Crime in Walsall: statistics, rates and trends
10,536 crimes were recorded in Walsall in the 12 months to August 2026, 140.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,090), shoplifting (1,506) and vehicle crime (846) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 86th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Walsall | Walsall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,536 | 30,674 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 140.2 | 103.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 75,172 | 295,678 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Walsall peaked in the year to August 2022 (11,879 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (8,953). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,536 | 140.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 10,076 | 134.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 10,943 | 145.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 11,114 | 147.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 11,879 | 158.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,785 | 143.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,953 | 119.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 9,358 | 124.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 9,195 | 122.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 936 |
| July 2026 | 1,012 |
| June 2026 | 874 |
| May 2026 | 950 |
| April 2026 | 825 |
| March 2026 | 902 |
| February 2026 | 810 |
| January 2026 | 824 |
| December 2025 | 764 |
| November 2025 | 889 |
| October 2025 | 892 |
| September 2025 | 858 |
Compared with England and Wales, Walsall recorded notably more possession of weapons (3.3 times the national rate), shoplifting (2.4 times the national rate) and vehicle crime (2.3 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (73% below) and bicycle theft (39% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 585 to 846 and drugs rose from 393 to 516, while anti-social behaviour fell from 848 to 315 and bicycle theft fell from 55 to 38.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,090 | 54.4 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Shoplifting | 1,506 | 20.0 | 8.5 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 846 | 11.3 | 5.0 | +45% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 744 | 9.9 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Public order | 667 | 8.9 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Other theft | 631 | 8.4 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Drugs | 516 | 6.9 | 3.3 | +31% |
| Burglary | 442 | 5.9 | 3.6 | +24% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 315 | 4.2 | 15.4 | -63% |
| Possession of weapons | 239 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0% |
| Robbery | 212 | 2.8 | 1.4 | +25% |
| Other crime | 174 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 116 | 1.5 | 1.7 | +21% |
| Bicycle theft | 38 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -31% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Walsall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesbury | 2,565 | 123.7 | -12% |
| Darlaston | 2,166 | 104.4 | -26% |
| Bloxwich | 6,029 | 110.6 | -21% |
| Rushall and Shelfield | 832 | 74.6 | -47% |
| Willenhall | 5,492 | 105.6 | -25% |
| West Bromwich | 11,594 | 107.9 | -23% |
| Aldridge | 975 | 62.2 | -56% |
| Pheasey | 391 | 39.1 | -72% |
Of the 4 areas within Walsall, St Matthew's had the highest crime rate (164.7 per 1,000) and Paddock the lowest (45.8), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Matthew's | Neighbourhood | 16,615 | 2,737 | 164.7 |
| Pleck | Neighbourhood | 18,061 | 2,483 | 137.5 |
| Palfrey | Neighbourhood | 17,837 | 1,497 | 83.9 |
| Paddock | Neighbourhood | 13,589 | 622 | 45.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 31% of the crime recorded in Walsall over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (959).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 959 |
| On or near Parking Area | 562 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 340 |
| On or near Hospital | 278 |
| On or near George Street | 237 |
| On or near Park Street | 209 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 196 |
| On or near Digbeth | 182 |
| On or near Littleton Street West | 151 |
| On or near Alumwell Close | 143 |
Of the 10,221 crimes in Walsall with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 315 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,862 | 37.8% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,807 | 37.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 841 | 8.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 604 | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 523 | 5.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 298 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 185 | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| Offender given a caution | 58 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 37 | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Walsall has an estimated population of 75,172 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%), more students (10.9%, against 7.9%) and more social housing (23%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Walsall average decile 3.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Walsall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 52.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 49.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Walsall a safe place to live?
Walsall recorded 140.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 86th 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 shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Walsall?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,090 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (1,506).
Is crime in Walsall going up or down?
Recorded crime in Walsall was up 5% on the year before: 10,536 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 10,076 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Walsall?
About 75,172 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Walsall?
Walsall 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.