Crime in St Helens (St. Helens): statistics, rates and trends
12,250 crimes were recorded in St Helens (St. Helens) in the 12 months to August 2026, 119.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in St Helens (St. Helens) at a glance
- Crime trends in St Helens (St. Helens)
- Types of crime in St Helens (St. Helens)
- St Helens (St. Helens) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within St Helens (St. Helens)
- Streets with the most crime in St Helens (St. Helens)
- What happened after crimes were reported in St Helens (St. Helens)
- Demographics of St Helens (St. Helens)
- Questions about crime in St Helens (St. Helens)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,977), anti-social behaviour (1,172) and public order (1,130) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 181st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | St Helens (St. Helens) | St. Helens | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 12,250 | 17,904 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 119.7 | 94.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 102,380 | 188,861 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Helens (St. Helens) peaked in the year to August 2022 (16,318 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (11,875). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 12,250 | 119.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,875 | 116.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,384 | 121.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 14,774 | 144.3 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 16,318 | 159.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 15,514 | 151.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 14,766 | 144.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 13,333 | 130.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 13,874 | 135.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,111 |
| July 2026 | 1,143 |
| June 2026 | 1,115 |
| May 2026 | 966 |
| April 2026 | 996 |
| March 2026 | 1,126 |
| February 2026 | 834 |
| January 2026 | 861 |
| December 2025 | 919 |
| November 2025 | 1,006 |
| October 2025 | 1,079 |
| September 2025 | 1,094 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Helens (St. Helens) recorded notably more drugs (2.8 times the national rate), public order (66% above the national rate) and other crime (50% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (67% below) and robbery (30% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 376 to 486 and robbery rose from 82 to 97.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,977 | 48.6 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,172 | 11.4 | 15.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 1,130 | 11.0 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 1,000 | 9.8 | 8.5 | +12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 991 | 9.7 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Drugs | 946 | 9.2 | 3.3 | -1% |
| Other theft | 604 | 5.9 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 486 | 4.7 | 5.0 | +29% |
| Other crime | 325 | 3.2 | 2.1 | +12% |
| Burglary | 287 | 2.8 | 3.6 | -14% |
| Possession of weapons | 108 | 1.1 | 1.0 | -3% |
| Robbery | 97 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +18% |
| Bicycle theft | 70 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 57 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +2% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
St Helens (St. Helens) has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Helens (St. Helens) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescot | 4,093 | 100.0 | -16% |
| Haydock | 1,080 | 74.3 | -38% |
| Billinge | 221 | 37.2 | -69% |
| Newton-le-Willows | 2,096 | 79.4 | -34% |
| Rainford | 185 | 34.4 | -71% |
| Widnes | 5,487 | 89.5 | -25% |
| Huyton with Roby | 5,057 | 82.3 | -31% |
| Kirkby | 4,602 | 101.2 | -15% |
Of the 12 areas within St Helens (St. Helens), St Helens Town Centre had the highest crime rate (320.3 per 1,000) and Eccleston the lowest (42.2), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens Town Centre | Neighbourhood | 11,289 | 3,616 | 320.3 |
| Peasley Cross & Fingerpost | Neighbourhood | 4,260 | 1,286 | 301.9 |
| Parr | Neighbourhood | 14,888 | 2,055 | 138.0 |
| West Park | Neighbourhood | 12,081 | 1,089 | 90.1 |
| Thatto Heath | Neighbourhood | 12,706 | 1,013 | 79.7 |
| Sutton South East | Neighbourhood | 8,152 | 649 | 79.6 |
| Bold & Lea Green | Neighbourhood | 12,187 | 965 | 79.2 |
| Blackbrook | Neighbourhood | 10,754 | 831 | 77.3 |
| Moss Bank | Neighbourhood | 10,559 | 776 | 73.5 |
| Windle | Neighbourhood | 9,292 | 622 | 66.9 |
| Sutton North West | Neighbourhood | 4,656 | 305 | 65.5 |
| Eccleston | Neighbourhood | 10,915 | 461 | 42.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in St Helens (St. Helens) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (421).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 421 |
| On or near Parking Area | 417 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 335 |
| On or near Nightclub | 334 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 248 |
| On or near William Street | 142 |
| On or near Linkway West | 130 |
| On or near Shaw Street | 119 |
| On or near Highpoint | 100 |
| On or near Trinity Street | 82 |
Of the 11,078 crimes in St Helens (St. Helens) with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,172 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,660 | 42.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,956 | 26.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,206 | 10.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 889 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 450 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 346 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 272 | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 99 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 99 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 67 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 30 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 3 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
St Helens (St. Helens) has an estimated population of 102,380 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (24%, against 17%), fewer students (5.4%, against 7.9%) and more residents with no qualifications (23%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Helens (St. Helens) average decile 3.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | St Helens (St. Helens) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 36.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is St Helens (St. Helens) a safe place to live?
St Helens (St. Helens) recorded 119.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 181st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and public order.
What is the most common crime in St Helens (St. Helens)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,977 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,172).
Is crime in St Helens (St. Helens) going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Helens (St. Helens) was up 3% on the year before: 12,250 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,875 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Helens (St. Helens)?
About 102,380 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St Helens (St. Helens)?
St Helens (St. Helens) 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.