Crime in Smethwick: statistics, rates and trends
6,591 crimes were recorded in Smethwick in the 12 months to August 2026, 109.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Smethwick at a glance
- Crime trends in Smethwick
- Types of crime in Smethwick
- Smethwick compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Smethwick
- Streets with the most crime in Smethwick
- What happened after crimes were reported in Smethwick
- Demographics of Smethwick
- Questions about crime in Smethwick
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,003), vehicle crime (486) and public order (474) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 264th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Smethwick | Sandwell | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,591 | 36,370 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 109.4 | 102.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 60,222 | 353,860 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Smethwick peaked in the year to August 2022 (7,119 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (5,133). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 28%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,591 | 109.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,628 | 110.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,543 | 108.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,995 | 116.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 7,119 | 118.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,840 | 113.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,433 | 90.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,826 | 96.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,133 | 85.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 556 |
| July 2026 | 653 |
| June 2026 | 573 |
| May 2026 | 513 |
| April 2026 | 528 |
| March 2026 | 522 |
| February 2026 | 487 |
| January 2026 | 493 |
| December 2025 | 532 |
| November 2025 | 609 |
| October 2025 | 563 |
| September 2025 | 562 |
Compared with England and Wales, Smethwick recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.8 times the national rate), drugs (72% above the national rate) and vehicle crime (62% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (73% below) and theft from the person (45% below). On the year before, other theft rose from 356 to 456 and public order rose from 381 to 474, while anti-social behaviour fell from 528 to 252 and robbery fell from 180 to 126.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,003 | 49.9 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Vehicle crime | 486 | 8.1 | 5.0 | -5% |
| Public order | 474 | 7.9 | 6.7 | +24% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 463 | 7.7 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Other theft | 456 | 7.6 | 6.4 | +28% |
| Shoplifting | 435 | 7.2 | 8.5 | +21% |
| Drugs | 339 | 5.6 | 3.3 | +13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 252 | 4.2 | 15.4 | -52% |
| Burglary | 218 | 3.6 | 3.6 | -8% |
| Possession of weapons | 165 | 2.7 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Robbery | 126 | 2.1 | 1.4 | -30% |
| Other crime | 100 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -19% |
| Theft from the person | 56 | 0.9 | 1.7 | -11% |
| Bicycle theft | 18 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Smethwick; the highest is Blackheath (134.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Halesowen (59.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Smethwick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldbury (Sandwell) | 4,491 | 95.5 | -13% |
| Blackheath | 1,208 | 134.4 | +23% |
| Rowley Regis | 3,136 | 81.7 | -25% |
| West Bromwich | 11,594 | 107.9 | -1% |
| Birmingham | 147,772 | 128.4 | +17% |
| Halesowen | 3,647 | 59.9 | -45% |
| Cradley Heath | 1,799 | 94.1 | -14% |
| Tipton | 4,617 | 98.7 | -10% |
Of the 4 areas within Smethwick, Soho and Victoria had the highest crime rate (139.2 per 1,000) and Smethwick the lowest (82.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soho and Victoria | Neighbourhood | 21,070 | 2,933 | 139.2 |
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 12,602 | 1,193 | 94.7 |
| St Pauls | Neighbourhood | 20,027 | 1,820 | 90.9 |
| Smethwick | Neighbourhood | 14,872 | 1,231 | 82.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Smethwick over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “London Street” (449).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near London Street | 449 |
| On or near Parking Area | 245 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 199 |
| On or near Anderson Road | 182 |
| On or near Halfords Lane | 129 |
| On or near Cranford Street | 128 |
| On or near A4092 | 114 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 113 |
| On or near Hall Road | 82 |
| On or near St Mary'S Road | 82 |
Of the 6,339 crimes in Smethwick with a recorded outcome, 31% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 252 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,670 | 42.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,979 | 31.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 458 | 7.2% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 407 | 6.4% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 366 | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 227 | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 120 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 58 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 50 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Further 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% |
Smethwick has an estimated population of 60,222 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more unemployed residents (6.4%, against 3.4%), more residents with no qualifications (31%, against 18%) and more students (12.2%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Smethwick average decile 2.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Smethwick | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 24.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 9.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 6.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 12.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 30.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 35.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 46.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 25.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 27.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 23.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Smethwick a safe place to live?
Smethwick recorded 109.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 264th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Smethwick?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,003 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by vehicle crime (486).
Is crime in Smethwick going up or down?
Recorded crime in Smethwick was almost unchanged on the year before: 6,591 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,628 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Smethwick?
About 60,222 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 9.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Smethwick?
Smethwick 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.