Crime in Blackheath: statistics, rates and trends
1,208 crimes were recorded in Blackheath in the 12 months to August 2026, 134.4 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 Blackheath at a glance
- Crime trends in Blackheath
- Types of crime in Blackheath
- Blackheath compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Blackheath
- Streets with the most crime in Blackheath
- What happened after crimes were reported in Blackheath
- Demographics of Blackheath
- Questions about crime in Blackheath
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (470), shoplifting (293), criminal damage and arson (73) and public order (73) made up 75% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 108th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Blackheath | Sandwell | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,208 | 36,370 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 134.4 | 102.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 8,990 | 353,860 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Blackheath peaked in the year to August 2022 (1,269 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (870). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 39%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,208 | 134.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,133 | 126.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,090 | 121.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,219 | 135.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,269 | 141.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,077 | 119.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 882 | 98.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 961 | 106.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 870 | 96.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 109 |
| July 2026 | 129 |
| June 2026 | 111 |
| May 2026 | 110 |
| April 2026 | 77 |
| March 2026 | 98 |
| February 2026 | 72 |
| January 2026 | 86 |
| December 2025 | 127 |
| November 2025 | 75 |
| October 2025 | 112 |
| September 2025 | 102 |
Compared with England and Wales, Blackheath recorded notably more shoplifting (3.9 times the national rate), possession of weapons (3.6 times the national rate) and robbery (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (83% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 195 to 293 and burglary rose from 33 to 40, while anti-social behaviour fell from 102 to 24 and vehicle crime fell from 75 to 58.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 470 | 52.3 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 293 | 32.6 | 8.5 | +50% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 73 | 8.1 | 6.7 | +14% |
| Public order | 73 | 8.1 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 69 | 7.7 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Vehicle crime | 58 | 6.5 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Burglary | 40 | 4.4 | 3.6 | +21% |
| Possession of weapons | 31 | 3.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 27 | 3.0 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 27 | 3.0 | 1.4 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 24 | 2.7 | 15.4 | -76% |
| Other crime | 19 | 2.1 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Blackheath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cradley Heath | 1,799 | 94.1 | -30% |
| Rowley Regis | 3,136 | 81.7 | -39% |
| Oldbury (Sandwell) | 4,491 | 95.5 | -29% |
| Halesowen | 3,647 | 59.9 | -55% |
| Dudley (Dudley) | 7,248 | 114.7 | -15% |
| Smethwick | 6,591 | 109.4 | -19% |
| Brierley Hill | 3,658 | 116.2 | -14% |
| Tipton | 4,617 | 98.7 | -27% |
Blackheath is the one area listed within Blackheath, with 120.8 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackheath | Neighbourhood | 12,018 | 1,452 | 120.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 51% of the crime recorded in Blackheath over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (303).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 303 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 78 |
| On or near George Avenue | 37 |
| On or near Payne Street | 34 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 33 |
| On or near Powke Lane | 31 |
| On or near Long Lane | 28 |
| On or near Cross Street | 27 |
| On or near Short Street | 24 |
| On or near Oldbury Road | 23 |
Of the 1,184 crimes in Blackheath with a recorded outcome, 31% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.2% 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 | 458 | 38.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 365 | 30.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 117 | 9.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 109 | 9.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 58 | 4.9% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 46 | 3.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 15 | 1.3% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 5 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
Blackheath has an estimated population of 8,990 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (25%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Blackheath average decile 3.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Blackheath | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 18.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Blackheath a safe place to live?
Blackheath recorded 134.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 108th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Blackheath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 470 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (293).
Is crime in Blackheath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Blackheath was up 7% on the year before: 1,208 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,133 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Blackheath?
About 8,990 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Blackheath?
Blackheath 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.