Smethwick Crime Overview
Smethwick is among the top 10 safest medium-sized towns in the West Midlands, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of the West Midlands's 44 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Smethwick in 2020 was 81 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to the West Midlands's overall crime rate, coming in 12% lower than the West Midlands rate of 91 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Smethwick is the 80th most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 952nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Smethwick was the worst medium-sized town in the West Midlands for drugs, with 15 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.28 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Smethwick residents, when it was the West Midlands's most dangerous medium-sized town for robbery, recording 21 crimes at a rate of 0.39 per 1,000 residents. Smethwick recorded 25 reports of burglary during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.47 the worst medium-sized town for burglary in the West Midlands that month.
The most common crimes in Smethwick are violence and sexual offences, with 2,034 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 38. This is 14% higher than 2019's figure of 1,751 offences and a difference of 5.27 from 2019's crime rate of 33. Smethwick's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 23 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 22% from 2019's figure of 18 crimes.
Compare Smethwick to other towns and cities
See how Smethwick shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Smethwick and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Smethwick Crime Map
Crime in Smethwick Compared To West Midlands
Summary of Crimes in Smethwick This Year
| Smethwick | West Midlands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 889 | 16.57 | 54,084 | 18.47 | 11% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 23 | 0.43 | 2,277 | 0.78 | 81% safer |
| Burglary | 282 | 5.26 | 19,595 | 6.69 | 27% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 314 | 5.85 | 21,910 | 7.48 | 28% safer |
| Drugs | 135 | 2.52 | 5,912 | 2.02 | 20% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 71 | 1.32 | 5,480 | 1.87 | 42% safer |
| Other Theft | 238 | 4.44 | 16,535 | 5.65 | 27% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 60 | 1.12 | 3,283 | 1.12 | 0% safer |
| Public Order | 393 | 7.32 | 23,798 | 8.13 | 11% safer |
| Robbery | 147 | 2.74 | 6,832 | 2.33 | 15% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 162 | 3.02 | 11,535 | 3.94 | 30% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 23 | 0.43 | 2,162 | 0.74 | 72% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 472 | 8.80 | 26,856 | 9.17 | 4.2% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,034 | 37.90 | 120,780 | 41.24 | 9% safer |
Smethwick Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingswinford | 2,600 | 50.88 | 59% safer |
| Aldridge | 2,161 | 54.76 | 48% safer |
| Halesowen | 3,440 | 57.65 | 41% safer |
| Sedgley | 1,912 | 61.23 | 33% safer |
| Rowley Regis | 2,806 | 78.40 | 3.5% safer |
| Smethwick | 4,354 | 81.14 | - |
| Willenhall | 4,501 | 84.96 | 4.5% more dangerous |
| Bloxwich | 4,648 | 88.97 | 9% more dangerous |
| Oldbury | 2,430 | 94.41 | 14% more dangerous |
| Brierley Hill | 3,097 | 96.33 | 16% more dangerous |
| Tipton | 4,486 | 99.07 | 18% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Smethwick
View crime percentage over time forSmethwick Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 15 | 12 | 10 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.45 | 0.80 | 0.34 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.61 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 4.6 | 5 | 4.2 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.43 | 0.54 | 0.67 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.4 | 4.3 | 6 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.73 | 0.91 | 0.45 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 12 | 8 | 9 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 26 | 33 | 38 | Getting worse |
Changes In Smethwick's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Smethwick's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Smethwick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Londonderry Playing Fields | - | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 1.3 |
| Smethwick Hall Park | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0.28 |
Comparing Smethwick to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 20% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 4.8% safer |
| Smethwick | 81.14 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 2.5% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 5% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 6% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 17% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 21% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 39% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 41% more dangerous |
Crime in Smethwick's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearwood & Warley Woods | 787 | 70 | Fifth |
| Smethwick East | 1,585 | 111 | First |
| Smethwick North & West | 1,174 | 88 | Second |
| Smethwick South | 772 | 79 | Fourth |
| Warley East | 637 | 80 | Third |
Smethwick Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Smethwick for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Smethwick South (132) | Smethwick East (411) |
| Bicycle Theft | Warley East (2) | Bearwood & Warley Woods (7) |
| Burglary | Smethwick South (35) | Warley East (66) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Bearwood & Warley Woods (48) | Smethwick East (102) |
| Drugs | Bearwood & Warley Woods (13) | Smethwick North & West (51) |
| Other Crime | Bearwood & Warley Woods (10) | Smethwick North & West (24) |
| Other Theft | Smethwick South (32) | Smethwick East (102) |
| Possession of Weapons | Smethwick South (6) | Smethwick East (36) |
| Public Order | Bearwood & Warley Woods (65) | Smethwick East (149) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Smethwick South (21) | Bearwood & Warley Woods (46) |
| Shoplifting | Warley East (4) | Smethwick East (91) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Warley East (1) | Smethwick East (17) |
| Vehicle Crime | Smethwick North & West (95) | Bearwood & Warley Woods (127) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Bearwood & Warley Woods (290) | Smethwick East (714) |
Crime in Smethwick During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Smethwick change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Smethwick saw a 1,000% increase in possession of weapons. Smethwick saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 98% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +16% | +119% | +218% | +56% | +33% | +48% | +105% | +67% | +135% | +78% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +300% | +100% | +200% | -33% | +33% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -42% | -71% | -45% | -4% | -33% | - | +9% | +3% | -38% | +50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -19% | -34% | -46% | -37% | -22% | +40% | -13% | -37% | +52% | -35% |
| Drugs | +11% | +57% | +30% | -40% | +73% | -40% | +71% | -79% | +50% | -38% |
| Other Crime | -13% | +125% | -14% | -75% | -14% | - | +100% | - | -17% | - |
| Other Theft | -39% | -31% | -13% | -9% | -43% | - | +100% | +38% | +11% | +91% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | - | +40% | -40% | - | - | +100% | +33% | +1,000% | +200% |
| Public Order | +35% | -37% | +32% | +100% | +83% | +71% | +58% | +28% | +100% | +32% |
| Robbery | +29% | -58% | -13% | -69% | -32% | +67% | +22% | -8% | +50% | +62% |
| Shoplifting | -77% | -98% | -53% | -68% | -69% | +4% | +193% | -29% | -45% | -53% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | +300% | -67% | -50% | +50% |
| Vehicle Crime | -30% | +4% | -19% | - | +3% | +9% | +49% | +38% | +173% | -14% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +8% | +3% | -19% | +9% | +9% | +30% | +52% | +1% | +29% | +4% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Smethwick
What police force serves Smethwick?
Smethwick's local territorial police force is the West Midlands Police.How dangerous is Smethwick?
Smethwick is among the top 10 safest medium-sized towns in the West Midlands.What is Smethwick's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Smethwick are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Smethwick?
Smethwick's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021