Crime in Hartlepool: statistics, rates and trends
15,773 crimes were recorded in Hartlepool in the 12 months to August 2026, 171.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Hartlepool at a glance
- Crime trends in Hartlepool
- Types of crime in Hartlepool
- Hartlepool compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Hartlepool
- Streets with the most crime in Hartlepool
- What happened after crimes were reported in Hartlepool
- Demographics of Hartlepool
- Questions about crime in Hartlepool
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,288), shoplifting (2,367) and anti-social behaviour (2,218) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 29th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Hartlepool | Hartlepool | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 15,773 | 16,060 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 171.3 | 163.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 92,097 | 98,180 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Hartlepool peaked in the year to August 2018 (17,485 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (15,514). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 15,773 | 171.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 15,514 | 168.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 15,712 | 170.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 17,213 | 186.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 15,593 | 169.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 15,533 | 168.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 16,291 | 176.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 16,834 | 182.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 17,485 | 189.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,480 |
| July 2026 | 1,323 |
| June 2026 | 1,367 |
| May 2026 | 1,292 |
| April 2026 | 1,280 |
| March 2026 | 1,366 |
| February 2026 | 1,206 |
| January 2026 | 1,176 |
| December 2025 | 1,233 |
| November 2025 | 1,278 |
| October 2025 | 1,421 |
| September 2025 | 1,351 |
Compared with England and Wales, Hartlepool recorded notably more shoplifting (3.0 times the national rate), other crime (2.6 times the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (2.5 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (75% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 167 to 284 and criminal damage and arson rose from 1,270 to 1,531, while anti-social behaviour fell from 2,854 to 2,218 and bicycle theft fell from 90 to 72.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,288 | 57.4 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 2,367 | 25.7 | 8.5 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,218 | 24.1 | 15.4 | -22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,531 | 16.6 | 6.7 | +21% |
| Public order | 1,050 | 11.4 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 640 | 6.9 | 6.4 | -8% |
| Burglary | 605 | 6.6 | 3.6 | +7% |
| Drugs | 521 | 5.7 | 3.3 | +15% |
| Vehicle crime | 512 | 5.6 | 5.0 | +10% |
| Other crime | 507 | 5.5 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Robbery | 284 | 3.1 | 1.4 | +70% |
| Possession of weapons | 140 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Bicycle theft | 72 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 38 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -19% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Hartlepool; the highest is Horden (182.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Billingham (111.2).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hartlepool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billingham | 3,833 | 111.2 | -35% |
| Horden | 1,377 | 182.5 | +7% |
| Wingate | 772 | 132.4 | -23% |
| Peterlee | 3,111 | 149.9 | -12% |
| Redcar | 5,228 | 131.3 | -23% |
| Easington (County Durham) | 1,212 | 182.4 | +6% |
| Shotton Colliery | 691 | 135.9 | -21% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 15,247 | 169.8 | -1% |
Of the 12 areas within Hartlepool, Burn Valley had the highest crime rate (322.4 per 1,000) and Rural West the lowest (42.5), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burn Valley | Neighbourhood | 9,338 | 3,011 | 322.4 |
| Headland & Harbour | Neighbourhood | 8,000 | 2,425 | 303.1 |
| Victoria | Neighbourhood | 6,150 | 1,630 | 265.0 |
| Foggy Furze | Neighbourhood | 8,658 | 1,477 | 170.6 |
| Manor House | Neighbourhood | 10,301 | 1,603 | 155.6 |
| Throston | Neighbourhood | 8,787 | 1,348 | 153.4 |
| Rossmere | Neighbourhood | 8,794 | 1,321 | 150.2 |
| De Bruce | Neighbourhood | 9,781 | 1,382 | 141.3 |
| Seaton | Neighbourhood | 6,982 | 626 | 89.7 |
| Hart | Neighbourhood | 7,017 | 613 | 87.4 |
| Fens & Greatham | Neighbourhood | 4,731 | 214 | 45.2 |
| Rural West | Neighbourhood | 9,641 | 410 | 42.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 21% of the crime recorded in Hartlepool over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (776).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 776 |
| On or near Murray Street | 381 |
| On or near Parking Area | 365 |
| On or near Middleton Grange Shopping Centre | 321 |
| On or near Walpole Road | 308 |
| On or near York Road | 279 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 275 |
| On or near Police Station | 257 |
| On or near Willow Grove | 217 |
| On or near Station Approach | 207 |
Of the 13,555 crimes in Hartlepool with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,218 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,324 | 39.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 4,489 | 33.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,111 | 8.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,053 | 7.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 641 | 4.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 298 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 259 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 118 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 113 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 58 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 46 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 45 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Hartlepool has an estimated population of 92,097 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (24%, against 17%), more households without a car (31%, against 23%) and more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hartlepool average decile 3.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Hartlepool | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 45.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Hartlepool a safe place to live?
Hartlepool recorded 171.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 29th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Hartlepool?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,288 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (2,367).
Is crime in Hartlepool going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hartlepool was up 2% on the year before: 15,773 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 15,514 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hartlepool?
About 92,097 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hartlepool?
Hartlepool is policed by Cleveland.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.