Dudley Crime Overview
Dudley is the third most dangerous major town in the West Midlands, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of the West Midlands's 44 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Dudley in 2020 was 103 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to the West Midlands's overall crime rate, coming in 12% higher than the West Midlands rate of 91 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Dudley is the 27th most dangerous major town, and the 450th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Dudley was the worst major town in the West Midlands for criminal damage and arson, with 92 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.1 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2020 was also a bad month for Dudley residents, when it was the West Midlands's most dangerous major town for burglary, recording 48 crimes at a rate of 0.57 per 1,000 residents. Dudley recorded 25 reports of other crime during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.29 the worst major town for other crime in the West Midlands that month.
The most common crimes in Dudley are violence and sexual offences, with 4,100 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 48. This is 16% higher than 2019's figure of 3,424 offences and a difference of 7.97 from 2019's crime rate of 40. Dudley's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 31 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 39% from 2019's figure of 43 crimes.
Compare Dudley to other towns and cities
See how Dudley shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Dudley and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Dudley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Dudley This Year
| Dudley | West Midlands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,569 | 18.50 | 54,084 | 18.47 | 0.16% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 31 | 0.37 | 2,277 | 0.78 | 111% safer |
| Burglary | 645 | 7.60 | 19,595 | 6.69 | 12% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 790 | 9.31 | 21,910 | 7.48 | 20% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 196 | 2.31 | 5,912 | 2.02 | 13% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 229 | 2.70 | 5,480 | 1.87 | 31% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 525 | 6.19 | 16,535 | 5.65 | 9% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 95 | 1.12 | 3,283 | 1.12 | 0% safer |
| Public Order | 806 | 9.50 | 23,798 | 8.13 | 14% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 203 | 2.39 | 6,832 | 2.33 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 315 | 3.71 | 11,535 | 3.94 | 6% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 44 | 0.52 | 2,162 | 0.74 | 42% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 760 | 8.96 | 26,856 | 9.17 | 2.3% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,100 | 48.34 | 120,780 | 41.24 | 15% more dangerous |
Crime in Dudley Compared To West Midlands
Dudley Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton Coldfield | 5,205 | 48.40 | 113% safer |
| Stourbridge | 3,953 | 61.17 | 68% safer |
| Solihull | 6,633 | 61.20 | 68% safer |
| Dudley | 8,739 | 103.04 | - |
| West Bromwich | 8,610 | 109.01 | 5% more dangerous |
| Walsall | 8,065 | 110.14 | 6% more dangerous |
Dudley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 26 | 18 | 14 | 18 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 0.31 | 0.51 | 0.37 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.83 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.1 | 5 | 7 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 4.8 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.74 | 0.74 | 0.62 | 0.52 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 26 | 33 | 40 | 48 | Getting worse |
Changes In Dudley's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Dudley to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Dudley's Neighbourhoods
New Dock & Eve Hill is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Dudley, followed by Kates Hill in second place, and Dixons Green as the third most dangerous area. Dudley's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Cradley Heath, Dibdale, and Dudley Wood & Saltwells.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brockmoor & Woodside | 881 | 111 | Fourth |
| Cradley Heath | 614 | 89 | Ninth |
| Dibdale | 400 | 48 | 11th |
| Dixons Green | 884 | 112 | Third |
| Dudley Priory & Wrens Nest | 1,012 | 106 | Fifth |
| Dudley Wood & Saltwells | 628 | 78 | Tenth |
| Kates Hill | 887 | 128 | Second |
| Netherton | 866 | 99 | Seventh |
| New Dock & Eve Hill | 1,203 | 148 | First |
| Old Hill | 1,026 | 98 | Eighth |
| Russell's Hall | 876 | 103 | Sixth |
Dudley Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Dudley for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Dibdale (94) | New Dock & Eve Hill (189) |
| Bicycle Theft | Dudley Wood & Saltwells (2) | Cradley Heath (5) |
| Burglary | Dibdale (36) | New Dock & Eve Hill (106) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Dibdale (26) | New Dock & Eve Hill (97) |
| Drugs | Dibdale (5) | New Dock & Eve Hill (45) |
| Other Crime | Dibdale (7) | Dudley Priory & Wrens Nest (42) |
| Other Theft | Dudley Wood & Saltwells (19) | Old Hill (111) |
| Possession of Weapons | Dibdale (2) | New Dock & Eve Hill (18) |
| Public Order | Dibdale (20) | Kates Hill (96) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Russell's Hall (9) | Kates Hill (37) |
| Shoplifting | Dudley Wood & Saltwells (9) | Kates Hill (58) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Netherton (1) | Kates Hill (12) |
| Vehicle Crime | Dudley Priory & Wrens Nest (65) | Dixons Green (101) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Dibdale (175) | New Dock & Eve Hill (573) |
Crime in Dudley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Dudley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Dudley saw a 360% increase in other crime. Dudley saw a large fall in possession of weapons during April, when it fell by 82% compared to April in 2019. Vehicle Crime saw a fall in every month of Dudley's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -7% | +144% | +110% | +6% | +29% | +9% | +75% | +46% | +62% | +23% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | -17% | +75% | -25% |
| Burglary | +6% | -39% | -59% | -20% | -43% | -5% | -48% | +13% | -2% | -29% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +9% | -7% | -15% | -16% | +29% | +33% | -1% | -11% | -2% | -9% |
| Drugs | -52% | +50% | +144% | +27% | +38% | +75% | +42% | -24% | - | +6% |
| Other Crime | -38% | +175% | +40% | +45% | +31% | +45% | +42% | +73% | +360% | +150% |
| Other Theft | -35% | -40% | -23% | -46% | -2% | -29% | +22% | +14% | +5% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | -9% | -82% | -30% | -33% | -17% | +67% | -8% | -9% | +11% | -13% |
| Public Order | +12% | +58% | +60% | +36% | +13% | +71% | +38% | +77% | +42% | +50% |
| Robbery | -25% | - | -26% | -45% | +67% | -13% | -21% | -13% | +91% | -20% |
| Shoplifting | -68% | -23% | -56% | -61% | -28% | -22% | -8% | +90% | -65% | +5% |
| Theft From the Person | - | +33% | -75% | +100% | +200% | -60% | -33% | -75% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -12% | -10% | -34% | -53% | -30% | -35% | -12% | +18% | -5% | -45% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -3% | -8% | +29% | -2% | +22% | +60% | +48% | +32% | +16% | +16% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Dudley
What police force serves Dudley?
Dudley's local territorial police force is the West Midlands Police.How dangerous is Dudley?
Dudley is the third most dangerous major town in the West Midlands.What is Dudley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Dudley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Dudley?
Dudley's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021