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 bicycle theft, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.25 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Berwick-upon-Tweed residents, when it was Northumberland's most dangerous area for drugs, recording 12 crimes at a rate of 0.99 per 1,000 residents. Berwick-upon-Tweed recorded 3 reports of possession of weapons during March 2020, making its crime rate of 0.25 the worst for possession of weapons 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
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 |
Crime in Berwick-upon-Tweed Compared To Northumberland
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 |
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: 01 Apr 2021