Crime in the West Midlands
The West Midlands is among the top 5 most dangerous counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in the West Midlands in 2020 was 91 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 41 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of the West Midlands's larger towns and cities, Walsall is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is West Bromwich, and Dudley comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of the West Midlands, starting with Sutton Coldfield which ranks as the safest area in West Midlands, followed up by Stourbridge in second place, and Solihull in third place.
Crime Map of The West Midlands
Click to use map
West Midlands Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 54,084 | 18.47 |
| Bicycle Theft | 2,277 | 0.78 |
| Burglary | 19,595 | 6.69 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 21,910 | 7.48 |
| Drugs | 5,912 | 2.02 |
| Other Crime | 5,480 | 1.87 |
| Other Theft | 16,535 | 5.65 |
| Possession of Weapons | 3,283 | 1.12 |
| Public Order | 23,798 | 8.13 |
| Robbery | 6,832 | 2.33 |
| Shoplifting | 11,535 | 3.94 |
| Theft From the Person | 2,162 | 0.74 |
| Vehicle Crime | 26,856 | 9.17 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 120,780 | 41.24 |
The West Midlands's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldridge | 2,161 | 55 | 66% safer |
| Bilston | 4,303 | 128 | 29% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 119,356 | 103 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bloxwich | 4,648 | 89 | 2.5% safer |
| Brierley Hill | 3,097 | 96 | 5% more dangerous |
| Brownhills | 1,509 | 71 | 28% safer |
| Castle Bromwich | 362 | 32 | 187% safer |
| Chelmsley Wood | 791 | 57 | 59% safer |
| Coseley | 1,629 | 70 | 30% safer |
| Coventry | 29,575 | 77 | 18% safer |
| Darlaston | 2,158 | 103 | 11% more dangerous |
| Dudley | 8,739 | 103 | 12% more dangerous |
| Fordbridge | 406 | 46 | 96% safer |
| Halesowen | 3,440 | 58 | 58% safer |
| Kingshurst | 392 | 48 | 91% safer |
| Kingswinford | 2,600 | 51 | 79% safer |
| Oldbury | 2,430 | 94 | 3.5% more dangerous |
| Rowley Regis | 2,806 | 78 | 16% safer |
| Sedgley | 1,912 | 61 | 49% safer |
| Smethwick | 4,354 | 81 | 12% safer |
| Smith's Wood | 671 | 62 | 47% safer |
| Solihull | 6,633 | 61 | 49% safer |
| Stourbridge | 3,953 | 61 | 49% safer |
| Sutton Coldfield | 5,205 | 48 | 88% safer |
| Tipton | 4,486 | 99 | 8% more dangerous |
| Walsall | 8,065 | 110 | 17% more dangerous |
| Wednesbury | 2,139 | 110 | 17% more dangerous |
| West Bromwich | 8,610 | 109 | 16% more dangerous |
| Willenhall | 4,501 | 85 | 7% safer |
| Wolverhampton | 22,762 | 92 | 1.4% more dangerous |
Crime Trends in the West Midlands
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 15 | 12 | 18 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.88 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.60 | 0.79 | 1.0 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.7 | 4.9 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.99 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.74 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21 | 26 | 33 | 41 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021