Crime in St. James's: statistics, rates and trends
2,167 crimes were recorded in St. James's in the 12 months to August 2026, 150.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St. James's at a glance
- Crime trends in St. James's
- Types of crime in St. James's
- St. James's compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in St. James's
- What happened after crimes were reported in St. James's
- Demographics of St. James's
- Questions about crime in St. James's
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,011), criminal damage and arson (186) and vehicle crime (162) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 432nd of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | St. James's | Dudley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,167 | 26,676 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 150.8 | 80.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 14,368 | 331,930 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St. James's peaked in the year to August 2022 (2,359 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,502). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 44%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,167 | 150.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,083 | 145.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,047 | 142.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,120 | 147.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,359 | 164.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,148 | 149.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,804 | 125.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,779 | 123.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,502 | 104.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 176 |
| July 2026 | 222 |
| June 2026 | 238 |
| May 2026 | 203 |
| April 2026 | 170 |
| March 2026 | 180 |
| February 2026 | 145 |
| January 2026 | 152 |
| December 2025 | 156 |
| November 2025 | 154 |
| October 2025 | 180 |
| September 2025 | 191 |
Compared with England and Wales, St. James's recorded notably more possession of weapons (4.1 times the national rate), vehicle crime (2.3 times the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (61% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 33 to 57 and drugs rose from 55 to 69, while anti-social behaviour fell from 158 to 86.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,011 | 70.4 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 186 | 12.9 | 6.7 | +10% |
| Vehicle crime | 162 | 11.3 | 5.0 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 155 | 10.8 | 8.5 | +22% |
| Public order | 143 | 10.0 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 118 | 8.2 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 86 | 6.0 | 15.4 | -46% |
| Burglary | 83 | 5.8 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 69 | 4.8 | 3.3 | +25% |
| Possession of weapons | 57 | 4.0 | 1.0 | +73% |
| Other crime | 37 | 2.6 | 2.1 | +12% |
| Robbery | 37 | 2.6 | 1.4 | +3% |
| Theft from the person | 17 | 1.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
St. James's has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest neighbourhoods.
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St. James's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle & Priory | 1,746 | 115.1 | -24% |
| Gornal | 930 | 67.1 | -56% |
| Netherton & Holly Hall | 1,324 | 86.1 | -43% |
| St. Thomas's | 2,344 | 128.1 | -15% |
| Upper Gornal & Woodsetton | 1,149 | 83.2 | -45% |
| Brockmoor & Pensnett | 1,362 | 95.4 | -37% |
| Sedgley | 943 | 64.8 | -57% |
| Quarry Bank & Dudley Wood | 1,064 | 76.8 | -49% |
The 10 locations below account for 47% of the crime recorded in St. James's over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Hospital” (447).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Hospital | 447 |
| On or near Stone Street | 113 |
| On or near Parking Area | 98 |
| On or near Grange Road | 80 |
| On or near Supermarket | 71 |
| On or near Court Passage | 58 |
| On or near Peregrine Close | 42 |
| On or near Vicarage Prospect | 39 |
| On or near Greystone Passage | 38 |
| On or near Ednam Road | 37 |
Of the 2,081 crimes in St. James's with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 86 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 845 | 40.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 680 | 32.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 180 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 176 | 8.5% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 71 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 59 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 37 | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 21 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
St. James's has an estimated population of 14,368 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (30%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%) and more households without a car (31%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St. James's average decile 3.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | St. James's | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 25.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 31.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 50.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 30.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 35.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is St. James's a safe place to live?
St. James's recorded 150.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 432nd 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 St. James's?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,011 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by criminal damage and arson (186).
Is crime in St. James's going up or down?
Recorded crime in St. James's was up 4% on the year before: 2,167 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,083 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St. James's?
About 14,368 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St. James's?
St. James's 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.