Wirral Crime Overview
Wirral is the second most dangerous city in the North West, and the 39th safest overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in Wirral in 2020 was 67 crimes per 1,000 people.
In November 2020, Wirral was the second-worst city in the North West for criminal damage and arson, with 253 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.78 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Wirral residents, when it was the North West's second-most dangerous city for bicycle theft, recording 31 crimes at a rate of 0.10 per 1,000 residents. Wirral recorded 120 reports of burglary during October 2020, making its crime rate of 0.37 the second-worst city for burglary in the North West that month.
The most common crimes in Wirral are violence and sexual offences, with 9,506 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 29. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 10,264 offences and a difference of 2.34 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Wirral's least common crime is theft from the person, with 148 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 39% from 2019's figure of 205 crimes.
Wirral Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Wirral This Year
| Wirral | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 8,377 | 25.85 |
| Bicycle Theft | 201 | 0.62 |
| Burglary | 931 | 2.87 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2,709 | 8.36 |
| Drugs | 1,441 | 4.45 |
| Other Crime | 532 | 1.64 |
| Other Theft | 1,172 | 3.62 |
| Possession of Weapons | 210 | 0.65 |
| Public Order | 2,528 | 7.80 |
| Robbery | 165 | 0.51 |
| Shoplifting | 1,114 | 3.44 |
| Theft From the Person | 148 | 0.46 |
| Vehicle Crime | 989 | 3.05 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 9,506 | 29.34 |
Wirral Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 28 | 20 | 16 | 26 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.73 | 1.1 | 0.67 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 7 | 4.9 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.1 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 6 | 4.9 | 3.6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.39 | 0.54 | 0.63 | 0.65 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 0.52 | 0.56 | 0.45 | 0.51 | No change |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.52 | 0.52 | 0.63 | 0.46 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 6 | 4.6 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 30 | 32 | 29 | Getting worse |
Comparing Wirral to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Wirral | 66.81 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 7% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 10% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 10% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 13% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 16% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 17% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 25% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 27% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 35% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 37% more dangerous |
Crime in Wirral During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Wirral change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Wirral saw a 233% increase in robbery. Wirral saw a large fall in theft from the person during May, when it fell by 76% compared to May in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Wirral's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +58% | +134% | +128% | +95% | +38% | +45% | +37% | +85% | +82% |
| Bicycle Theft | +13% | -71% | -45% | -16% | -27% | +62% | -19% | +200% | +158% |
| Burglary | -37% | -58% | -50% | -37% | -47% | -42% | -16% | +40% | -37% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +1% | -25% | -15% | -12% | +6% | -8% | -12% | -7% | -15% |
| Drugs | +87% | +85% | +93% | +26% | -10% | +41% | -20% | -9% | +40% |
| Other Crime | -2% | - | -4% | -20% | +41% | +25% | -15% | +48% | +61% |
| Other Theft | -4% | -44% | -29% | -45% | -42% | +1% | -25% | -14% | -18% |
| Possession of Weapons | +160% | -32% | -15% | - | -15% | +33% | +56% | - | +21% |
| Public Order | +8% | -4% | +11% | +39% | +12% | +16% | +8% | -20% | -6% |
| Robbery | +36% | +38% | -40% | - | +83% | +233% | +100% | -13% | +50% |
| Shoplifting | -2% | -37% | -51% | -38% | -41% | -35% | -18% | -52% | -20% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -59% | -76% | -13% | -42% | +11% | - | +30% | -14% |
| Vehicle Crime | -15% | -70% | -49% | -54% | -39% | -30% | -21% | +60% | -32% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -8% | -4% | -3% | -7% | +3% | +14% | +9% | -5% | -7% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Wirral
What police force serves Wirral?
Wirral's local territorial police force is the Merseyside Police.How dangerous is Wirral?
Wirral is the second most dangerous city in the North West.What is Wirral's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Wirral are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Wirral?
Wirral's least common crime is theft from the person.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021