Crime in Smith's Wood: statistics, rates and trends
1,151 crimes were recorded in Smith's Wood in the 12 months to August 2026, 92.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Smith's Wood at a glance
- Crime trends in Smith's Wood
- Types of crime in Smith's Wood
- Smith's Wood compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Smith's Wood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Smith's Wood
- Demographics of Smith's Wood
- Questions about crime in Smith's Wood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (583), criminal damage and arson (142) and vehicle crime (109) made up 72% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,438th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Smith's Wood | Solihull | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,151 | 19,471 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 92.0 | 88.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 12,510 | 221,242 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Smith's Wood of any year here (1,151 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,151 | 92.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,207 | 96.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,253 | 100.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,568 | 125.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,777 | 142.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,631 | 130.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,367 | 109.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,443 | 115.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,451 | 116.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 85 |
| July 2026 | 105 |
| June 2026 | 116 |
| May 2026 | 83 |
| April 2026 | 97 |
| March 2026 | 100 |
| February 2026 | 80 |
| January 2026 | 102 |
| December 2025 | 108 |
| November 2025 | 101 |
| October 2025 | 106 |
| September 2025 | 68 |
Compared with England and Wales, Smith's Wood recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.2 times the national rate), vehicle crime (75% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (68% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (88% below) and other theft (53% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 29 to 48 and possession of weapons rose from 21 to 27, while anti-social behaviour fell from 79 to 24 and vehicle crime fell from 134 to 109.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 583 | 46.6 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 142 | 11.4 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Vehicle crime | 109 | 8.7 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Public order | 68 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Drugs | 48 | 3.8 | 3.3 | +66% |
| Burglary | 46 | 3.7 | 3.6 | -13% |
| Other theft | 38 | 3.0 | 6.4 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 27 | 2.2 | 1.0 | +29% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 24 | 1.9 | 15.4 | -70% |
| Other crime | 20 | 1.6 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Robbery | 19 | 1.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 15 | 1.2 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Smith's Wood; the highest is Bickenhill (194.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Olton (48.8).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Smith's Wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Bromwich | 907 | 77.8 | -15% |
| Kingshurst and Fordbridge | 1,556 | 118.1 | +28% |
| Chelmsley Wood | 2,380 | 169.0 | +84% |
| Bickenhill | 2,655 | 194.5 | +111% |
| Lyndon | 1,013 | 75.2 | -18% |
| Elmdon | 752 | 50.9 | -45% |
| Olton | 624 | 48.8 | -47% |
| Silhill | 601 | 56.7 | -38% |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Smith's Wood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “School Close” (52).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near School Close | 52 |
| On or near Austin Croft | 46 |
| On or near Burtons Way | 41 |
| On or near Nightingale Avenue | 33 |
| On or near Corncrake Drive | 31 |
| On or near Sanda Croft | 31 |
| On or near Sheppey Drive | 31 |
| On or near Hillman Grove | 29 |
| On or near Silver Birch Road | 29 |
| On or near Fieldfare Croft | 28 |
Of the 1,127 crimes in Smith's Wood with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 24 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 502 | 44.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 343 | 30.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 103 | 9.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 51 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 46 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 29 | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 28 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
Smith's Wood has an estimated population of 12,510 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (39%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (29%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (17%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Smith's Wood average decile 1.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Smith's Wood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 24.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 16.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 28.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 49.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 39.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 11.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 59.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Smith's Wood a safe place to live?
Smith's Wood recorded 92.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,438th 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 Smith's Wood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 583 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (142).
Is crime in Smith's Wood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Smith's Wood was down 5% on the year before: 1,151 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,207 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Smith's Wood?
About 12,510 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Smith's Wood?
Smith's Wood 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.