willows | 1,844 | 77.19 | 0.26% more dangerous |
| Litherland | 1,749 | 92.53 | 17% more dangerous |
| Prescot | 1,264 | 105.52 | 27% more dangerous |
Whiston Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 43 | 24 | 19 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 0.46 | 0.92 | 0.31 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.5 | 5 | 6 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.84 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.23 | 0.46 | 0.38 | 0.46 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5 | 9 | 7 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.69 | 0.23 | 0.38 | 0.31 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.84 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.08 | 0.61 | 0.38 | 0.23 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 28 | 32 | 41 | Getting worse |
Changes In Whiston's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Whiston to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 14% safer |
| Whiston | 76.99 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 0.54% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 7% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 11% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 21% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 25% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 42% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 44% more dangerous |
Crime in Whiston's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiston North | 685 | 85 | First |
| Whiston South | 443 | 69 | Second |
Crime in Whiston During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Whiston change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Whiston saw a 800% increase in public order. Whiston saw a large fall in burglary during August, when it fell by 90% compared to August in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -22% | +121% | +75% | +58% | -40% | -14% | +100% | +43% | +280% | +314% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -83% | +67% | - | - | -60% | -90% | -38% | -40% | -86% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +57% | +18% | -21% | -67% | +71% | +20% | -44% | -35% | -68% | +29% |
| Drugs | -80% | +200% | -40% | +50% | -40% | -63% | - | +600% | +100% | +300% |
| Other Crime | +300% | - | -50% | - | -50% | - | +200% | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | -67% | -50% | -50% | - | -86% | - | -75% | +25% | -33% | -29% |
| Public Order | -44% | +800% | +38% | -38% | +180% | +71% | +300% | +42% | -25% | -36% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +233% | -75% | -33% | - | -89% | -67% | - | +67% | -88% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | +72% | +8% | +8% | +46% | +79% | +37% | +10% | -3% | +25% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Whiston
What police force serves Whiston?
Whiston's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Whiston?
Whiston is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Merseyside.What is Whiston's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Whiston are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Whiston?
Whiston's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021