Washington Crime Overview
Washington is the safest major town in Tyne & Wear, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Tyne & Wear's 28 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Washington in 2020 was 79 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Tyne & Wear's overall crime rate, coming in 16% lower than the Tyne & Wear rate of 92 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Washington is the 50th safest major town, and the 1,022nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
The most common crimes in Washington are violence and sexual offences, with 2,008 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 4.0% lower than 2019's figure of 2,088 offences and a difference of 1.20 from 2019's crime rate of 31. Washington's least common crime is robbery, with 18 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 67% from 2019's figure of 30 crimes.
Compare Washington to other towns and cities
See how Washington shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Washington and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Washington Crime Map
Crime in Washington Compared To Tyne & Wear
Summary of Crimes in Washington This Year
| Washington | Tyne & Wear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,295 | 34.38 | 50,249 | 44.01 | 28% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 39 | 0.58 | 1,677 | 1.47 | 153% safer |
| Burglary | 255 | 3.82 | 5,209 | 4.56 | 19% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 756 | 11.33 | 15,088 | 13.22 | 17% safer |
| Drugs | 85 | 1.27 | 2,801 | 2.45 | 93% safer |
| Other Crime | 148 | 2.22 | 2,948 | 2.58 | 16% safer |
| Other Theft | 414 | 6.20 | 8,803 | 7.71 | 24% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 32 | 0.48 | 977 | 0.86 | 79% safer |
| Public Order | 702 | 10.52 | 14,077 | 12.33 | 17% safer |
| Robbery | 18 | 0.27 | 571 | 0.50 | 85% safer |
| Shoplifting | 492 | 7.37 | 6,962 | 6.10 | 17% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 21 | 0.31 | 902 | 0.79 | 155% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 323 | 4.84 | 5,837 | 5.11 | 6% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,008 | 30.08 | 39,068 | 34.22 | 14% safer |
Washington Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 5,293 | 79.29 | - |
| Tynemouth | 6,471 | 93.32 | 15% more dangerous |
| South Shields | 7,697 | 100.14 | 21% more dangerous |
| Gateshead | 13,020 | 106.50 | 26% more dangerous |
| Sunderland | 19,707 | 112.74 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Washington
View crime percentage over time forWashington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 26 | 23 | 34 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.73 | 0.76 | 0.63 | 0.58 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.69 | 0.52 | 0.85 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Public Order | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.30 | 0.24 | 0.45 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.67 | 0.51 | 0.63 | 0.31 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.8 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 27 | 30 | 31 | 30 | Getting worse |
Changes In Washington's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Washington's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Washington that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Park | 4 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.29 |
Comparing Washington to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 17% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 2.4% safer |
| Washington | 79.29 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 4.7% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 8% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 8% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 19% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 23% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 26% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 40% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 42% more dangerous |
Crime in Washington's Neighbourhoods
Concord and Sulgrave is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Washington, followed by Washington Town Centre & Biddick in second place, and Shiney Row as the third most dangerous area. Washington's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Columbia, Barmston & Teal Farm, Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield, and Oxclose and Lambton.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany and Blackfell | 600 | 88 | Fourth |
| Columbia, Barmston & Teal Farm | 460 | 57 | Seventh |
| Concord and Sulgrave | 1,197 | 123 | First |
| Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield | 464 | 47 | Eighth |
| Newbottle & Penshaw | 540 | 71 | Fifth |
| Oxclose and Lambton | 479 | 57 | Sixth |
| Shiney Row | 831 | 90 | Third |
| Washington Town Centre & Biddick | 717 | 111 | Second |
Washington Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Washington for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Albany and Blackfell (210) | Washington Town Centre & Biddick (297) |
| Bicycle Theft | Oxclose and Lambton (1) | Washington Town Centre & Biddick (13) |
| Burglary | Oxclose and Lambton (11) | Shiney Row (76) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield (53) | Concord and Sulgrave (175) |
| Drugs | Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield (4) | Newbottle & Penshaw (19) |
| Other Crime | Columbia, Barmston & Teal Farm (7) | Concord and Sulgrave (36) |
| Other Theft | Oxclose and Lambton (17) | Albany and Blackfell (89) |
| Possession of Weapons | Albany and Blackfell (1) | Newbottle & Penshaw (11) |
| Public Order | Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield (53) | Washington Town Centre & Biddick (118) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield (1) | Washington Town Centre & Biddick (5) |
| Shoplifting | Oxclose and Lambton (2) | Albany and Blackfell (163) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Newbottle & Penshaw (1) | Concord and Sulgrave (5) |
| Vehicle Crime | Columbia, Barmston & Teal Farm (22) | Concord and Sulgrave (59) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Harraton, Rickleton & Fatfield (191) | Concord and Sulgrave (426) |
Crime in Washington During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Washington change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Washington saw a 453% increase in anti-social behaviour. Washington saw a large fall in possession of weapons during July, when it fell by 91% compared to July in 2019. Rates of criminal damage and arson and other theft both fell year-on-year for every month during Washington's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +18% | +195% | +211% | +98% | -70% | +23% | +13% | +4% | +28% | +453% |
| Bicycle Theft | -50% | +300% | +300% | +200% | -50% | +150% | -82% | -71% | +67% | -67% |
| Burglary | -21% | -16% | +111% | - | +59% | -32% | -22% | -35% | -37% | +15% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -24% | -41% | -7% | -3% | -10% | +17% | -8% | -10% | -22% | -32% |
| Drugs | -82% | - | -38% | -78% | +60% | -45% | -40% | +63% | +71% | +100% |
| Other Crime | +11% | -20% | +89% | +78% | +86% | -18% | +140% | -25% | +25% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -32% | -42% | -36% | -3% | -33% | -21% | -29% | +8% | -23% | -44% |
| Possession of Weapons | -80% | -60% | +75% | -71% | -91% | +50% | - | -75% | -75% | +50% |
| Public Order | -29% | -22% | +11% | +29% | +31% | +53% | -3% | +16% | -20% | +67% |
| Robbery | +100% | - | - | -50% | -33% | -50% | - | -75% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -32% | -51% | -42% | -65% | -56% | -42% | +3% | +13% | -6% | -17% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -67% | -60% | - | +200% | - | -67% | - | - | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -11% | +4% | +5% | +15% | +13% | +83% | -17% | -23% | -63% | -47% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -15% | -24% | -1% | +13% | +1% | +20% | -6% | -26% | -1% | -4% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Washington
What police force serves Washington?
Washington's local territorial police force is the Northumbria Police.How dangerous is Washington?
Washington is the safest major town in Tyne & Wear.What is Washington's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Washington are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Washington?
Washington's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021