Walsall Crime Overview
Walsall is the most dangerous major town in the West Midlands, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of the West Midlands's 44 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Walsall in 2020 was 110 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to the West Midlands's overall crime rate, coming in 17% higher than the West Midlands rate of 91 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Walsall is among the top 20 most dangerous major towns, and the 359th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2020, Walsall was the worst major town in the West Midlands for burglary, with 46 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.63 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Walsall residents, when it was the West Midlands's most dangerous major town for criminal damage and arson, recording 57 crimes at a rate of 0.78 per 1,000 residents. Walsall recorded 23 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.31 the worst major town for drugs in the West Midlands that month.
The most common crimes in Walsall are violence and sexual offences, with 3,568 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 49. This is 16% higher than 2019's figure of 2,986 offences and a difference of 7.95 from 2019's crime rate of 41. Walsall's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 61 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 61 crimes.
Compare Walsall to other towns and cities
See how Walsall shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Walsall and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Walsall Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Walsall This Year
| Walsall | West Midlands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,594 | 21.77 | 54,084 | 18.47 | 15% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 61 | 0.83 | 2,277 | 0.78 | 6% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 515 | 7.03 | 19,595 | 6.69 | 4.8% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 667 | 9.11 | 21,910 | 7.48 | 18% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 210 | 2.87 | 5,912 | 2.02 | 30% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 138 | 1.88 | 5,480 | 1.87 | 0.53% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 564 | 7.70 | 16,535 | 5.65 | 27% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 152 | 2.08 | 3,283 | 1.12 | 46% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 799 | 10.91 | 23,798 | 8.13 | 25% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 199 | 2.72 | 6,832 | 2.33 | 14% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 426 | 5.82 | 11,535 | 3.94 | 32% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 64 | 0.87 | 2,162 | 0.74 | 15% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 702 | 9.59 | 26,856 | 9.17 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,568 | 48.73 | 120,780 | 41.24 | 15% more dangerous |
Crime in Walsall Compared To West Midlands
Walsall Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton Coldfield | 5,205 | 48.40 | 128% safer |
| Stourbridge | 3,953 | 61.17 | 80% safer |
| Solihull | 6,633 | 61.20 | 80% safer |
| Dudley | 8,739 | 103.04 | 7% safer |
| West Bromwich | 8,610 | 109.01 | 1.0% safer |
| Walsall | 8,065 | 110.14 | - |
Walsall Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 27 | 20 | 16 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.78 | 0.81 | 0.83 | 0.83 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.98 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.60 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 12 | 11 | 11 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.87 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 13 | 15 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 34 | 41 | 49 | Getting worse |
Changes In Walsall's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Walsall to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Walsall's Neighbourhoods
Walsall Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Walsall, followed by Walsall West in second place, and Pleck as the third most dangerous area. Walsall's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Palfrey, Walsall East, and Walsall South East.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leamore | 660 | 92 | Fifth |
| Palfrey | 883 | 82 | Seventh |
| Pleck | 983 | 111 | Third |
| The Delves | 573 | 86 | Sixth |
| Walsall Central | 2,584 | 234 | First |
| Walsall East | 419 | 63 | Eighth |
| Walsall North East | 698 | 100 | Fourth |
| Walsall South East | 244 | 36 | Ninth |
| Walsall West | 985 | 119 | Second |
Walsall Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Walsall for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Walsall South East (53) | Walsall Central (516) |
| Bicycle Theft | Palfrey (2) | Walsall Central (34) |
| Burglary | Walsall South East (25) | Walsall Central (160) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Walsall South East (18) | Walsall Central (192) |
| Drugs | Walsall South East (7) | Walsall Central (86) |
| Other Crime | Walsall South East (6) | Walsall Central (42) |
| Other Theft | Walsall South East (12) | Pleck (153) |
| Possession of Weapons | Walsall South East (4) | Walsall Central (58) |
| Public Order | Walsall South East (28) | Walsall Central (274) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Walsall South East (1) | Walsall Central (89) |
| Shoplifting | Walsall South East (2) | Walsall Central (243) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Pleck (1) | Walsall Central (47) |
| Vehicle Crime | Palfrey (64) | Walsall North East (101) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Walsall South East (96) | Walsall Central (1,054) |
Crime in Walsall During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Walsall change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Walsall saw a 250% increase in bicycle theft. Walsall saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 90% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +9% | +130% | +57% | +46% | -2% | +27% | +64% | +70% | +101% | +78% |
| Bicycle Theft | +150% | -25% | +250% | - | -42% | +40% | +133% | -56% | -33% | -50% |
| Burglary | -31% | -40% | -45% | -19% | +7% | -15% | -41% | -55% | -6% | +63% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +33% | -2% | -24% | -32% | -7% | -5% | +12% | +23% | -6% | -8% |
| Drugs | -23% | +18% | +33% | -25% | +20% | -41% | -27% | -46% | +27% | -18% |
| Other Crime | +11% | +14% | +50% | -22% | +20% | -8% | +38% | +40% | +27% | -25% |
| Other Theft | -21% | -50% | -22% | - | +43% | +8% | +15% | +24% | -4% | +4% |
| Possession of Weapons | +9% | -38% | +9% | +67% | -8% | +25% | +20% | +89% | +167% | -15% |
| Public Order | -25% | +35% | +18% | +14% | +96% | +25% | +56% | +84% | +33% | +66% |
| Robbery | -43% | -33% | -6% | -48% | -45% | -16% | -38% | +23% | +40% | - |
| Shoplifting | -73% | -71% | -61% | -68% | -45% | -25% | -29% | -33% | -31% | -48% |
| Theft From the Person | -11% | -90% | -62% | -71% | -71% | -29% | -38% | -50% | -43% | -22% |
| Vehicle Crime | +19% | -44% | -60% | -48% | -42% | -38% | +7% | -8% | -32% | +21% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -14% | +1% | +8% | +31% | +17% | +17% | +61% | +42% | +48% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Walsall
What police force serves Walsall?
Walsall's local territorial police force is the West Midlands Police.How dangerous is Walsall?
Walsall is the most dangerous major town in the West Midlands.What is Walsall's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Walsall are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Walsall?
Walsall's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021