Crime in Small Heath: statistics, rates and trends
1,566 crimes were recorded in Small Heath in the 12 months to July 2026, 70.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.4, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime in Small Heath at a glance
- Crime trends in Small Heath
- Types of crime in Small Heath
- Small Heath compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Small Heath
- What happened after crimes were reported in Small Heath
- Population and deprivation in Small Heath
- Questions about crime in Small Heath
- About this data
1,566 crimes were recorded in Small Heath in the 12 months to July 2026, 70.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.4, and almost unchanged on the year before. The most common offence was violence and sexual offences, with 819 reports (52% of the total).
Of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site, Small Heath has the 2,213th highest crime rate.
| Measure | Small Heath | Birmingham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to July 2026 | 1,566 | 146,625 | 5,665,700 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.3 | 123.9 | 96.4 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 22,284 | 1,183,618 | 58,797,018 |
Recorded crime in Small Heath was highest in the year to July 2021 (2,257 crimes) and lowest in the year to July 2018 (1,275). Over the whole period it rose 23%, against a fall of 4% across England and Wales. Rates use today's population for every year, so they show the direction of change rather than exact historic rates.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to July 2026 | 1,566 | 70.3 | 96.4 |
| Year to July 2025 | 1,575 | 70.7 | 97.1 |
| Year to July 2024 | 1,721 | 77.2 | 97.7 |
| Year to July 2023 | 1,942 | 87.1 | 5.2 |
| Year to July 2022 | 1,951 | 87.6 | 101.3 |
| Year to July 2021 | 2,257 | 101.3 | 102.1 |
| Year to July 2020 | 1,455 | 65.3 | 101.9 |
| Year to July 2019 | 1,451 | 65.1 | 101.5 |
| Year to July 2018 | 1,275 | 57.2 | 100.6 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | 122 |
| June 2026 | 155 |
| May 2026 | 164 |
| April 2026 | 147 |
| March 2026 | 129 |
| February 2026 | 103 |
| January 2026 | 131 |
| December 2025 | 120 |
| November 2025 | 113 |
| October 2025 | 136 |
| September 2025 | 129 |
| August 2025 | 117 |
The table shows every category of crime recorded in Small Heath over the 12 months to July 2026. The index compares the local rate with England and Wales: 1.00 is the national rate, 2.00 is double it. Rates were well above the national level for possession of weapons, robbery.
The largest increases were in burglary (+39%) and criminal damage and arson (+31%). The largest falls were in anti-social behaviour (-65%) and shoplifting (-50%).
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 819 | 36.8 | 1.07 | +3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 145 | 6.5 | 0.96 | +31% |
| Vehicle crime | 115 | 5.2 | 1.05 | -17% |
| Public order | 81 | 3.6 | 0.55 | +25% |
| Burglary | 68 | 3.1 | 0.86 | +39% |
| Other theft | 68 | 3.1 | 0.48 | -13% |
| Possession of weapons | 61 | 2.7 | 2.82 | +9% |
| Drugs | 49 | 2.2 | 0.67 | +22% |
| Robbery | 45 | 2.0 | 1.49 | +29% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 40 | 1.8 | 0.12 | -65% |
| Other crime | 30 | 1.3 | 0.64 | -3% |
| Shoplifting | 25 | 1.1 | 0.14 | -50% |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 0.7 | 0.43 | +220% |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.2 | 0.22 | -20% |
Violence and sexual offences in Small Heath
Violence and sexual offences covers offences against the person, from common assault to homicide, and sexual offences. Small Heath recorded 819 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (36.8 per 1,000 residents), close to the England and Wales rate of 34.2, and up 3% on the year before. It made up 52.3% of all crime in the area.
Criminal damage and arson in Small Heath
Criminal damage and arson covers deliberate damage to property, including setting fire to it. Small Heath recorded 145 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (6.5 per 1,000 residents), close to the England and Wales rate of 6.8, and up 31% on the year before. It made up 9.3% of all crime in the area.
Vehicle crime in Small Heath
Vehicle crime covers theft of or from a vehicle, and interfering with a vehicle. Small Heath recorded 115 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (5.2 per 1,000 residents), close to the England and Wales rate of 4.9, and down 17% on the year before. It made up 7.3% of all crime in the area.
Public order in Small Heath
Public order covers offences that cause fear, alarm or distress. Small Heath recorded 81 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (3.6 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 6.6, and up 25% on the year before. It made up 5.2% of all crime in the area.
Burglary in Small Heath
Burglary covers entering a home or other building as a trespasser to steal, or with intent to steal. Small Heath recorded 68 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (3.1 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 3.5, and up 39% on the year before. It made up 4.3% of all crime in the area.
Other theft in Small Heath
Other theft covers theft not covered by another category, such as theft by an employee or of unattended items. Small Heath recorded 68 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (3.1 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 6.4, and down 13% on the year before. It made up 4.3% of all crime in the area.
Possession of weapons in Small Heath
Possession of weapons covers carrying or possessing a weapon such as a firearm or knife. Small Heath recorded 61 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (2.7 per 1,000 residents), higher than the England and Wales rate of 1.0, and up 9% on the year before. It made up 3.9% of all crime in the area.
Drugs in Small Heath
Drugs covers possession, supply and production of controlled drugs. Small Heath recorded 49 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (2.2 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 3.3, and up 22% on the year before. It made up 3.1% of all crime in the area.
Robbery in Small Heath
Robbery covers theft using force or the threat of force. Small Heath recorded 45 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (2.0 per 1,000 residents), higher than the England and Wales rate of 1.4, and up 29% on the year before. It made up 2.9% of all crime in the area.
Anti-social behaviour in Small Heath
Anti-social behaviour covers personal, environmental and nuisance anti-social behaviour. Small Heath recorded 40 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (1.8 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 15.3, and down 65% on the year before. It made up 2.6% of all crime in the area.
Other crime in Small Heath
Other crime covers offences not covered by another category, such as forgery and perjury. Small Heath recorded 30 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (1.3 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 2.1, and down 3% on the year before. It made up 1.9% of all crime in the area.
Shoplifting in Small Heath
Shoplifting covers theft from shops or stalls. Small Heath recorded 25 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (1.1 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 8.3, and down 50% on the year before. It made up 1.6% of all crime in the area.
Theft from the person in Small Heath
Theft from the person covers theft of property carried on the person, such as pickpocketing, without force. Small Heath recorded 16 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (0.7 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 1.7, and up 220% on the year before. It made up 1.0% of all crime in the area.
Bicycle theft in Small Heath
Bicycle theft covers the taking of a bicycle without the owner's consent. Small Heath recorded 4 reports in the 12 months to July 2026 (0.2 per 1,000 residents), lower than the England and Wales rate of 0.8, and down 20% on the year before. It made up 0.3% of all crime in the area.
Crime rates in the neighbourhoods closest to Small Heath, for the 12 months to July 2026. The last column shows each area's rate relative to Small Heath.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Small Heath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bordesley Green | 2,025 | 146.4 | +108% |
| Heartlands | 1,877 | 133.9 | +91% |
| Tyseley & Hay Mills | 1,645 | 118.1 | +68% |
| Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East | 3,509 | 126.7 | +80% |
| Yardley West & Stechford | 2,111 | 133.5 | +90% |
| Alum Rock | 2,317 | 85.5 | +22% |
| Bordesley & Highgate | 6,147 | 313.8 | +347% |
| South Yardley | 1,185 | 137.3 | +95% |
Police.uk records each crime at an approximate location, usually the centre of a nearby street or a landmark, to protect victims' privacy. These are the locations with the most reports in Small Heath over the 12 months to July 2026.
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 156 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 135 |
| On or near Swanage Road | 90 |
| On or near St Oswalds Road | 79 |
| On or near Starbank Road | 63 |
| On or near Oldknow Road | 61 |
| On or near Floyer Road | 57 |
| On or near Monica Road | 55 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 55 |
| On or near Malmesbury Road | 53 |
The latest recorded outcome for crimes in Small Heath over the 12 months to July 2026. Many cases are still open when the data is published, and anti-social behaviour has no outcome recorded, so these shares change as investigations finish.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 700 | 44.7% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 483 | 30.8% |
| Under investigation | 134 | 8.6% |
| Local resolution | 55 | 3.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 51 | 3.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 47 | 3.0% |
| Not recorded | 40 | 2.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 2.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 14 | 0.9% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.4% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% |
Small Heath has an estimated population of 22,284. On the England IoD 2025, the average neighbourhood in Small Heath sits in decile 1.0, more deprived than average. Deprivation and recorded crime are linked, but many other factors shape local crime rates.
| Measure | Small Heath |
|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 26.7% |
| Aged 16 to 64 | 64.6% |
| Aged 65 and over | 8.7% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.2% |
| Social rented homes | 14.1% |
| Private rented homes | 29.5% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.0 |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 100.0% |
Is Small Heath a safe place to live?
Small Heath recorded 70.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to July 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.4. Crime is concentrated in a small number of places within most areas, often busy centres and transport hubs, so the rate for a single street can differ a lot from the area as a whole.
What is the most common crime in Small Heath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 819 reports in the 12 months to July 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (145).
Is crime in Small Heath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Small Heath was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,566 crimes in the 12 months to July 2026 against 1,575 in the previous 12 months.
Which police force covers Small Heath?
Small Heath is policed by West Midlands. Non-emergency crimes can be reported online to the force or by calling 101; in an emergency call 999.
How are these crime rates calculated?
Each rate is the number of crimes recorded by the police in the 12 months to July 2026, divided by the resident population and multiplied by 1,000. Crime data is from data.police.uk and population estimates are from the Office for National Statistics.
Figures are police-recorded crime published on data.police.uk, covering August 2017 to July 2026. Each crime is counted in the small area (LSOA) where it was recorded and added up to Small Heath. Crimes recorded by British Transport Police are not included.
Population figures are ONS mid-year estimates. See the methodology for details.