Crime in the Cleveland Police area: statistics, rates and trends
94,028 crimes were recorded in the Cleveland Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 156.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Cleveland Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Cleveland Police area
- Types of crime in the Cleveland Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Cleveland Police area
- The Cleveland Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Cleveland Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Cleveland Police area
- Demographics of the Cleveland Police area
- Questions about crime in the Cleveland Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (30,825), anti-social behaviour (14,331) and shoplifting (12,521) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 2nd of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | the Cleveland Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 94,028 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 156.6 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 600,369 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Cleveland Police area peaked in the year to August 2023 (100,808 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (88,016). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 94,028 | 156.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 88,016 | 146.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 91,376 | 152.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 100,808 | 167.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 98,105 | 163.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 94,240 | 157.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 97,526 | 162.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 100,784 | 167.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 100,478 | 167.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 8,612 |
| July 2026 | 8,748 |
| June 2026 | 8,277 |
| May 2026 | 8,248 |
| April 2026 | 7,734 |
| March 2026 | 7,978 |
| February 2026 | 7,243 |
| January 2026 | 7,302 |
| December 2025 | 6,970 |
| November 2025 | 7,392 |
| October 2025 | 7,989 |
| September 2025 | 7,535 |
Compared with England and Wales, the Cleveland Police area recorded notably more shoplifting (2.5 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (2.3 times the national rate) and other crime (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (71% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 1,071 to 1,656 and shoplifting rose from 8,285 to 12,521, while anti-social behaviour fell from 17,357 to 14,331.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 30,825 | 51.3 | 34.2 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 14,331 | 23.9 | 15.4 | -17% |
| Shoplifting | 12,521 | 20.9 | 8.5 | +51% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9,313 | 15.5 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Public order | 6,507 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Other theft | 4,135 | 6.9 | 6.4 | -3% |
| Burglary | 3,783 | 6.3 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Vehicle crime | 3,683 | 6.1 | 5.0 | +10% |
| Drugs | 2,955 | 4.9 | 3.3 | +1% |
| Other crime | 2,744 | 4.6 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Robbery | 1,656 | 2.8 | 1.4 | +55% |
| Possession of weapons | 846 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +19% |
| Bicycle theft | 436 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -9% |
| Theft from the person | 293 | 0.5 | 1.7 | +5% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
74,091 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Cleveland Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 123.4 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 4% on the year ending March 2025 (71,358), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Cleveland Police area had the 2nd highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the Cleveland Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 10,568 offences (14% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for arson (2.3 times the national rate), miscellaneous crimes against society (2.2 times the national rate) and criminal damage (2.1 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.25 times).
The largest rises on the year were in non-residential burglary (+23%) and miscellaneous crimes against society (+20%). The largest falls were in trafficking of drugs (−18%) and residential burglary (−11%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 10,568 | 17.6 | 13.2 | 1.33 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 9,568 | 15.9 | 8.1 | 1.96 | – |
| Criminal damage | 8,488 | 14.1 | 6.8 | 2.07 | +1% |
| Stalking and harassment | 8,410 | 14.0 | 10.1 | 1.39 | −3% |
| Violence with injury | 7,590 | 12.6 | 8.1 | 1.55 | +11% |
| Public order offences | 6,081 | 10.1 | 7.0 | 1.46 | +2% |
| Other theft offences | 4,172 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 1.06 | −6% |
| Vehicle offences | 3,315 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 1.10 | −10% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 2,708 | 4.5 | 2.1 | 2.15 | +20% |
| Residential burglary | 2,551 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.71 | −11% |
| Possession of drugs | 2,041 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.36 | +13% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,881 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.38 | +5% |
| Rape | 1,144 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.58 | +19% |
| Non-residential burglary | 1,106 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.65 | +23% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 962 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.35 | −18% |
| Robbery of personal property | 866 | 1.4 | 0.91 | 1.58 | +6% |
| Possession of weapons | 770 | 1.3 | 1.00 | 1.29 | +5% |
| Robbery of business property | 558 | 0.93 | 0.47 | 1.96 | – |
| Arson | 531 | 0.88 | 0.38 | 2.33 | +7% |
| Bicycle theft | 479 | 0.80 | 0.85 | 0.94 | +1% |
| Theft from the person | 270 | 0.45 | 1.8 | 0.25 | −3% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 19 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.91 | −14% |
| Homicide | 13 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 2.70 | +117% |
Recorded crime in the Cleveland Police area since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The Cleveland Police area's rate was above the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74,091 | 123.4 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 71,358 | 118.9 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 75,909 | 126.4 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 83,880 | 139.7 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 73,322 | 122.1 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 62,323 | 103.8 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 69,378 | 115.6 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 67,227 | 112.0 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 57,131 | 95.2 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 50,657 | 84.4 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 47,976 | 79.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 42,041 | 70.0 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 38,973 | 64.9 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 39,241 | 65.4 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Cleveland Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 4 districts in the Cleveland Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Middlesbrough had the highest rate (150.0 per 1,000) and Stockton-on-Tees the lowest (107.9).
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 23,419 | 150.0 | 1.80 |
| Hartlepool | 13,174 | 134.2 | 1.61 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 15,167 | 108.9 | 1.31 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 22,317 | 107.9 | 1.30 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
The Cleveland Police area has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest police force areas.
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Cleveland Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 79,033 | 121.5 | -22% |
| Northumbria | 146,228 | 96.9 | -38% |
| North Yorkshire | 61,097 | 72.3 | -54% |
| West Yorkshire | 289,490 | 118.9 | -24% |
| Humberside | 98,416 | 102.2 | -35% |
| Cumbria | 39,623 | 77.6 | -50% |
| South Yorkshire | 166,072 | 116.1 | -26% |
| Lancashire | 163,902 | 102.3 | -35% |
Of the 4 areas within the Cleveland Police area, Middlesbrough had the highest crime rate (186.8 per 1,000) and Redcar and Cleveland the lowest (136.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | District | 156,161 | 29,172 | 186.8 |
| Hartlepool | District | 98,180 | 16,060 | 163.6 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | District | 206,800 | 29,842 | 144.3 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | District | 139,228 | 18,954 | 136.1 |
Of the 79,697 crimes in the Cleveland Police area with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 14,331 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 31,014 | 38.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 29,733 | 37.3% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5,747 | 7.2% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 5,294 | 6.6% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 3,112 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,568 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 1,319 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 665 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 532 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 327 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 208 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 178 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
The Cleveland Police area has an estimated population of 600,369 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (27%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Cleveland Police area average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | the Cleveland Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 32.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Cleveland Police area a safe place to live?
The Cleveland Police area recorded 156.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 2nd of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in the Cleveland Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 30,825 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (14,331).
Is crime in the Cleveland Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Cleveland Police area was up 7% on the year before: 94,028 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 88,016 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Cleveland Police area?
About 600,369 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Cleveland Police area in the year ending March 2026?
74,091 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 123.4 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 71,358.
Which offences are more common in the Cleveland Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were arson (531 offences, 2.3 times the England and Wales rate), miscellaneous crimes against society (2,708 offences, 2.2 times the England and Wales rate) and criminal damage (8,488 offences, 2.1 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.