Crime in Byker: statistics, rates and trends
2,353 crimes were recorded in Byker in the 12 months to August 2026, 193.5 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 28% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (604), anti-social behaviour (488) and shoplifting (278) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 218th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Byker | Newcastle upon Tyne | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,353 | 38,085 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 193.5 | 118.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -28% | -14% | -1% |
| Population | 12,159 | 320,605 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Byker of any year here (2,353 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 53%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,353 | 193.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,289 | 270.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,447 | 283.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,777 | 310.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,883 | 319.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,039 | 332.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,877 | 318.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,543 | 373.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,971 | 408.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 171 |
| July 2026 | 209 |
| June 2026 | 190 |
| May 2026 | 208 |
| April 2026 | 214 |
| March 2026 | 186 |
| February 2026 | 169 |
| January 2026 | 117 |
| December 2025 | 220 |
| November 2025 | 222 |
| October 2025 | 250 |
| September 2025 | 197 |
Compared with England and Wales, Byker recorded notably more robbery (3.3 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (2.7 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 37 to 55 and theft from the person rose from 22 to 32, while drugs fell from 127 to 55 and violence and sexual offences fell from 980 to 604.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 604 | 49.7 | 34.2 | -38% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 488 | 40.1 | 15.4 | -19% |
| Shoplifting | 278 | 22.9 | 8.5 | -37% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 220 | 18.1 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Public order | 180 | 14.8 | 6.7 | -38% |
| Other theft | 143 | 11.8 | 6.4 | -23% |
| Burglary | 108 | 8.9 | 3.6 | -19% |
| Vehicle crime | 83 | 6.8 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Other crime | 63 | 5.2 | 2.1 | 0% |
| Drugs | 55 | 4.5 | 3.3 | -57% |
| Robbery | 55 | 4.5 | 1.4 | +49% |
| Theft from the person | 32 | 2.6 | 1.7 | +45% |
| Possession of weapons | 27 | 2.2 | 1.0 | -23% |
| Bicycle theft | 17 | 1.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Byker; the highest is Monument (787.5 per 1,000) and the lowest South Jesmond (59.4).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Byker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouseburn | 2,228 | 114.9 | -41% |
| Walker | 1,521 | 134.6 | -30% |
| Heaton | 1,007 | 91.9 | -53% |
| Walkergate | 1,642 | 117.7 | -39% |
| South Jesmond | 461 | 59.4 | -69% |
| Manor Park | 536 | 61.0 | -68% |
| Monument | 8,172 | 787.5 | +307% |
| North Jesmond | 946 | 79.1 | -59% |
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in Byker over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (232).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 232 |
| On or near Molineux Street | 139 |
| On or near Supermarket | 135 |
| On or near Brinkburn Street | 133 |
| On or near Dalton Street | 72 |
| On or near Conyers Road | 68 |
| On or near Leicester Street | 67 |
| On or near Robinson Street | 55 |
| On or near Avondale Road | 46 |
| On or near Albion Row | 44 |
Of the 1,865 crimes in Byker with a recorded outcome, 45% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 0.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 488 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 837 | 44.9% | 35.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 479 | 25.7% | 4.7% |
| Under investigation | 457 | 24.5% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 59 | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 17 | 0.9% | 5.2% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 7 | 0.4% | 34.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Local resolution | 1 | 0.1% | 3.1% |
Byker has an estimated population of 12,159 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (58%, against 17%), more households without a car (61%, against 23%) and more unemployed residents (6.3%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Byker average decile 1.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Byker | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 47.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 15.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 60.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 20.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 58.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 86.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Byker a safe place to live?
Byker recorded 193.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 218th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Byker?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 604 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (488).
Is crime in Byker going up or down?
Recorded crime in Byker was down 28% on the year before: 2,353 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,289 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Byker?
About 12,159 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Byker?
Byker is policed by Northumbria.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.