South Shields Crime Overview
South Shields is the third most dangerous major town in Tyne & Wear, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Tyne & Wear's 28 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in South Shields in 2020 was 100 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Tyne & Wear's overall crime rate, coming in 8% higher than the Tyne & Wear rate of 92 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, South Shields is the 31st most dangerous major town, and the 490th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, South Shields was the worst major town in Tyne & Wear for drugs, with 31 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.40 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2019 was also a bad month for South Shields residents, when it was Tyne & Wear's most dangerous major town for possession of weapons, recording 14 crimes at a rate of 0.18 per 1,000 residents. South Shields recorded 12 reports of bicycle theft during January 2019, making its crime rate of 0.16 the worst major town for bicycle theft in Tyne & Wear that month.
The most common crimes in South Shields are violence and sexual offences, with 3,217 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 42. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 3,583 offences and a difference of 4.77 from 2019's crime rate of 47. South Shields's least common crime is robbery, with 43 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 4.7% from 2019's figure of 45 crimes.
Compare South Shields to other towns and cities
See how South Shields shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how South Shields and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
South Shields Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in South Shields This Year
| South Shields | Tyne & Wear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,747 | 48.75 | 50,249 | 44.01 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 88 | 1.14 | 1,677 | 1.47 | 29% safer |
| Burglary | 289 | 3.76 | 5,209 | 4.56 | 21% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,205 | 15.68 | 15,088 | 13.22 | 16% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 211 | 2.75 | 2,801 | 2.45 | 11% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 241 | 3.14 | 2,948 | 2.58 | 18% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 544 | 7.08 | 8,803 | 7.71 | 9% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 73 | 0.95 | 977 | 0.86 | 9% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,126 | 14.65 | 14,077 | 12.33 | 16% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 43 | 0.56 | 571 | 0.50 | 11% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 358 | 4.66 | 6,962 | 6.10 | 31% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 44 | 0.57 | 902 | 0.79 | 39% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 258 | 3.36 | 5,837 | 5.11 | 52% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,217 | 41.85 | 39,068 | 34.22 | 18% more dangerous |
Crime in South Shields Compared To Tyne & Wear
South Shields Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 5,293 | 79.29 | 26% safer |
| Tynemouth | 6,471 | 93.32 | 7% safer |
| South Shields | 7,697 | 100.14 | - |
| Gateshead | 13,020 | 106.50 | 6% more dangerous |
| Sunderland | 19,707 | 112.74 | 11% more dangerous |
South Shields Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 40 | 35 | 32 | 49 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.95 | Safer |
| Public Order | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | Safer |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.49 | 0.36 | 0.59 | 0.56 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.99 | 0.57 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 39 | 45 | 47 | 42 | Safer |
Changes In South Shields's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing South Shields to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 48% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 29% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 17% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 16% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 2.8% safer |
| South Shields | 100.14 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 25% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 27% more dangerous |
Crime in South Shields's Neighbourhoods
South Shields West is the most dangerous neighbourhood in South Shields, followed by West Harton in second place, and Biddick Hill as the third most dangerous area. South Shields's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Cleadon Park, Harton West, and Westoe.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biddick Hill | 668 | 93 | Third |
| Cleadon Park | 358 | 59 | Eighth |
| Harton East | 449 | 81 | Fifth |
| Harton West | 242 | 46 | Ninth |
| South Shields West | 1,819 | 220 | First |
| West Harton | 841 | 142 | Second |
| West Park | 477 | 87 | Fourth |
| Westoe | 412 | 64 | Seventh |
| Whiteleas | 449 | 66 | Sixth |
South Shields Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of South Shields for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Harton West (94) | South Shields West (817) |
| Bicycle Theft | Westoe (2) | South Shields West (30) |
| Burglary | Harton East (8) | South Shields West (55) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Harton West (38) | South Shields West (267) |
| Drugs | Cleadon Park (3) | South Shields West (56) |
| Other Crime | Harton West (5) | South Shields West (44) |
| Other Theft | Harton West (17) | South Shields West (145) |
| Possession of Weapons | Cleadon Park (1) | South Shields West (21) |
| Public Order | Cleadon Park (39) | South Shields West (292) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Harton West (1) | West Harton (7) |
| Shoplifting | Biddick Hill (1) | South Shields West (167) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Biddick Hill (1) | South Shields West (17) |
| Vehicle Crime | Harton East (7) | South Shields West (53) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Harton West (92) | South Shields West (663) |
Crime in South Shields During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in South Shields change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when South Shields saw a 644% increase in anti-social behaviour. South Shields saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 91% compared to April in 2019. Theft From the Person saw a fall in every month of South Shields's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -2% | +175% | +122% | +58% | -77% | +48% | +58% | +68% | +95% | +644% |
| Bicycle Theft | -56% | -73% | +150% | +150% | +25% | +11% | -58% | -20% | +80% | +25% |
| Burglary | -25% | -44% | -39% | -8% | -8% | +36% | -29% | +19% | +17% | -44% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -29% | -24% | -21% | -18% | -17% | +6% | +1% | -28% | -21% | -19% |
| Drugs | +133% | +18% | +13% | +29% | -9% | +47% | +6% | -13% | +343% | -6% |
| Other Crime | -14% | +11% | -38% | +57% | +24% | +75% | +67% | -4% | +77% | -20% |
| Other Theft | -28% | -49% | -11% | -37% | -38% | -4% | -31% | -66% | -24% | -25% |
| Possession of Weapons | -45% | +40% | -44% | -36% | -43% | +50% | -55% | +100% | -57% | -29% |
| Public Order | -21% | -13% | -49% | -31% | +1% | +2% | -17% | +6% | -3% | -8% |
| Robbery | -50% | - | - | +200% | -33% | -29% | -67% | +250% | - | +33% |
| Shoplifting | -53% | -79% | -63% | -55% | -55% | -30% | +44% | -18% | -21% | +46% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -91% | -67% | +80% | -80% | -25% | -17% | -67% | -33% | -86% |
| Vehicle Crime | -25% | -61% | -27% | -16% | -55% | -22% | -51% | -36% | +17% | +180% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -21% | -34% | -17% | -12% | +6% | -11% | -9% | -21% | +2% | -5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in South Shields
What police force serves South Shields?
South Shields's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is South Shields?
South Shields is the third most dangerous major town in Tyne & Wear.What is South Shields's most common crime?
The most common crimes in South Shields are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in South Shields?
South Shields's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021