Middlesbrough Crime Overview
Middlesbrough is the most dangerous major town in the North East, and the most dangerous overall out of the UK's major towns. The overall crime rate in Middlesbrough in 2020 was 135 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2020, Middlesbrough had the worst crime rate in the North East for robbery, with 20 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Middlesbrough residents, when it was the North East's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 163 crimes at a rate of 1.2 per 1,000 residents. Middlesbrough recorded 9 reports of theft from the person during April 2020, making its crime rate of 0.06 the worst for theft from the person in the North East that month.
The most common crimes in Middlesbrough are violence and sexual offences, with 7,516 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 53. This is 10% lower than 2019's figure of 8,258 offences and a difference of 5.27 from 2019's crime rate of 59. Middlesbrough's least common crime is theft from the person, with 146 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 58% from 2019's figure of 231 crimes.
Middlesbrough Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Middlesbrough This Year
| Middlesbrough | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 9,386 | 66.58 |
| Bicycle Theft | 201 | 1.43 |
| Burglary | 1,353 | 9.60 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,726 | 19.34 |
| Drugs | 740 | 5.25 |
| Other Crime | 588 | 4.17 |
| Other Theft | 1,369 | 9.71 |
| Possession of Weapons | 186 | 1.32 |
| Public Order | 1,997 | 14.17 |
| Robbery | 228 | 1.62 |
| Shoplifting | 1,063 | 7.54 |
| Theft From the Person | 146 | 1.04 |
| Vehicle Crime | 954 | 6.77 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7,516 | 53.31 |
Middlesbrough Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 93 | 80 | 67 | 67 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Burglary | 13 | 14 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 22 | 22 | 24 | 19 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 14 | 15 | 14 | 10 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.80 | 0.89 | 1.2 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 17 | 20 | 16 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 38 | 51 | 59 | 53 | Getting worse |
Comparing Middlesbrough to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Middlesbrough During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Middlesbrough change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in April, when Middlesbrough saw a 63% increase in anti-social behaviour. Middlesbrough saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 81% compared to April in 2019. Middlesbrough saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including criminal damage and arson, other theft, and shoplifting.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -35% | +63% | +56% | -11% | -11% | -8% | +0% | +23% | +45% |
| Bicycle Theft | -10% | -53% | -41% | -67% | -62% | +40% | -7% | -42% | - |
| Burglary | +10% | -26% | -22% | -32% | -42% | -30% | -13% | -19% | -3% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -2% | -45% | -26% | -20% | -28% | -1% | -1% | -13% | -1% |
| Drugs | +48% | +34% | +15% | +11% | +61% | - | +9% | +12% | +47% |
| Other Crime | -17% | -26% | -5% | +31% | +7% | +23% | -14% | -17% | +21% |
| Other Theft | -29% | -25% | -22% | -46% | -26% | -20% | -28% | -24% | -22% |
| Possession of Weapons | -8% | -23% | +11% | -7% | - | - | -10% | +58% | -6% |
| Public Order | +41% | -17% | +1% | +27% | -8% | +16% | -12% | -17% | -12% |
| Robbery | -42% | -43% | -37% | +25% | -23% | -17% | -13% | -30% | -9% |
| Shoplifting | -45% | -81% | -63% | -71% | -70% | -55% | -40% | -43% | -62% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -55% | -64% | -78% | -54% | +25% | -12% | - | -19% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | +11% | -23% | -31% | -69% | -38% | -18% | -27% | -43% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -12% | -20% | -1% | +9% | +7% | +3% | -2% | -13% | -7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Middlesbrough
What police force serves Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough's local territorial police force is the Cleveland Police.How dangerous is Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough is the most dangerous major town in the North East.What is Middlesbrough's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Middlesbrough are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Mar 2021