Crime in Kirkby: statistics, rates and trends
4,602 crimes were recorded in Kirkby in the 12 months to August 2026, 101.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,929), anti-social behaviour (575) and criminal damage and arson (485) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 338th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Kirkby | Knowsley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,602 | 14,983 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 101.2 | 92.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -4% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 45,492 | 162,565 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Kirkby peaked in the year to August 2021 (5,808 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (4,528). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,602 | 101.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,806 | 105.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,528 | 99.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,510 | 121.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,713 | 125.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,808 | 127.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,430 | 119.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 4,868 | 107.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,992 | 109.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 422 |
| July 2026 | 401 |
| June 2026 | 389 |
| May 2026 | 394 |
| April 2026 | 370 |
| March 2026 | 465 |
| February 2026 | 336 |
| January 2026 | 352 |
| December 2025 | 328 |
| November 2025 | 338 |
| October 2025 | 442 |
| September 2025 | 365 |
Compared with England and Wales, Kirkby recorded notably more drugs (2.4 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (58% above the national rate) and public order (31% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (56% below) and vehicle crime (50% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 25 to 37 and vehicle crime rose from 97 to 112, while bicycle theft fell from 34 to 23 and shoplifting fell from 233 to 168.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,929 | 42.4 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 575 | 12.6 | 15.4 | -3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 485 | 10.7 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Public order | 396 | 8.7 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Drugs | 352 | 7.7 | 3.3 | -25% |
| Other theft | 271 | 6.0 | 6.4 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 168 | 3.7 | 8.5 | -28% |
| Vehicle crime | 112 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +15% |
| Other crime | 105 | 2.3 | 2.1 | +3% |
| Burglary | 100 | 2.2 | 3.6 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 37 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -20% |
| Robbery | 37 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +48% |
| Bicycle theft | 23 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -32% |
| Theft from the person | 12 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Kirkby; the highest is Bootle (Sefton) (132.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Rainford (34.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Kirkby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aintree | 612 | 92.1 | -9% |
| Maghull | 973 | 49.7 | -51% |
| Lydiate | 299 | 35.9 | -65% |
| Bootle (Sefton) | 7,572 | 132.4 | +31% |
| Rainford | 185 | 34.4 | -66% |
| Litherland | 1,739 | 102.9 | +2% |
| Huyton with Roby | 5,057 | 82.3 | -19% |
| Ormskirk | 1,518 | 49.8 | -51% |
Of the 4 areas within Kirkby, Northwood had the highest crime rate (175.3 per 1,000) and Shevington the lowest (56.5), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood | Neighbourhood | 11,678 | 2,047 | 175.3 |
| Cherryfield | Neighbourhood | 11,736 | 1,036 | 88.3 |
| Whitefield | Neighbourhood | 10,103 | 778 | 77.0 |
| Shevington | Neighbourhood | 12,288 | 694 | 56.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Kirkby over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (364).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 364 |
| On or near Villas Road | 117 |
| On or near North Parade | 78 |
| On or near Delfby Crescent | 66 |
| On or near Irlam Drive | 66 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 59 |
| On or near Old Farm Road | 51 |
| On or near Webber Road | 51 |
| On or near Warrenhouse Road | 44 |
| On or near Marnwood Road | 42 |
Of the 4,027 crimes in Kirkby with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 575 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,737 | 43.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,046 | 26.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 462 | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 215 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 184 | 4.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 104 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 95 | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 93 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 38 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 35 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 18 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
Kirkby has an estimated population of 45,492 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (30%, against 18%), more social housing (27%, against 17%) and more households without a car (35%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Kirkby average decile 2.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Kirkby | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 29.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 35.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 27.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 55.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Kirkby a safe place to live?
Kirkby recorded 101.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 338th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Kirkby?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,929 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (575).
Is crime in Kirkby going up or down?
Recorded crime in Kirkby was down 4% on the year before: 4,602 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,806 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Kirkby?
About 45,492 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Kirkby?
Kirkby is policed by Merseyside.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.