Crime in Handsworth: statistics, rates and trends
2,083 crimes were recorded in Handsworth in the 12 months to August 2026, 164.0 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Handsworth at a glance
- Crime trends in Handsworth
- Types of crime in Handsworth
- Handsworth compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Handsworth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Handsworth
- Demographics of Handsworth
- Questions about crime in Handsworth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (963), vehicle crime (174) and criminal damage and arson (154) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 346th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Handsworth | Birmingham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,083 | 146,681 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 164.0 | 123.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 12,704 | 1,183,618 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Handsworth peaked in the year to August 2024 (2,507 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,558). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 34%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,083 | 164.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,105 | 165.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,507 | 197.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,433 | 191.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,479 | 195.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,480 | 195.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,888 | 148.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,708 | 134.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,558 | 122.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 176 |
| July 2026 | 210 |
| June 2026 | 186 |
| May 2026 | 200 |
| April 2026 | 171 |
| March 2026 | 170 |
| February 2026 | 145 |
| January 2026 | 153 |
| December 2025 | 169 |
| November 2025 | 168 |
| October 2025 | 168 |
| September 2025 | 167 |
Compared with England and Wales, Handsworth recorded notably more possession of weapons (5.2 times the national rate), robbery (4.0 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (2.8 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (63% below) and shoplifting (47% below). On the year before, public order rose from 100 to 137 and vehicle crime rose from 129 to 174, while anti-social behaviour fell from 158 to 73 and shoplifting fell from 99 to 57.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 963 | 75.8 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 174 | 13.7 | 5.0 | +35% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 154 | 12.1 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Public order | 137 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +37% |
| Drugs | 105 | 8.3 | 3.3 | +13% |
| Burglary | 102 | 8.0 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Other theft | 92 | 7.2 | 6.4 | -19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 73 | 5.7 | 15.4 | -54% |
| Robbery | 69 | 5.4 | 1.4 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 64 | 5.0 | 1.0 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 57 | 4.5 | 8.5 | -42% |
| Other crime | 47 | 3.7 | 2.1 | +24% |
| Theft from the person | 38 | 3.0 | 1.7 | +9% |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Handsworth; the highest is Soho & Jewellery Quarter (189.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Handsworth Wood (81.2).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Handsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holyhead | 1,681 | 138.0 | -16% |
| Birchfield | 1,457 | 116.2 | -29% |
| Handsworth Wood | 1,664 | 81.2 | -50% |
| Lozells | 1,574 | 120.2 | -27% |
| Soho & Jewellery Quarter | 5,431 | 189.2 | +15% |
| Newtown | 2,038 | 137.2 | -16% |
| Aston | 2,901 | 128.0 | -22% |
| Perry Barr | 3,176 | 145.8 | -11% |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Handsworth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Headingley Road” (163).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Headingley Road | 163 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 114 |
| On or near Union Row | 92 |
| On or near Stockwell Road | 78 |
| On or near Golden Croft | 68 |
| On or near Arthur Road | 65 |
| On or near Mount Pleasant Avenue | 65 |
| On or near Murdock Road | 64 |
| On or near B4124 | 63 |
| On or near Highbury Avenue | 63 |
Of the 2,010 crimes in Handsworth with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 73 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 878 | 43.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 659 | 32.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 181 | 9.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 102 | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 78 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 49 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 48 | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Handsworth has an estimated population of 12,704 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more unemployed residents (8.7%, against 3.4%), more students (15.1%, against 7.9%) and more residents with no qualifications (34%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Handsworth average decile 1.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Handsworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 42.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 8.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 10.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 15.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 34.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 43.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 43.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 31.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 100.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Handsworth a safe place to live?
Handsworth recorded 164.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 346th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Handsworth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 963 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by vehicle crime (174).
Is crime in Handsworth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Handsworth was down 1% on the year before: 2,083 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,105 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Handsworth?
About 12,704 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.2% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Handsworth?
Handsworth is policed by West Midlands.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.