Sandwell Crime Overview
Sandwell is the second most dangerous city in the West Midlands, and the 24th most dangerous overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Sandwell in 2020 was 84 crimes per 1,000 people.
In October 2020, Sandwell was the second-worst city in the West Midlands for burglary, with 232 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.71 per 1,000 inhabitants. July 2020 was also a bad month for Sandwell residents, when it was the West Midlands's second-most dangerous city for drugs, recording 60 crimes at a rate of 0.18 per 1,000 residents. Sandwell recorded 150 reports of other theft during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.46 the second-worst city for other theft in the West Midlands that month.
The most common crimes in Sandwell are violence and sexual offences, with 12,374 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 38. This is 11% higher than 2019's figure of 11,034 offences and a difference of 4.08 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Sandwell's least common crime is theft from the person, with 144 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 47% from 2019's figure of 212 crimes.
Sandwell Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sandwell This Year
| Sandwell | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5,525 | 16.82 |
| Bicycle Theft | 187 | 0.57 |
| Burglary | 2,061 | 6.27 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,254 | 6.86 |
| Drugs | 639 | 1.95 |
| Other Crime | 581 | 1.77 |
| Other Theft | 1,611 | 4.90 |
| Possession of Weapons | 265 | 0.81 |
| Public Order | 2,435 | 7.41 |
| Robbery | 666 | 2.03 |
| Shoplifting | 1,298 | 3.95 |
| Theft From the Person | 144 | 0.44 |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,954 | 8.99 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 12,374 | 37.67 |
Sandwell Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 15 | 12 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.79 | 0.70 | 0.42 | 0.57 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 11 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.49 | 0.67 | 0.83 | 0.81 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.6 | 4.8 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.68 | 0.80 | 0.65 | 0.44 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 27 | 34 | 38 | Getting worse |
Comparing Sandwell to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 17% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 13% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 13% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 8% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 6% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 3.6% safer |
| Sandwell | 83.63 | - |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 6% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 9% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 9% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 18% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 21% more dangerous |
Crime in Sandwell During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sandwell change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Sandwell saw a 240% increase in bicycle theft. Sandwell saw a large fall in theft from the person during July, when it fell by 82% compared to July in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +9% | +149% | +161% | +47% | +16% | +46% | +63% | +43% | +111% |
| Bicycle Theft | -54% | +6% | - | +85% | +27% | +160% | +143% | +109% | +240% |
| Burglary | -29% | -48% | -59% | -16% | -39% | -23% | -17% | +13% | -11% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -9% | -27% | -14% | -8% | +8% | +18% | -7% | -16% | +13% |
| Drugs | +25% | +18% | +26% | -13% | -12% | -23% | -36% | -38% | +18% |
| Other Crime | +40% | +24% | -2% | -12% | +12% | +69% | +46% | +27% | +27% |
| Other Theft | -15% | -44% | -39% | -23% | -23% | -20% | -1% | -3% | +10% |
| Possession of Weapons | -11% | +16% | -41% | -45% | -10% | +9% | +50% | +29% | +4% |
| Public Order | +40% | -3% | +58% | +89% | +47% | +44% | +51% | +28% | +33% |
| Robbery | - | -62% | -52% | -4% | -21% | +9% | +15% | +29% | +40% |
| Shoplifting | -48% | -70% | -46% | -48% | -27% | +9% | +68% | +13% | -30% |
| Theft From the Person | -15% | -25% | -13% | -64% | -82% | -55% | - | +19% | -29% |
| Vehicle Crime | -10% | -12% | -32% | -27% | -2% | +7% | -2% | +5% | +40% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -6% | +15% | +28% | +30% | +42% | +33% | +24% | +30% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sandwell
What police force serves Sandwell?
Sandwell's local territorial police force is the West Midlands Police.How dangerous is Sandwell?
Sandwell is the second most dangerous city in the West Midlands.What is Sandwell's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sandwell are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sandwell?
Sandwell's least common crime is theft from the person.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021