Crime in Cannock Chase: statistics, rates and trends
8,966 crimes were recorded in Cannock Chase in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Cannock Chase at a glance
- Crime trends in Cannock Chase
- Types of crime in Cannock Chase
- Home Office recorded crime in Cannock Chase
- Cannock Chase compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Cannock Chase
- Streets with the most crime in Cannock Chase
- What happened after crimes were reported in Cannock Chase
- Demographics of Cannock Chase
- Fly-tipping in Cannock Chase
- Questions about crime in Cannock Chase
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,020), anti-social behaviour (1,275) and public order (741) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 154th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Cannock Chase | Staffordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 8,966 | 69,659 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.1 | 76.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +7% | -1% |
| Population | 104,088 | 907,153 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Cannock Chase of any year here (8,966 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 8,966 | 86.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 8,583 | 82.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,745 | 74.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 8,885 | 85.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,756 | 84.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 7,027 | 67.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,357 | 80.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 8,278 | 79.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 8,909 | 85.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 786 |
| July 2026 | 866 |
| June 2026 | 775 |
| May 2026 | 759 |
| April 2026 | 799 |
| March 2026 | 817 |
| February 2026 | 604 |
| January 2026 | 698 |
| December 2025 | 699 |
| November 2025 | 700 |
| October 2025 | 685 |
| September 2025 | 778 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and burglary (49% below) and bicycle theft (49% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 84 to 99 and criminal damage and arson rose from 483 to 557, while shoplifting fell from 847 to 691 and burglary fell from 229 to 188.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,020 | 38.6 | 34.2 | +14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,275 | 12.2 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Public order | 741 | 7.1 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 691 | 6.6 | 8.5 | -18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 557 | 5.4 | 6.7 | +15% |
| Other theft | 412 | 4.0 | 6.4 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 404 | 3.9 | 5.0 | -16% |
| Drugs | 231 | 2.2 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Other crime | 199 | 1.9 | 2.1 | +2% |
| Burglary | 188 | 1.8 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Robbery | 99 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +18% |
| Possession of weapons | 89 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -14% |
| Bicycle theft | 44 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -12% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7,520 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Cannock Chase in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 72.2 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was almost unchanged on the year ending March 2025 (7,503), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Cannock Chase had the 134th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Staffordshire Police area in the year ending March 2026, 1.7% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Cannock Chase is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Cannock Chase, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was stalking and harassment, with 1,507 offences (20% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for stalking and harassment (1.4 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for residential burglary (0.43 times), bicycle theft (0.48 times) and arson (0.56 times).
The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (+91%) and miscellaneous crimes against society (+25%). The largest falls were in residential burglary (−32%) and arson (−29%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking and harassment | 1,507 | 14.5 | 10.1 | 1.44 | +12% |
| Violence without injury | 972 | 9.3 | 13.2 | 0.71 | +6% |
| Violence with injury | 919 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 1.08 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 783 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 0.93 | – |
| Public order offences | 706 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 0.97 | +2% |
| Criminal damage | 504 | 4.8 | 6.8 | 0.71 | +3% |
| Other theft offences | 424 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 0.62 | −11% |
| Vehicle offences | 420 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 0.80 | −15% |
| Other sexual offences | 244 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.03 | −5% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 184 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.84 | +25% |
| Possession of drugs | 181 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.70 | +8% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 124 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.01 | +91% |
| Residential burglary | 112 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.43 | −32% |
| Rape | 105 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.84 | −8% |
| Possession of weapons | 90 | 0.86 | 1.00 | 0.87 | −20% |
| Non-residential burglary | 76 | 0.73 | 1.1 | 0.65 | +12% |
| Robbery of personal property | 53 | 0.51 | 0.91 | 0.56 | −16% |
| Bicycle theft | 43 | 0.41 | 0.85 | 0.48 | −10% |
| Robbery of business property | 33 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.67 | – |
| Arson | 22 | 0.21 | 0.38 | 0.56 | −29% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.15 | 1.8 | 0.09 | −27% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 2 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.55 | −71% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −100% |
Recorded crime in Cannock Chase since the year ending March 2021
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2021 to 2026. Cannock Chase's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 6 years. The series starts in the year ending March 2021 because the share of crimes in the Staffordshire Police area not assigned to a district moved from 3.1% in the year ending March 2020 to 1.9% in the year ending March 2021, which changes district totals without any change in crime.
Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7,520 | 72.2 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 7,503 | 72.1 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 6,896 | 66.3 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 8,336 | 80.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 5,495 | 52.8 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 5,249 | 50.4 | 74.1 |
Districts in the Staffordshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 9 districts in the Staffordshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Cannock Chase had the 2nd highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke-on-Trent | 30,023 | 111.0 | 1.33 |
| Cannock Chase | 7,520 | 72.2 | 0.87 |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | 8,999 | 70.5 | 0.85 |
| Tamworth | 5,500 | 67.8 | 0.81 |
| East Staffordshire | 8,456 | 65.2 | 0.78 |
| Stafford | 9,018 | 63.7 | 0.77 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | 5,363 | 55.5 | 0.67 |
| Lichfield | 6,201 | 55.4 | 0.67 |
| South Staffordshire | 5,812 | 50.8 | 0.61 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
3 of the 8 nearest districts have a higher crime rate than Cannock Chase; the highest is Walsall district (103.7 per 1,000) and the lowest South Staffordshire (59.5).
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Cannock Chase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lichfield | 7,667 | 68.5 | -20% |
| Walsall | 30,674 | 103.7 | +20% |
| South Staffordshire | 6,804 | 59.5 | -31% |
| Wolverhampton | 27,937 | 99.3 | +15% |
| Stafford | 11,641 | 82.2 | -5% |
| Sandwell | 36,370 | 102.8 | +19% |
| Tamworth | 6,522 | 80.4 | -7% |
| East Staffordshire | 10,192 | 78.6 | -9% |
Of the 15 areas within Cannock Chase, Cannock Longford & Bridgtown had the highest crime rate (179.9 per 1,000) and Heath Hayes & Wimblebury the lowest (46.7), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannock Longford & Bridgtown | Neighbourhood | 8,659 | 1,558 | 179.9 |
| Western Springs | Neighbourhood | 6,309 | 897 | 142.2 |
| Hednesford Pye Green | Neighbourhood | 6,985 | 867 | 124.1 |
| Chadsmoor | Neighbourhood | 9,048 | 792 | 87.5 |
| Rugeley | Town | 27,125 | 2,368 | 87.3 |
| Cannock Park & Old Fallow | Neighbourhood | 11,355 | 956 | 84.2 |
| Cannock | Town | 63,083 | 5,179 | 82.1 |
| Brereton & Ravenhill | Neighbourhood | 9,484 | 738 | 77.8 |
| Norton Canes | Town | 9,400 | 707 | 75.2 |
| Etching Hill & the Heath | Neighbourhood | 9,477 | 640 | 67.5 |
| Hawks Green with Rumer Hill | Neighbourhood | 7,100 | 453 | 63.8 |
| Rawnsley | Town | 1,588 | 95 | 59.8 |
| Hednesford Hills & Rawnsley | Neighbourhood | 7,904 | 466 | 59.0 |
| Hednesford Green Heath | Neighbourhood | 8,259 | 420 | 50.9 |
| Heath Hayes & Wimblebury | Neighbourhood | 10,108 | 472 | 46.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Cannock Chase over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (737).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 737 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 296 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 222 |
| On or near Supermarket | 126 |
| On or near A34 | 103 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 94 |
| On or near High Green | 90 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 77 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 75 |
| On or near Partridge Close | 75 |
Of the 7,691 crimes in Cannock Chase with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,275 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,390 | 44.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,796 | 23.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,066 | 13.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 352 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 338 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 332 | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 179 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 147 | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 32 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 28 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 26 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Cannock Chase has an estimated population of 104,088 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.6%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cannock Chase average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Cannock Chase | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.5% | 10.1% (England) |
482 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Cannock Chase in 2024/25 (4.6 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Cannock Chase has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Cannock Chase a safe place to live?
Cannock Chase recorded 86.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 154th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Cannock Chase?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,020 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,275).
Is crime in Cannock Chase going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cannock Chase was up 4% on the year before: 8,966 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 8,583 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cannock Chase?
About 104,088 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cannock Chase?
Cannock Chase is policed by Staffordshire.
How many crimes did the police record in Cannock Chase in the year ending March 2026?
7,520 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 72.2 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 7,503.
Which offences are more common in Cannock Chase than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were stalking and harassment (1,507 offences, 1.4 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.