Sunderland Crime Overview
Sunderland is the most dangerous city in the North East, and among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Sunderland in 2020 was 92 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2020, Sunderland had the worst crime rate in the North East for other crime, with 71 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Sunderland residents, when it was the North East's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 390 crimes at a rate of 1.4 per 1,000 residents. Sunderland recorded 115 reports of burglary during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.41 the worst for burglary in the North East that month.
The most common crimes in Sunderland are violence and sexual offences, with 9,306 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 34. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 10,332 offences and a difference of 3.69 from 2019's crime rate of 37. Sunderland's least common crime is robbery, with 125 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 28% from 2019's figure of 160 crimes.
Sunderland Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Sunderland This Year
| Sunderland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 10,348 | 37.26 |
| Bicycle Theft | 260 | 0.94 |
| Burglary | 1,369 | 4.93 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 4,199 | 15.12 |
| Drugs | 447 | 1.61 |
| Other Crime | 815 | 2.93 |
| Other Theft | 1,984 | 7.14 |
| Possession of Weapons | 222 | 0.80 |
| Public Order | 3,422 | 12.32 |
| Robbery | 125 | 0.45 |
| Shoplifting | 1,758 | 6.33 |
| Theft From the Person | 156 | 0.56 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,395 | 5.02 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,306 | 33.51 |
Sunderland Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 34 | 30 | 26 | 37 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.97 | 0.94 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 14 | 11 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.80 | 0.97 | 0.95 | 0.80 | Safer |
| Public Order | 16 | 19 | 16 | 12 | Safer |
| Robbery | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.58 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.56 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 33 | 39 | 37 | 34 | Safer |
Comparing Sunderland to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 71.50 | 28% safer |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 24% safer |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 23% safer |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 19% safer |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 16% safer |
| London | 80.70 | 14% safer |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 3.0% safer |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 0.11% safer |
| Sunderland | 91.67 | - |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 0.25% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 11% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 13% more dangerous |
Crime in Sunderland During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Sunderland change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Sunderland saw a 161% increase in anti-social behaviour. Sunderland saw a large fall in anti-social behaviour during July, when it fell by 73% compared to July in 2019. Sunderland saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including other theft, shoplifting, and theft from the person.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +35% | +150% | +161% | +57% | -73% | +26% | +48% | +48% | +70% |
| Bicycle Theft | -61% | -14% | -26% | +119% | +42% | +82% | -44% | -34% | +9% |
| Burglary | +8% | -9% | -1% | -34% | -12% | -33% | -22% | -22% | -28% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +6% | -24% | -14% | -13% | +4% | +13% | +25% | -5% | +19% |
| Drugs | -49% | -18% | -24% | -16% | -13% | -15% | -16% | -2% | - |
| Other Crime | +70% | +20% | +56% | +47% | +47% | +28% | +32% | +14% | +25% |
| Other Theft | -17% | -41% | -47% | -22% | -33% | -23% | -24% | -21% | -36% |
| Possession of Weapons | -19% | -21% | -11% | +25% | -29% | -25% | +15% | -50% | +42% |
| Public Order | -35% | -27% | -31% | -24% | +6% | +4% | -11% | -19% | -4% |
| Robbery | +133% | -58% | -54% | - | +50% | -50% | -33% | +15% | -18% |
| Shoplifting | -36% | -62% | -62% | -67% | -47% | -49% | -5% | -17% | -29% |
| Theft From the Person | -19% | -69% | -61% | -55% | -40% | -24% | -23% | -42% | -64% |
| Vehicle Crime | - | -19% | -22% | -4% | +12% | -14% | -15% | -9% | -36% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -11% | -21% | -8% | +1% | +10% | +11% | +2% | -1% | +1% |
Sunderland's Population Centres
| Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Sunderland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hetton | 1,592 | 110 | 17% more dangerous |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Sunderland
What police force serves Sunderland?
Sunderland's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Sunderland?
Sunderland is the most dangerous city in the North East.What is Sunderland's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Sunderland are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Sunderland?
Sunderland's least common crime is robbery.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021