Blackbird Leys Crime Overview
Blackbird Leys is the most dangerous small town in Oxfordshire, and is the 28th most dangerous overall out of Oxfordshire's 322 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Blackbird Leys in 2020 was 65 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Oxfordshire's overall crime rate, coming in 10% higher than the Oxfordshire rate of 59 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Blackbird Leys is the 253rd most dangerous small town, and the 1,740th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Blackbird Leys was the worst small town in Oxfordshire for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.34 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Blackbird Leys residents, when it was Oxfordshire's most dangerous small town for criminal damage and arson, recording 8 crimes at a rate of 0.67 per 1,000 residents. Blackbird Leys recorded 8 reports of drugs during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.67 the worst small town for drugs in Oxfordshire that month.
The most common crimes in Blackbird Leys are violence and sexual offences, with 300 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 25. This is 10% higher than 2019's figure of 271 offences and a difference of 2.43 from 2019's crime rate of 23. Blackbird Leys's least common crime is robbery, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 150% from 2019's figure of 15 crimes.
Compare Blackbird Leys to other towns and cities
See how Blackbird Leys shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Blackbird Leys and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Blackbird Leys Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Blackbird Leys This Year
| Blackbird Leys | Oxfordshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 83 | 6.95 | 6,391 | 9.24 | 33% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 21 | 1.76 | 1,471 | 2.13 | 21% safer |
| Burglary | 27 | 2.26 | 2,188 | 3.16 | 40% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 76 | 6.37 | 4,246 | 6.14 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 65 | 5.44 | 1,822 | 2.63 | 52% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 25 | 2.09 | 873 | 1.26 | 40% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 47 | 3.94 | 3,390 | 4.90 | 24% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 17 | 1.42 | 465 | 0.67 | 53% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 64 | 5.36 | 3,237 | 4.68 | 13% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.50 | 250 | 0.36 | 28% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 73 | 6.11 | 2,866 | 4.14 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 11 | 0.92 | 673 | 0.97 | 5% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 45 | 3.77 | 2,908 | 4.20 | 11% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 300 | 25.13 | 16,291 | 23.55 | 6% more dangerous |
Crime in Blackbird Leys Compared To Oxfordshire
Blackbird Leys Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wantage | 588 | 49.12 | 33% safer |
| Great Faringdon | 403 | 50.43 | 29% safer |
| Thame | 660 | 52.57 | 24% safer |
| Henley-on-Thames | 716 | 60.36 | 8% safer |
| Wallingford | 485 | 62.05 | 4.9% safer |
| Blackbird Leys | 777 | 65.09 | - |
Blackbird Leys Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 10 | 6 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.84 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 5 | 3.3 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.67 | 0.59 | 1.2 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.92 | 0.75 | 1.3 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 18 | 12 | 11 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.92 | 0.92 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 17 | 24 | 23 | 25 | Getting worse |
Changes In Blackbird Leys's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Blackbird Leys to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird Leys | 65.09 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 16% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 22% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 24% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 33% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 37% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 39% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 53% more dangerous |
Crime in Blackbird Leys During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Blackbird Leys change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Blackbird Leys saw a 500% increase in burglary. Blackbird Leys saw a large fall in shoplifting during September, when it fell by 93% compared to September in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -55% | +29% | -13% | +50% | -21% | -50% | - | +57% | -55% | -17% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | -71% | +33% | - | -67% | -50% | - |
| Burglary | - | - | +500% | - | - | - | -50% | - | +100% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -33% | -11% | -73% | -50% | +500% | -25% | -63% | +200% | +50% | -43% |
| Drugs | - | +133% | +250% | +200% | - | +200% | +100% | +150% | +167% | +100% |
| Other Crime | -83% | - | +50% | - | +100% | +200% | - | - | +50% | -33% |
| Other Theft | +400% | +100% | +100% | -60% | -17% | -20% | +200% | +200% | -83% | - |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +150% | +200% | +300% | +200% | -50% | +100% | +125% | - | +100% | +300% |
| Robbery | - | - | -50% | - | -50% | - | - | -50% | - | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -56% | -86% | -33% | -24% | +20% | -81% | -93% | -71% | +133% | +17% |
| Theft From the Person | -33% | - | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -43% | - | +250% | -67% | -60% | +50% | +100% | -78% | +100% | +100% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | - | +29% | +24% | +67% | -30% | +70% | +50% | -32% | +60% | +53% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Blackbird Leys
What police force serves Blackbird Leys?
Blackbird Leys's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Blackbird Leys?
Blackbird Leys is the most dangerous small town in Oxfordshire.What is Blackbird Leys's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Blackbird Leys are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Blackbird Leys?
Blackbird Leys's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021