Crime in the Staffordshire Police area: statistics, rates and trends
107,433 crimes were recorded in the Staffordshire Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 91.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Staffordshire Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Staffordshire Police area
- Types of crime in the Staffordshire Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Staffordshire Police area
- The Staffordshire Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Staffordshire Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Staffordshire Police area
- Demographics of the Staffordshire Police area
- Questions about crime in the Staffordshire Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (43,574), anti-social behaviour (17,381) and public order (8,892) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 20th of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | the Staffordshire Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 107,433 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 91.2 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 1,177,578 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in the Staffordshire Police area peaked in the year to August 2018 (109,979 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (90,190). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 2%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 107,433 | 91.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 100,180 | 85.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 98,898 | 84.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 107,489 | 91.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 107,046 | 90.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 90,190 | 76.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 96,571 | 82.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 105,179 | 89.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 109,979 | 93.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 9,505 |
| July 2026 | 10,545 |
| June 2026 | 10,005 |
| May 2026 | 9,337 |
| April 2026 | 8,959 |
| March 2026 | 9,263 |
| February 2026 | 7,973 |
| January 2026 | 8,177 |
| December 2025 | 8,546 |
| November 2025 | 7,832 |
| October 2025 | 8,596 |
| September 2025 | 8,695 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (88% below) and shoplifting (33% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 947 to 1,238 and bicycle theft rose from 646 to 809.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 43,574 | 37.0 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 17,381 | 14.8 | 15.4 | +18% |
| Public order | 8,892 | 7.6 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7,522 | 6.4 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 6,716 | 5.7 | 8.5 | -9% |
| Other theft | 6,229 | 5.3 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Vehicle crime | 4,435 | 3.8 | 5.0 | -10% |
| Burglary | 3,745 | 3.2 | 3.6 | +5% |
| Drugs | 3,063 | 2.6 | 3.3 | +11% |
| Other crime | 2,402 | 2.0 | 2.1 | +8% |
| Robbery | 1,238 | 1.1 | 1.4 | +31% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,184 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +6% |
| Bicycle theft | 809 | 0.7 | 0.8 | +25% |
| Theft from the person | 243 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -11% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
88,410 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Staffordshire Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 75.1 per 1,000 residents, close to the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 2% on the year ending March 2025 (86,285), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Staffordshire Police area had the 21st 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 Staffordshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was stalking and harassment, with 16,176 offences (18% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for stalking and harassment (1.4 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.12 times), robbery of personal property (0.66 times) and trafficking of drugs (0.71 times).
The largest rises on the year were in trafficking of drugs (+34%) and death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (+25%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−16%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalking and harassment | 16,176 | 13.7 | 10.1 | 1.36 | +9% |
| Violence without injury | 11,749 | 10.0 | 13.2 | 0.76 | +3% |
| Violence with injury | 9,917 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 1.03 | −3% |
| Public order offences | 8,584 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 1.05 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 6,926 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 0.72 | – |
| Criminal damage | 6,894 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 0.86 | −2% |
| Other theft offences | 5,844 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 0.76 | −5% |
| Vehicle offences | 4,883 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 0.82 | +1% |
| Other sexual offences | 2,792 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.04 | +9% |
| Residential burglary | 2,494 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.85 | −9% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 2,345 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.95 | +21% |
| Possession of drugs | 2,294 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 0.78 | +20% |
| Rape | 1,469 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.03 | +14% |
| Possession of weapons | 1,226 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 1.05 | +12% |
| Non-residential burglary | 1,152 | 0.98 | 1.1 | 0.87 | −2% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 997 | 0.85 | 1.2 | 0.71 | +34% |
| Bicycle theft | 739 | 0.63 | 0.85 | 0.74 | +8% |
| Robbery of personal property | 713 | 0.61 | 0.91 | 0.66 | −2% |
| Robbery of business property | 455 | 0.39 | 0.47 | 0.81 | – |
| Arson | 452 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 1.01 | −2% |
| Theft from the person | 255 | 0.22 | 1.8 | 0.12 | −16% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 45 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 1.10 | +25% |
| Homicide | 9 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.95 | 0% |
Recorded crime in the Staffordshire 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 Staffordshire Police area's rate was below 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 | 88,410 | 75.1 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 86,285 | 73.3 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 86,094 | 73.1 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 97,216 | 82.6 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 69,758 | 59.2 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 66,243 | 56.3 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 79,400 | 67.4 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 84,894 | 72.1 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 83,784 | 71.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 77,560 | 65.9 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 68,126 | 57.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 60,763 | 51.6 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 59,384 | 50.4 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 58,096 | 49.3 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Staffordshire Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 9 districts in the Staffordshire Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Stoke-on-Trent had the highest rate (111.0 per 1,000) and South Staffordshire the lowest (50.8). 1.7% of the crimes recorded in the area that year were not assigned to a district, so the district figures add up to less than the force total.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke-on-Trent | 30,023 | 111.0 | 1.33 |
| Cannock Chase | 7,520 | 72.2 | 0.87 |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | 8,999 | 70.5 | 0.85 |
| Tamworth | 5,500 | 67.8 | 0.81 |
| East Staffordshire | 8,456 | 65.2 | 0.78 |
| Stafford | 9,018 | 63.7 | 0.77 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | 5,363 | 55.5 | 0.67 |
| Lichfield | 6,201 | 55.4 | 0.67 |
| South Staffordshire | 5,812 | 50.8 | 0.61 |
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.
4 of the 8 nearest police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Staffordshire Police area; the highest is the South Yorkshire Police area (116.1 per 1,000) and the lowest the West Mercia Police area (72.2).
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Staffordshire Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 323,754 | 106.6 | +17% |
| Derbyshire | 103,143 | 94.1 | +3% |
| West Mercia | 96,831 | 72.2 | -21% |
| Cheshire | 83,476 | 73.2 | -20% |
| Leicestershire | 100,535 | 85.5 | -6% |
| Nottinghamshire | 125,603 | 105.7 | +16% |
| Warwickshire | 51,630 | 81.7 | -10% |
| South Yorkshire | 166,072 | 116.1 | +27% |
Of the 9 areas within the Staffordshire Police area, Stoke-on-Trent had the highest crime rate (139.7 per 1,000) and South Staffordshire the lowest (59.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke-on-Trent | District | 270,425 | 37,774 | 139.7 |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | District | 127,727 | 11,323 | 88.7 |
| Cannock Chase | District | 104,088 | 8,966 | 86.1 |
| Stafford | District | 141,556 | 11,641 | 82.2 |
| Tamworth | District | 81,117 | 6,522 | 80.4 |
| East Staffordshire | District | 129,659 | 10,192 | 78.6 |
| Lichfield | District | 111,932 | 7,667 | 68.5 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | District | 96,651 | 6,544 | 67.7 |
| South Staffordshire | District | 114,423 | 6,804 | 59.5 |
Of the 90,052 crimes in the Staffordshire Police area with a recorded outcome, 28% 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 17,381 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 36,544 | 40.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 24,855 | 27.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 11,675 | 13.0% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 4,216 | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 4,160 | 4.6% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 3,714 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 2,334 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1,781 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 323 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 207 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 196 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
The Staffordshire Police area has an estimated population of 1,177,578 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less private renting (16%, against 20%) and fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Staffordshire Police area average decile 5.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Staffordshire Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Staffordshire Police area a safe place to live?
The Staffordshire Police area recorded 91.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 20th of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the Staffordshire Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 43,574 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (17,381).
Is crime in the Staffordshire Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Staffordshire Police area was up 7% on the year before: 107,433 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 100,180 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Staffordshire Police area?
About 1,177,578 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Staffordshire Police area in the year ending March 2026?
88,410 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 75.1 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 86,285.
Which offences are more common in the Staffordshire Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were stalking and harassment (16,176 offences, 1.4 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.