Crime in Brierley Hill: statistics, rates and trends
3,658 crimes were recorded in Brierley Hill in the 12 months to August 2026, 116.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Brierley Hill at a glance
- Crime trends in Brierley Hill
- Types of crime in Brierley Hill
- Brierley Hill compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Brierley Hill
- Streets with the most crime in Brierley Hill
- What happened after crimes were reported in Brierley Hill
- Demographics of Brierley Hill
- Questions about crime in Brierley Hill
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,391), shoplifting (722) and criminal damage and arson (268) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 198th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Brierley Hill | Dudley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,658 | 26,676 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 116.2 | 80.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 31,472 | 331,930 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Brierley Hill peaked in the year to August 2022 (4,821 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (3,385). 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 | 3,658 | 116.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,722 | 118.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,030 | 128.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,507 | 143.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,821 | 153.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,325 | 137.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,385 | 107.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,753 | 119.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,890 | 123.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 318 |
| July 2026 | 377 |
| June 2026 | 312 |
| May 2026 | 324 |
| April 2026 | 339 |
| March 2026 | 310 |
| February 2026 | 237 |
| January 2026 | 289 |
| December 2025 | 301 |
| November 2025 | 250 |
| October 2025 | 297 |
| September 2025 | 304 |
Compared with England and Wales, Brierley Hill recorded notably more shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate), possession of weapons (2.3 times the national rate) and burglary (75% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (77% below) and theft from the person (58% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 46 to 61 and drugs rose from 81 to 106, while anti-social behaviour fell from 309 to 112 and vehicle crime fell from 295 to 240.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,391 | 44.2 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 722 | 22.9 | 8.5 | +10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 268 | 8.5 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Vehicle crime | 240 | 7.6 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Public order | 200 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Burglary | 196 | 6.2 | 3.6 | +31% |
| Other theft | 186 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -11% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 112 | 3.6 | 15.4 | -64% |
| Drugs | 106 | 3.4 | 3.3 | +31% |
| Other crime | 70 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +4% |
| Possession of weapons | 69 | 2.2 | 1.0 | +5% |
| Robbery | 61 | 1.9 | 1.4 | +33% |
| Theft from the person | 22 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -12% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Brierley Hill; the highest is Blackheath (134.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Kingswinford (54.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Brierley Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stourbridge | 4,120 | 70.0 | -40% |
| Kingswinford | 2,844 | 54.3 | -53% |
| Cradley Heath | 1,799 | 94.1 | -19% |
| Dudley (Dudley) | 7,248 | 114.7 | -1% |
| Halesowen | 3,647 | 59.9 | -49% |
| Blackheath | 1,208 | 134.4 | +16% |
| Rowley Regis | 3,136 | 81.7 | -30% |
| Sedgley | 2,238 | 68.7 | -41% |
Of the 2 areas within Brierley Hill, Brierley Hill & Wordsley South had the highest crime rate (159.8 per 1,000) and Amblecote the lowest (52.8), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brierley Hill & Wordsley South | Neighbourhood | 15,742 | 2,515 | 159.8 |
| Amblecote | Neighbourhood | 15,094 | 797 | 52.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Brierley Hill over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (303).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 303 |
| On or near Supermarket | 280 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 153 |
| On or near Madison Avenue | 147 |
| On or near Little Potter Street | 133 |
| On or near Pearson Street | 131 |
| On or near Waterfront West | 94 |
| On or near Nottingham Way | 90 |
| On or near High Street | 66 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 57 |
Of the 3,546 crimes in Brierley Hill with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 112 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,308 | 36.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,303 | 36.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 334 | 9.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 267 | 7.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 111 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 104 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 57 | 1.6% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 32 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 28 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Brierley Hill has an estimated population of 31,472 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (20%, against 34%), more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Brierley Hill average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Brierley Hill | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 62.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 21.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 7.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Brierley Hill a safe place to live?
Brierley Hill recorded 116.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 198th 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 Brierley Hill?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,391 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (722).
Is crime in Brierley Hill going up or down?
Recorded crime in Brierley Hill was down 2% on the year before: 3,658 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,722 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Brierley Hill?
About 31,472 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Brierley Hill?
Brierley Hill 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.