Oswestry Crime Overview
Oswestry is the most dangerous small town in Shropshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Shropshire's 232 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Oswestry in 2020 was 69 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Shropshire's overall crime rate, coming in 16% higher than the Shropshire rate of 58 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Oswestry is the 205th most dangerous small town, and the 1,488th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2020, Oswestry had the worst crime rate in Shropshire for theft from the person, with 6 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.33 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2016 was also a bad month for Oswestry residents, when it was Shropshire's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.22 per 1,000 residents.
The most common crimes in Oswestry are violence and sexual offences, with 583 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 6% lower than 2019's figure of 620 offences and a difference of 2.03 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Oswestry's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 6 crimes.
Compare Oswestry to other towns and cities
See how Oswestry shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Oswestry and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Oswestry Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Oswestry This Year
| Oswestry | Shropshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 411 | 22.56 | 10,746 | 21.34 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 0.33 | 218 | 0.43 | 30% safer |
| Burglary | 38 | 2.09 | 1,928 | 3.83 | 83% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 167 | 9.17 | 3,287 | 6.53 | 29% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 40 | 2.20 | 945 | 1.88 | 15% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 26 | 1.43 | 598 | 1.19 | 17% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 122 | 6.70 | 2,276 | 4.52 | 33% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 15 | 0.82 | 364 | 0.72 | 12% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 66 | 3.62 | 1,768 | 3.51 | 3.0% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.44 | 198 | 0.39 | 11% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 129 | 7.08 | 2,017 | 4.01 | 43% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 14 | 0.77 | 159 | 0.32 | 58% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 38 | 2.09 | 1,339 | 2.66 | 27% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 583 | 32.00 | 13,886 | 27.58 | 14% more dangerous |
Crime in Oswestry Compared To Shropshire
Oswestry Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Drayton | 741 | 60.11 | 14% safer |
| Great Dawley | 739 | 61.24 | 12% safer |
| Ludlow | 635 | 61.82 | 11% safer |
| Stirchley and Brookside | 718 | 68.07 | 0.97% safer |
| Lawley and Overdale | 739 | 68.57 | 0.23% safer |
| Oswestry | 1,252 | 68.73 | - |
Oswestry Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 44 | 44 | 35 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 0.44 | 0.33 | 0.33 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.9 | 5 | 3.4 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.49 | 0.55 | 0.93 | 0.82 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.82 | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.44 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 11 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.93 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.77 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.1 | 7 | 3.1 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 30 | 34 | 32 | Getting worse |
Changes In Oswestry's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Oswestry to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.5% safer |
| Oswestry | 68.73 | - |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 11% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 17% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 20% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 29% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 33% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 36% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 50% more dangerous |
Crime in Oswestry's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oswestry East | 532 | 52 | Second |
| Oswestry West | 782 | 79 | First |
Crime in Oswestry During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Oswestry change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Oswestry saw a 400% increase in public order. Oswestry saw a large fall in burglary during May, when it fell by 83% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +33% | +70% | +36% | +56% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -75% | - | -83% | - | -17% | -40% | -70% | -67% | - | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -20% | -61% | -23% | -17% | +108% | +10% | +38% | +44% | -26% | - |
| Drugs | -60% | -60% | +33% | - | +100% | -50% | - | - | +100% | +33% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +100% | - | +50% | - | - | -25% | -80% | - |
| Other Theft | -8% | -31% | -56% | -29% | -73% | -62% | +29% | - | -27% | +86% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | -67% | -50% | +100% | - | - | -75% | - | - |
| Public Order | +67% | -71% | +400% | -33% | -22% | -57% | -80% | +25% | +43% | - |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -27% | -77% | -69% | -33% | -19% | +13% | +67% | -22% | -57% | +11% |
| Theft From the Person | -67% | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -75% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -11% | -40% | -33% | +100% | -60% | -50% | - | -33% | +300% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -42% | -41% | - | +14% | +25% | +3% | -19% | +25% | -18% | -45% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Oswestry
What police force serves Oswestry?
Oswestry's local territorial police force is the West Mercia Police.How dangerous is Oswestry?
Oswestry is the most dangerous small town in Shropshire.What is Oswestry's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Oswestry are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Oswestry?
Oswestry's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021