Wolverhampton Crime Overview
Wolverhampton is the most dangerous city 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 Wolverhampton in 2020 was 92 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to the West Midlands's overall crime rate, coming in 1.4% higher than the West Midlands rate of 91 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Wolverhampton is the 23rd most dangerous city, and the 651st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In May 2020, Wolverhampton was the worst city in the West Midlands for burglary, with 131 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.53 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Wolverhampton residents, when it was the West Midlands's most dangerous city for criminal damage and arson, recording 151 crimes at a rate of 0.61 per 1,000 residents. Wolverhampton recorded 50 reports of other crime during February 2020, making its crime rate of 0.20 the worst city for other crime in the West Midlands that month.
The most common crimes in Wolverhampton are violence and sexual offences, with 11,017 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 45. This is 21% higher than 2019's figure of 8,665 offences and a difference of 9.55 from 2019's crime rate of 35. Wolverhampton's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 211 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 13% from 2019's figure of 239 crimes.
Compare Wolverhampton to other towns and cities
See how Wolverhampton shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Wolverhampton and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Wolverhampton Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Wolverhampton This Year
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 4,318 | 17.54 | 54,084 | 18.47 | 5% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 211 | 0.86 | 2,277 | 0.78 | 9% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 1,489 | 6.05 | 19,595 | 6.69 | 11% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,778 | 7.22 | 21,910 | 7.48 | 3.6% safer |
| Drugs | 468 | 1.90 | 5,912 | 2.02 | 6% safer |
| Other Crime | 503 | 2.04 | 5,480 | 1.87 | 8% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,268 | 5.15 | 16,535 | 5.65 | 10% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 269 | 1.09 | 3,283 | 1.12 | 2.8% safer |
| Public Order | 1,992 | 8.09 | 23,798 | 8.13 | 0.49% safer |
| Robbery | 394 | 1.60 | 6,832 | 2.33 | 46% safer |
| Shoplifting | 1,115 | 4.53 | 11,535 | 3.94 | 13% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 218 | 0.89 | 2,162 | 0.74 | 17% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,040 | 8.28 | 26,856 | 9.17 | 11% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 11,017 | 44.74 | 120,780 | 41.24 | 8% more dangerous |
Crime in Wolverhampton Compared To West Midlands
Wolverhampton Compared to Nearby Cities
| City | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 29,575 | 77.41 | 19% safer |
| Wolverhampton | 22,762 | 92.44 | - |
Wolverhampton Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 18 | 14 | 11 | 18 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.97 | 0.86 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.76 | 0.85 | 0.97 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.73 | 0.90 | 0.86 | 0.89 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 12 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 23 | 30 | 35 | 45 | Getting worse |
Changes In Wolverhampton's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Wolverhampton to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 37% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 19% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 11% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 8% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 7% safer |
| Wolverhampton | 92.44 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 5% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 10% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 14% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 33% more dangerous |
Crime in Wolverhampton's Neighbourhoods
Wolverhampton Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Wolverhampton, followed by Wednesfield Town in second place, and West Park as the third most dangerous area. Wolverhampton's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Compton & Merryhill North, Tettenhall South, and Wood End.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashmore Park | 547 | 75 | 15th |
| Bilston North West | 466 | 74 | 16th |
| Blakenhall | 1,765 | 121 | Sixth |
| Bradmore | 519 | 68 | 22nd |
| Bushbury | 713 | 73 | 17th |
| Bushbury Hill | 642 | 102 | Tenth |
| Compton & Merryhill North | 485 | 56 | 25th |
| East Park | 1,096 | 113 | Eighth |
| Ettingshall Park | 449 | 70 | 19th |
| Goldthorn Park | 505 | 62 | 23rd |
| Heath Town | 1,580 | 121 | Fifth |
| Low Hill | 643 | 102 | 11th |
| Merryhill South | 655 | 88 | 13th |
| Oxley Park | 552 | 86 | 14th |
| Park Lane | 668 | 104 | Ninth |
| Tettenhall North | 516 | 68 | 21st |
| Tettenhall South | 343 | 45 | 26th |
| Upper Penn | 437 | 70 | 18th |
| Waterloo Road | 995 | 125 | Fourth |
| Wednesfield North East | 498 | 68 | 20th |
| Wednesfield Town | 1,050 | 140 | Second |
| West Park | 1,107 | 136 | Third |
| Whitmore Reans & Dunstall Hill | 871 | 120 | Seventh |
| Wolverhampton Central | 2,870 | 229 | First |
| Wood End | 481 | 59 | 24th |
| Woodcross | 603 | 94 | 12th |
Wolverhampton Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Wolverhampton for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Upper Penn (55) | Wolverhampton Central (540) |
| Bicycle Theft | Bushbury (1) | Wolverhampton Central (72) |
| Burglary | Woodcross (25) | Wolverhampton Central (140) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Compton & Merryhill North (22) | Wolverhampton Central (231) |
| Drugs | Tettenhall North (4) | Wolverhampton Central (102) |
| Other Crime | Tettenhall North (7) | Bushbury Hill (25) |
| Other Theft | Bushbury Hill (17) | Wolverhampton Central (154) |
| Possession of Weapons | Upper Penn (1) | Wolverhampton Central (41) |
| Public Order | Tettenhall South (23) | Wolverhampton Central (290) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Wood End (1) | Wolverhampton Central (58) |
| Shoplifting | Woodcross (1) | Wolverhampton Central (289) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Wednesfield North East (1) | Wolverhampton Central (90) |
| Vehicle Crime | Low Hill (32) | Wednesfield Town (111) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Tettenhall South (136) | Wolverhampton Central (1,187) |
Crime in Wolverhampton During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Wolverhampton change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Wolverhampton saw a 200% increase in theft from the person. Wolverhampton saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 70% compared to May in 2019. Rates of burglary and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Wolverhampton's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +8% | +148% | +157% | +41% | +36% | +49% | +68% | +98% | +105% | +80% |
| Bicycle Theft | -67% | +6% | -19% | -63% | -38% | +47% | +33% | -5% | +72% | -44% |
| Burglary | -23% | -14% | -6% | -26% | -24% | +2% | -21% | -24% | -9% | -18% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -11% | -14% | -2% | -12% | -2% | +14% | +26% | +15% | -16% | -12% |
| Drugs | -43% | -21% | +53% | +29% | -14% | -34% | +3% | +7% | +18% | -32% |
| Other Crime | -35% | +6% | -30% | +28% | +18% | +50% | -13% | +24% | +89% | +50% |
| Other Theft | -15% | -45% | -26% | -23% | -2% | -2% | -7% | -4% | -9% | -23% |
| Possession of Weapons | -16% | -44% | -28% | -27% | +60% | +9% | +105% | +38% | +24% | +125% |
| Public Order | +13% | -2% | +6% | +64% | +44% | +52% | +51% | +10% | +19% | +68% |
| Robbery | -18% | -66% | -33% | -42% | +13% | -18% | +24% | - | +19% | -9% |
| Shoplifting | -31% | -62% | -61% | -52% | -30% | -19% | -23% | -24% | +1% | +9% |
| Theft From the Person | -8% | +6% | -70% | -44% | -33% | -21% | +200% | +111% | -24% | +63% |
| Vehicle Crime | +7% | -19% | -55% | -50% | -9% | -26% | -9% | -16% | -15% | -20% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -11% | +10% | +20% | +32% | +45% | +32% | +51% | +49% | +57% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Wolverhampton
What police force serves Wolverhampton?
Wolverhampton's local territorial police force is the West Midlands Police.How dangerous is Wolverhampton?
Wolverhampton is the most dangerous city in the West Midlands.What is Wolverhampton's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Wolverhampton are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Wolverhampton?
Wolverhampton's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021