Berwick-upon-Tweed Crime Overview
Berwick-upon-Tweed is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Northumberland, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Northumberland's 165 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2020 was 75 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Northumberland's overall crime rate, coming in 4.2% higher than the Northumberland rate of 72 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Berwick-upon-Tweed is the 160th most dangerous small town, and the 1,182nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Berwick-upon-Tweed had the worst crime rate in Northumberland for drugs, with 12 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.99 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2019 was also a bad month for Berwick-upon-Tweed residents, when it was Northumberland's most dangerous area for bicycle theft, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.25 per 1,000 residents. Berwick-upon-Tweed recorded 3 reports of theft from the person during December 2019, making its crime rate of 0.25 the worst for theft from the person in Northumberland that month.
The most common crimes in Berwick-upon-Tweed are violence and sexual offences, with 340 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 27% lower than 2019's figure of 433 offences and a difference of 7.65 from 2019's crime rate of 36. Berwick-upon-Tweed's least common crime is robbery, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 50% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Berwick-upon-Tweed to other towns and cities
See how Berwick-upon-Tweed shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Berwick-upon-Tweed and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Crime Map
Crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed Compared To Northumberland
Summary of Crimes in Berwick-upon-Tweed This Year
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | Northumberland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 474 | 38.98 | 11,368 | 35.32 | 9% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 10 | 0.82 | 145 | 0.45 | 45% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 46 | 3.78 | 1,193 | 3.71 | 1.9% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 134 | 11.02 | 3,408 | 10.59 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 51 | 4.19 | 518 | 1.61 | 62% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 17 | 1.40 | 710 | 2.21 | 58% safer |
| Other Theft | 63 | 5.18 | 1,835 | 5.70 | 10% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.66 | 180 | 0.56 | 15% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 138 | 11.35 | 3,233 | 10.04 | 12% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.33 | 62 | 0.19 | 42% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 67 | 5.51 | 1,309 | 4.07 | 26% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 8 | 0.66 | 106 | 0.33 | 50% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 26 | 2.14 | 862 | 2.68 | 25% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 340 | 27.96 | 9,565 | 29.72 | 6% safer |
Berwick-upon-Tweed Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexham | 623 | 52.95 | 42% safer |
| Prudhoe | 677 | 56.71 | 32% safer |
| Seaton Valley | 1,020 | 63.22 | 19% safer |
| Alnwick | 542 | 67.94 | 10% safer |
| Choppington | 651 | 68.46 | 10% safer |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | 912 | 74.99 | - |
| Morpeth | 1,126 | 76.36 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| West Bedlington | 804 | 79.69 | 6% more dangerous |
| East Bedlington | 1,114 | 130.75 | 43% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Berwick-upon-Tweed
View crime percentage over time forRecent Crimes in Berwick-upon-Tweed
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2021 | Other theft | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Other theft | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Other theft | On or near Percy Terrace | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Other theft | On or near Percy Terrace | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Westfield Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Hide Hill | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Hide Hill | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Burglary | On or near Cemetery Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near West End Place | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near West End Place | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Marygate | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Public order | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Shoplifting | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Castle Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Braeside | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Braeside | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Braeside | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| November 2021 | Drugs | On or near North Road | Offender given a drugs possession warning |
| November 2021 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
Berwick-upon-Tweed Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 52 | 43 | 35 | 39 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.99 | 0.49 | 0.82 | 0.82 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 4.0 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14 | 16 | 14 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 13 | 8 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.82 | 0.58 | 0.33 | 0.66 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 12 | 18 | 14 | 11 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.08 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.33 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.66 | 0.90 | 0.99 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.3 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 28 | 35 | 36 | 28 | Safer |
Changes In Berwick-upon-Tweed's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Berwick-upon-Tweed to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 11% safer |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | 74.99 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 3.1% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 10% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 13% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 23% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 27% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 44% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 45% more dangerous |
Crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick-upon-Tweed Town | 779 | 82 | First |
Crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Berwick-upon-Tweed change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Berwick-upon-Tweed saw a 667% increase in anti-social behaviour. Berwick-upon-Tweed saw a large fall in other theft during August, when it fell by 81% compared to August in 2019. Criminal Damage and Arson saw a fall in every month of Berwick-upon-Tweed's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +6% | +67% | +121% | +58% | -57% | +21% | -13% | -7% | -29% | +667% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | +100% | - | - | -67% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +50% | +50% | -70% | +33% | +100% | -70% | +75% | - | -25% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -42% | -70% | -20% | +80% | -40% | -5% | -24% | -46% | -42% | -38% |
| Drugs | +100% | - | - | - | +200% | -67% | - | - | - | +200% |
| Other Crime | - | +200% | - | - | +50% | - | +50% | -50% | +50% | -75% |
| Other Theft | +175% | -60% | -80% | - | -50% | -81% | -44% | - | -33% | +29% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -30% | -50% | -37% | -19% | -38% | -14% | +100% | -56% | -22% | +11% |
| Shoplifting | -40% | -63% | -55% | -20% | +20% | -42% | - | -68% | -75% | -64% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | +100% | - | - | +300% | -20% | -33% | +100% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +83% | -34% | -34% | -55% | -64% | +3% | +33% | -50% | -55% | +25% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed
What police force serves Berwick-upon-Tweed?
Berwick-upon-Tweed's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Berwick-upon-Tweed?
Berwick-upon-Tweed is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Northumberland.What is Berwick-upon-Tweed's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Berwick-upon-Tweed are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed?
Berwick-upon-Tweed's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 31 Dec 2021