Newcastle upon Tyne Crime Overview
Newcastle upon Tyne is the most dangerous major city in Tyne & Wear, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of Tyne & Wear's 28 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2020 was 104 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Tyne & Wear's overall crime rate, coming in 12% higher than the Tyne & Wear rate of 92 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Newcastle upon Tyne is among the top 5 most dangerous major cities, and the 431st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Newcastle upon Tyne had the worst crime rate in Tyne & Wear for bicycle theft, with 41 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.14 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Newcastle upon Tyne residents, when it was Tyne & Wear's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 117 crimes at a rate of 0.41 per 1,000 residents. Newcastle upon Tyne recorded 276 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.96 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Tyne & Wear that month.
The most common crimes in Newcastle upon Tyne are violence and sexual offences, with 10,446 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 36. This is 15% lower than 2019's figure of 11,996 offences and a difference of 5.39 from 2019's crime rate of 42. Newcastle upon Tyne's least common crime is robbery, with 220 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 36% from 2019's figure of 300 crimes.
Compare Newcastle upon Tyne to other towns and cities
See how Newcastle upon Tyne shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Newcastle upon Tyne and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Newcastle upon Tyne Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Newcastle upon Tyne This Year
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Tyne & Wear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16,709 | 58.11 | 50,249 | 44.01 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 868 | 3.02 | 1,677 | 1.47 | 51% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,484 | 5.16 | 5,209 | 4.56 | 12% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 3,716 | 12.92 | 15,088 | 13.22 | 2.3% safer |
| Drugs | 1,210 | 4.21 | 2,801 | 2.45 | 42% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 671 | 2.33 | 2,948 | 2.58 | 11% safer |
| Other Theft | 2,804 | 9.75 | 8,803 | 7.71 | 21% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 324 | 1.13 | 977 | 0.86 | 24% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 3,976 | 13.83 | 14,077 | 12.33 | 11% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 220 | 0.77 | 571 | 0.50 | 35% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 2,350 | 8.17 | 6,962 | 6.10 | 25% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 458 | 1.59 | 902 | 0.79 | 50% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,515 | 5.27 | 5,837 | 5.11 | 3.0% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 10,446 | 36.33 | 39,068 | 34.22 | 6% more dangerous |
Crime in Newcastle upon Tyne Compared To Tyne & Wear
Newcastle upon Tyne Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 55 | 53 | 43 | 58 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.0 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.6 | 5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 15 | 17 | 14 | 10 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.97 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Public Order | 17 | 20 | 17 | 14 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.77 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 17 | 16 | 13 | 8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 38 | 45 | 42 | 36 | Safer |
Changes In Newcastle upon Tyne's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Newcastle upon Tyne to the UK's Major Cities
| Major City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 54% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 35% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 26% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 22% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 21% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 7% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 1.6% safer |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 104.48 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 21% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 24% more dangerous |
Crime in Newcastle upon Tyne's Neighbourhoods
City Centre & Arthur's Hill is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Newcastle upon Tyne, followed by Byker in second place, and Elswick as the third most dangerous area. Newcastle upon Tyne's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, High Heaton, South Gosforth, and Westerhope.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benwell | 936 | 110 | Sixth |
| Byker | 2,902 | 235 | Second |
| City Centre & Arthur's Hill | 6,199 | 287 | First |
| Coxlodge & West Gosforth | 703 | 69 | 17th |
| Denton | 946 | 95 | Tenth |
| Elswick | 2,609 | 178 | Third |
| Fawdon South | 977 | 101 | Eighth |
| Fenham | 881 | 72 | 15th |
| Heaton South | 1,056 | 104 | Seventh |
| High Heaton | 428 | 45 | 22nd |
| Kenton | 1,124 | 98 | Ninth |
| Lemington | 758 | 81 | 12th |
| North Heaton | 651 | 76 | 13th |
| North Jesmond | 504 | 54 | 18th |
| Nunsmoor | 1,279 | 90 | 11th |
| Shieldfield & Heaton Park | 1,427 | 70 | 16th |
| South Gosforth | 458 | 48 | 21st |
| South Jesmond & Sandyford | 464 | 52 | 19th |
| Walker North | 939 | 139 | Fourth |
| Walker South | 840 | 139 | Fifth |
| Walkergate | 639 | 76 | 14th |
| Westerhope | 529 | 52 | 20th |
Newcastle upon Tyne Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Newcastle upon Tyne for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | North Heaton (213) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (3,211) |
| Bicycle Theft | Westerhope (4) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (281) |
| Burglary | High Heaton (23) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (240) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | South Jesmond & Sandyford (48) | Byker (373) |
| Drugs | South Gosforth (5) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (427) |
| Other Crime | North Jesmond (7) | Byker (74) |
| Other Theft | High Heaton (35) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (644) |
| Possession of Weapons | Coxlodge & West Gosforth (1) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (89) |
| Public Order | South Gosforth (46) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (844) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Fenham (1) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (76) |
| Shoplifting | Walkergate (2) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (762) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Westerhope (2) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (254) |
| Vehicle Crime | Denton (34) | Byker (128) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | North Jesmond (115) | City Centre & Arthur's Hill (1,863) |
Crime in Newcastle upon Tyne During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Newcastle upon Tyne change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Newcastle upon Tyne saw a 346% increase in anti-social behaviour. Newcastle upon Tyne saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019. Newcastle upon Tyne saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including possession of weapons, public order, robbery, and violence and sexual offences.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -9% | +85% | +60% | +33% | -71% | +33% | +56% | +78% | +76% | +346% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -18% | +11% | +65% | +150% | +1% | +32% | +29% | +161% | +95% |
| Burglary | -4% | -39% | -40% | -35% | -17% | -6% | -20% | +6% | +6% | -9% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -21% | -40% | -44% | -14% | -27% | -5% | -18% | -6% | -3% | -22% |
| Drugs | -13% | -6% | -27% | -19% | +19% | -1% | -19% | -28% | +3% | -30% |
| Other Crime | -7% | +22% | -3% | -4% | +29% | -15% | -15% | +20% | -2% | +18% |
| Other Theft | -34% | -37% | -44% | -46% | -32% | -33% | -35% | -24% | -37% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | -31% | -15% | -29% | -6% | -8% | +56% | -23% | -23% | -29% | -47% |
| Public Order | -21% | -31% | -32% | -15% | -16% | +2% | -16% | -8% | -8% | -15% |
| Robbery | -10% | -26% | -68% | -51% | -45% | +67% | -48% | -27% | -12% | -50% |
| Shoplifting | -33% | -60% | -60% | -48% | -19% | -44% | -37% | -37% | -37% | -36% |
| Theft From the Person | -30% | -89% | -77% | -79% | -54% | -56% | -62% | -77% | -65% | -68% |
| Vehicle Crime | -12% | -26% | -64% | -50% | -55% | -29% | -39% | -15% | -7% | -43% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -23% | -32% | -24% | -22% | +1% | -4% | -2% | -13% | -13% | -16% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Newcastle upon Tyne
What police force serves Newcastle upon Tyne?
Newcastle upon Tyne's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Newcastle upon Tyne?
Newcastle upon Tyne is the most dangerous major city in Tyne & Wear.What is Newcastle upon Tyne's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Newcastle upon Tyne are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Newcastle upon Tyne?
Newcastle upon Tyne's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021