Middlesbrough Crime Overview
Middlesbrough is the most dangerous city in North Yorkshire, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of North Yorkshire's 781 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Middlesbrough in 2020 was 141 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to North Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 51% higher than the North Yorkshire rate of 69 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Middlesbrough is the second most dangerous city, and the 170th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Middlesbrough had the worst crime rate in North Yorkshire for burglary, with 156 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.88 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Middlesbrough residents, when it was North Yorkshire's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 276 crimes at a rate of 1.6 per 1,000 residents. Middlesbrough recorded 108 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.61 the worst for drugs in North Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Middlesbrough are violence and sexual offences, with 9,966 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 56. This is 0.99% higher than 2019's figure of 9,867 offences and a difference of 0.56 from 2019's crime rate of 56. Middlesbrough's least common crime is theft from the person, with 165 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 48% from 2019's figure of 244 crimes.
Compare Middlesbrough to other towns and cities
See how Middlesbrough shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Middlesbrough and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Middlesbrough Crime Map
Crime in Middlesbrough Compared To North Yorkshire
Summary of Crimes in Middlesbrough This Year
| Middlesbrough | North Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 11,933 | 67.28 | 48,671 | 41.73 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 239 | 1.35 | 1,252 | 1.07 | 21% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,786 | 10.07 | 5,165 | 4.43 | 56% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 3,711 | 20.92 | 11,006 | 9.44 | 55% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 953 | 5.37 | 3,087 | 2.65 | 51% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 753 | 4.25 | 2,045 | 1.75 | 59% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,768 | 9.97 | 6,069 | 5.20 | 48% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 242 | 1.36 | 748 | 0.64 | 53% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,513 | 14.17 | 7,132 | 6.11 | 57% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 279 | 1.57 | 573 | 0.49 | 69% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,428 | 8.05 | 5,294 | 4.54 | 44% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 165 | 0.93 | 389 | 0.33 | 65% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,249 | 7.04 | 3,724 | 3.19 | 55% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,966 | 56.19 | 33,447 | 28.67 | 49% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Middlesbrough
View crime percentage over time forMiddlesbrough Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 88 | 76 | 63 | 67 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Burglary | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 22 | 22 | 23 | 21 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.75 | 0.83 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 10 | 13 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 17 | 19 | 15 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.93 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 35 | 48 | 56 | 56 | Getting worse |
Changes In Middlesbrough's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Middlesbrough's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Middlesbrough that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acklam Rugby Club | 5 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.22 |
| Albert Park | 17 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 4 | 0.95 |
| Bonnygrove Park | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0.73 |
| Centre Square | 5 | - | 8 | - | 8 | 5 | 7 |
| Fairy Dell Park | 4 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.32 |
| Pallister Park | 25 | - | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Smith's Dock Park | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0.17 |
| Stewart Park | 28 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Thorntree Park | 27 | - | 3 | - | 5 | 7 | 9 |
Comparing Middlesbrough to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Middlesbrough's Neighbourhoods
Middlesbrough Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Middlesbrough, followed by Ayresome in second place, and North Ormesby & Brambles as the third most dangerous area. Middlesbrough's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Acklam, Kader, and Marton West.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acklam | 284 | 47 | 18th |
| Ayresome | 2,792 | 289 | Second |
| Bankfields | 604 | 103 | 12th |
| Beechwood & James Cook | 1,351 | 238 | Fourth |
| Berwick Hills | 1,309 | 177 | Sixth |
| Coulby Newham | 726 | 85 | 15th |
| Easterside | 467 | 87 | 14th |
| Grangetown | 1,066 | 161 | Ninth |
| Kader | 332 | 66 | 17th |
| Linthorpe East & Albert Park | 954 | 161 | Eighth |
| Linthorpe West | 808 | 83 | 16th |
| Marton West | 167 | 32 | 19th |
| Middlesbrough Central | 4,442 | 335 | First |
| North Ormesby & Brambles | 1,590 | 268 | Third |
| Ormesby | 724 | 96 | 13th |
| Park End | 1,033 | 169 | Seventh |
| Park Vale | 777 | 140 | 11th |
| South Bank & Teesville | 1,550 | 152 | Tenth |
| Thorntree | 1,637 | 178 | Fifth |
Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Middlesbrough for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Marton West (110) | Ayresome (1,325) |
| Bicycle Theft | Easterside (1) | Middlesbrough Central (62) |
| Burglary | Marton West (18) | Ayresome (253) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Marton West (18) | North Ormesby & Brambles (257) |
| Drugs | Marton West (6) | Ayresome (178) |
| Other Crime | Marton West (3) | Middlesbrough Central (154) |
| Other Theft | Easterside (15) | North Ormesby & Brambles (144) |
| Possession of Weapons | Easterside (1) | Middlesbrough Central (57) |
| Public Order | Marton West (16) | Middlesbrough Central (481) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Kader (1) | Ayresome (72) |
| Shoplifting | Marton West (3) | Middlesbrough Central (512) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Ormesby (1) | Middlesbrough Central (50) |
| Vehicle Crime | Marton West (13) | Middlesbrough Central (222) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Marton West (66) | Beechwood & James Cook (634) |
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 October, when Middlesbrough saw a 71% increase in possession of weapons. Middlesbrough saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 83% 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 burglary, robbery, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -35% | +65% | +61% | -8% | -9% | -4% | 0% | +26% | +44% | +12% |
| Bicycle Theft | -25% | -53% | -30% | -66% | -53% | +45% | - | -46% | -5% | -39% |
| Burglary | +12% | -25% | -25% | -31% | -43% | -33% | -14% | -23% | -3% | -7% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -1% | -43% | -19% | -13% | -22% | +5% | -1% | -15% | +7% | -17% |
| Drugs | +40% | +33% | +29% | +8% | +60% | +2% | +15% | +25% | +50% | +37% |
| Other Crime | -28% | -24% | -4% | +42% | +9% | +8% | -26% | -29% | +10% | +28% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -25% | -21% | -45% | -23% | -17% | -26% | -23% | -23% | -3% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -22% | +60% | +5% | -13% | +10% | -23% | +71% | -11% | -12% |
| Public Order | +35% | -18% | +7% | +36% | -4% | +9% | -8% | -12% | -10% | +10% |
| Robbery | -26% | -38% | -39% | +59% | -21% | -15% | -4% | -34% | -15% | -38% |
| Shoplifting | -44% | -83% | -67% | -70% | -69% | -51% | -25% | -42% | -60% | -26% |
| Theft From the Person | -15% | -57% | -52% | -69% | -50% | +16% | -16% | - | -25% | -71% |
| Vehicle Crime | -15% | +18% | -20% | -32% | -66% | -44% | -23% | -28% | -42% | -40% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -13% | -17% | +2% | +5% | +7% | +3% | -3% | -8% | -2% | +24% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Middlesbrough
What police force serves Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough's local territorial police force is the North Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough is the most dangerous city in North Yorkshire.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: 07 May 2021