Crime and Safety in Sunderland
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Sunderland is the second 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 Sunderland in 2026 is 79 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Tyne & Wear's overall crime rate, coming in 3.3% higher than the Tyne & Wear rate of 76 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Sunderland is among the top 20 safest major towns, and the 1,958th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2025, Sunderland had the worst crime rate in Tyne & Wear for robbery, with 56 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.19 per 1,000 daytime population. And in January 2026, Sunderland was the worst major town in Tyne & Wear for violence and sexual offences, with 263 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.88 per 1,000 daytime population. February 2026 was also a bad month for Sunderland residents, when it was Tyne & Wear's most dangerous major town for criminal damage and arson, recording 75 crimes at a rate of 0.25 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Sunderland are violence and sexual offences, with 9,245 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 31. This is 13% lower than 2025's figure of 10,590 offences and a difference of 4.45 from 2025's crime rate of 35. Sunderland's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 97 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 18% from 2025's figure of 118 crimes.
Sunderland 2026 Crime Scorecard
Second Most Dangerous
Major Towns, Tyne & Wear
7% lower, regional crime rate
North East
9% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Sunderland is 7% lower than the North East and 9% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Sunderland Crime Rate Over Time
| Sunderland | |
| North East | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Sunderland Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Sunderland represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Sunderland Compares
You can compare Sunderland's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Sunderland's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Sunderland up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Sunderland's 6,693 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Sunderland? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Sunderland • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Sunderland has a crime risk score of 533. This is based on analysis of 6,693 nearby areas within Sunderland, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Sunderland's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Sunderland, crime risk scores are typically around 533, while in Tyne & Wear they are average 515.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 593 (576 for Tyne & Wear), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 638 (Tyne & Wear 622).
Trends in Crime Risk
Sunderland
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates a decrease of 25% in Sunderland's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Sunderland's crime risk score is down by 28%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
Over the last year, Sunderland's crime risk score has shown a downward trend of approximately 24%, indicating that the risk profile is going down. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Sunderland
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Sunderland • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Shoplifting offences have a crime rate of 11 reports per 1,000 people in Sunderland, which is 1.57 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 3,357 crime reports logged by Northumbria Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Northumbria Police recorded 2,717 reports of Criminal Damage and Arson in Sunderland, resulting in a crime rate of 9.01 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.43.
The crime rate for Burglary is 1.40 times the national average at 4.38 reports per 1,000. This is from 1,314 crime reports reported to Northumbria Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Sunderland
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Robbery offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.10 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Robbery CrimeRate Index was 0.56 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 96% over this timeframe.
Burglary offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.79 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 1.13 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 58% over this timeframe.
Shoplifting offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.62 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 1.88 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 14% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Sunderland
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Violence and Sexual Offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.84 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Violence and Sexual Offences CrimeRate Index was 1.29 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 35% over this timeframe.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.43 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson CrimeRate Index was 1.79 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 20% over this timeframe.
Possession of Weapons offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.57 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Possession of Weapons CrimeRate Index was 1.00 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 43% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Sunderland • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Sunderland | Tyne & Wear | North East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,736 | 15.75 | 1.11 | 23,059 | 17.10 | 1.21 | 60,647 | 19.76 | 1.40 |
| Bicycle Theft | 97 | 0.32 | 0.46 | 710 | 0.54 | 0.74 | 1,566 | 0.51 | 0.70 |
| Burglary | 1,314 | 4.38 | 1.40 | 5,081 | 3.77 | 1.20 | 12,568 | 4.10 | 1.31 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,717 | 9.01 | 1.43 | 11,024 | 8.17 | 1.30 | 31,671 | 10.32 | 1.64 |
| Drugs | 598 | 1.99 | 0.64 | 2,980 | 2.21 | 0.72 | 7,960 | 2.59 | 0.84 |
| Other Crime | 1,115 | 3.71 | 2.01 | 4,262 | 3.16 | 1.71 | 10,427 | 3.40 | 1.84 |
| Other Theft | 1,412 | 4.70 | 0.83 | 7,032 | 5.20 | 0.91 | 16,082 | 5.24 | 0.92 |
| Possession of Weapons | 239 | 0.81 | 0.95 | 1,082 | 0.79 | 0.93 | 2,627 | 0.84 | 0.99 |
| Public Order | 2,027 | 6.72 | 1.16 | 9,204 | 6.82 | 1.18 | 22,100 | 7.21 | 1.24 |
| Robbery | 410 | 1.38 | 1.17 | 1,813 | 1.35 | 1.14 | 3,786 | 1.23 | 1.04 |
| Shoplifting | 3,357 | 11.18 | 1.57 | 14,098 | 10.46 | 1.47 | 33,748 | 10.99 | 1.54 |
| Theft From the Person | 129 | 0.42 | 0.27 | 824 | 0.61 | 0.39 | 1,449 | 0.47 | 0.30 |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,024 | 3.40 | 0.79 | 4,898 | 3.61 | 0.84 | 11,617 | 3.77 | 0.88 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,245 | 30.73 | 1.01 | 39,832 | 29.55 | 0.97 | 104,999 | 34.22 | 1.13 |
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Total Crime by Year
Sunderland | Tyne & Wear | North East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 23,684 | 78.75 | 1.09 | 102,840 | 76.24 | 1.06 | 260,600 | 84.89 | 1.18 |
| 2025 | 27,430 | 91.43 | 1.24 | 117,105 | 87.13 | 1.18 | 272,201 | 89.21 | 1.21 |
| 2024 | 27,828 | 93.83 | 1.24 | 120,036 | 90.33 | 1.20 | 285,067 | 94.47 | 1.25 |
| 2023 | 28,354 | 97.34 | 1.23 | 121,430 | 92.52 | 1.17 | 295,603 | 99.04 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 26,836 | 93.59 | 1.22 | 116,049 | 89.56 | 1.17 | 273,599 | 93.03 | 1.21 |
| 2021 | 26,368 | 92.45 | 1.35 | 107,826 | 83.61 | 1.22 | 250,848 | 85.95 | 1.25 |
| 2020 | 29,374 | 102.94 | 1.39 | 122,585 | 94.98 | 1.28 | 276,026 | 94.68 | 1.28 |
| 2019 | 32,819 | 114.76 | 1.51 | 139,523 | 108.10 | 1.42 | 298,335 | 102.44 | 1.34 |
| 2018 | 32,247 | 112.56 | 1.58 | 134,395 | 104.16 | 1.46 | 280,195 | 96.33 | 1.35 |
| 2017 | 24,535 | 85.40 | 1.34 | 108,660 | 84.25 | 1.32 | 226,807 | 78.00 | 1.22 |
| 2016 | 7,181 | 24.96 | 1.31 | 31,151 | 24.16 | 1.27 | 66,798 | 22.96 | 1.20 |
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Sunderland Compared to Nearby Major Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Shields | 7,695 | 99.68 | 27% more dangerous |
| Sunderland | 23,684 | 78.75 | - |
| Tynemouth | 5,570 | 74.97 | 4.8% safer |
| Gateshead | 15,048 | 73.67 | 6% safer |
| Washington | 3,729 | 69.92 | 11% safer |
Comparing Sunderland to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 78.75 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 1.0% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 5% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 7% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 33% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 33% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 35% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 36% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 37% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 59% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
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You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Sunderland's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Sunderland that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silksworth Sports Complex | 80 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 46 | 85 |
| New Herrington Recreational Park | 3 | - | 3 | - | 8 | 15 |
| Community North Sports Complex and Downhill Outdoor Sports Complex | 11 | 1 | 3 | - | 32 | 22 |
| Beacon of Light | 1 | - | 11 | - | 15 | 10 |
| Seldom Seen Community Park | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 | 5 |
| Town Moor | 1 | - | 3 | - | 4 | 12 |
| The Green | 12 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 30 | 55 |
| The Green | 10 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 | 1 |
| The Green | 5 | - | 4 | - | 7 | 1 |
| Hylton Dene Park | 4 | - | - | - | 6 | 3 |
| West Park | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 | 5 |
| Albany Park | 28 | - | 8 | 1 | 23 | 47 |
| Castletown Cemetery | 6 | - | 3 | - | 21 | 13 |
| Southwick Cemetery | 21 | - | 6 | - | 29 | 31 |
| Holley Park | 18 | 2 | 12 | - | 32 | 26 |
| Ayton Gardens Allotments | 6 | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Washington Glebe Bowling Club | 5 | - | 1 | - | 10 | 6 |
| The James Steel Park | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 |
| Penshaw Allotments | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Treadmill Gym | - | - | - | - | 5 | 6 |
| Canal Farm Allotments | 5 | - | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 |
| Houghton Sports Complex | 11 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 55 |
| Sunderland Health and Racquets Club | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 |
| Shields Road Allotments | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Mere Knolls Cemetery | 1 | - | 3 | - | 5 | 3 |
| Marley Potts Allotments | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 9 |
| Marley Potts Playing Fields | 1 | - | 2 | - | 11 | 13 |
| Wearmouth Colliery Welfare Sports and Social Club | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 27 |
| High Newport Allotments | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 | 1 |
| Tunstall Hill Extention Allotments | 3 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Raich Carter Sports Centre | - | 2 | 4 | - | 13 | 19 |
| Tunstall Allotments Association | 7 | - | 1 | - | 4 | 5 |
| Rectory Park | 48 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 40 | 38 |
| Hetton Park | 4 | - | - | - | 9 | 14 |
| Usworth Recreation Park | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 8 | 22 |
| The Billy Hardy Sports Complex | 7 | - | 4 | - | 10 | 17 |
| Ford Quarry Football Hub | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| Herrington Country Park | 41 | 8 | 3 | - | 27 | 14 |
| King George's Field | 21 | - | 6 | 2 | 41 | 27 |
| Bishopwearmouth Cemetery | 12 | 2 | 6 | - | 16 | 30 |
| Barnes Park | 36 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 61 | 45 |
| The Park | 9 | - | 3 | - | 1 | 8 |
| Doxford Park | 15 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 41 |
| Fulwell Mill Allotments | - | - | - | - | 4 | 1 |
| Seaburn Park | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| Cornthwaite Park | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Roker Cliff Park | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| Margaret Thompson Park | 6 | 1 | 2 | - | 10 | 19 |
| Roker Park | 2 | 1 | - | - | 5 | 0 |
| Diamond Hall Pocket Park | 7 | 1 | 1 | - | 13 | 10 |
| Burn Field Park | 34 | 4 | 7 | - | 23 | 25 |
| Mowbray Gardens | 72 | 13 | 31 | 9 | 125 | 74 |
| Barnes Park | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 8 |
| Backhouse Park | 6 | 1 | 2 | - | 7 | 5 |
| Silksworth Recreation Park | 8 | - | 6 | 4 | 14 | 62 |
| Russell Foster Football Centre | 9 | - | - | - | 11 | 2 |
| Fitness Club | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 60 |
| Adventure Sunderland | 2 | - | 2 | - | 7 | 7 |
| The Princess Anne Park | 27 | - | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Xercise4Less | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
| Primrose Allotments | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 |
Recent Crimes in Sunderland
The 20 most recent crime reports in Sunderland.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Hill View Square | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Station Road | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Park/Open Space | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Kirkside | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Grindon Terrace | |
| April 2026 | Burglary | On or near Oakdale | |
| April 2026 | Burglary | On or near Thurso Close | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Thurso Close | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Rokeby Street | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Donvale Road | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Peplow Square | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Theft from the person | On or near Shaftesbury Crescent | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Donvale Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Robson Place | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Viola Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Cooper Street | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Rose Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Talley Court | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Mount Close |
Methodology & Data Sources
Sunderland Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Sunderland during July 2026 will typically become available in September 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Sunderland Data Points
For Sunderland, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E43000178.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Sunderland's daytime - or "workday" - population of 265,211 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Sunderland