Crime in Short Heath: statistics, rates and trends
906 crimes were recorded in Short Heath in the 12 months to August 2026, 75.1 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Short Heath at a glance
- Crime trends in Short Heath
- Types of crime in Short Heath
- Short Heath compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Short Heath
- What happened after crimes were reported in Short Heath
- Demographics of Short Heath
- Questions about crime in Short Heath
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (445), vehicle crime (98) and criminal damage and arson (90) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2,017th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Short Heath | Walsall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 906 | 30,674 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 75.1 | 103.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 12,059 | 295,678 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Short Heath of any year here (906 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 906 | 75.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 926 | 76.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,091 | 90.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,103 | 91.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,409 | 116.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,245 | 103.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,009 | 83.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 927 | 76.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 983 | 81.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 81 |
| July 2026 | 100 |
| June 2026 | 65 |
| May 2026 | 76 |
| April 2026 | 56 |
| March 2026 | 104 |
| February 2026 | 71 |
| January 2026 | 73 |
| December 2025 | 69 |
| November 2025 | 66 |
| October 2025 | 68 |
| September 2025 | 77 |
Compared with England and Wales, Short Heath recorded notably more possession of weapons (80% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (63% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (88% below) and shoplifting (64% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 66 to 98 and public order rose from 46 to 56, while anti-social behaviour fell from 81 to 23 and other crime fell from 38 to 23.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 445 | 36.9 | 34.2 | +13% |
| Vehicle crime | 98 | 8.1 | 5.0 | +48% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 90 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Public order | 56 | 4.6 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Other theft | 52 | 4.3 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Burglary | 38 | 3.2 | 3.6 | -21% |
| Shoplifting | 37 | 3.1 | 8.5 | -21% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 23 | 1.9 | 15.4 | -72% |
| Other crime | 23 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -39% |
| Possession of weapons | 21 | 1.7 | 1.0 | -28% |
| Drugs | 10 | 0.8 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Short Heath; the highest is Birchills Leamore (223.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Willenhall North (60.7).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Short Heath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willenhall North | 783 | 60.7 | -19% |
| Willenhall South | 2,886 | 156.5 | +108% |
| Bentley and Darlaston North | 1,786 | 123.1 | +64% |
| Birchills Leamore | 4,333 | 223.6 | +198% |
| Bloxwich West | 1,723 | 122.8 | +63% |
| Pleck | 2,483 | 137.5 | +83% |
| Darlaston South | 1,702 | 90.9 | +21% |
| Blakenall | 1,862 | 104.9 | +40% |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Short Heath over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “High Road” (52).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near High Road | 52 |
| On or near Heather Grove | 50 |
| On or near A462 | 28 |
| On or near Stourmore Close | 28 |
| On or near Greadier Street | 26 |
| On or near Braemar Close | 23 |
| On or near Douglas Davies Close | 21 |
| On or near Cornwall Gate | 20 |
| On or near Spindle Tree Rise | 20 |
| On or near Clift Close | 19 |
Of the 883 crimes in Short Heath with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 23 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 450 | 51.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 280 | 31.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 65 | 7.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 28 | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 19 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Status update unavailable | 10 | 1.1% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 9 | 1.0% | 2.5% |
Short Heath has an estimated population of 12,059 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (28%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (18%, against 34%) and less private renting (13%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Short Heath average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Short Heath | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 18.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 28.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Short Heath a safe place to live?
Short Heath recorded 75.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2,017th 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 vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Short Heath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 445 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by vehicle crime (98).
Is crime in Short Heath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Short Heath was down 2% on the year before: 906 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 926 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Short Heath?
About 12,059 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Short Heath?
Short Heath 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.