Crime in Wednesbury: statistics, rates and trends
2,565 crimes were recorded in Wednesbury in the 12 months to August 2026, 123.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Wednesbury at a glance
- Crime trends in Wednesbury
- Types of crime in Wednesbury
- Wednesbury compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Wednesbury
- Streets with the most crime in Wednesbury
- What happened after crimes were reported in Wednesbury
- Demographics of Wednesbury
- Questions about crime in Wednesbury
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (896), shoplifting (474) and vehicle crime (272) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 153rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Wednesbury | Sandwell | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,565 | 36,370 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 123.7 | 102.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -10% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 20,737 | 353,860 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wednesbury peaked in the year to August 2023 (3,022 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (2,276). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 7%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,565 | 123.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,865 | 138.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,932 | 141.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,022 | 145.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,949 | 142.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,760 | 133.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,388 | 115.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,276 | 109.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,401 | 115.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 216 |
| July 2026 | 214 |
| June 2026 | 196 |
| May 2026 | 193 |
| April 2026 | 217 |
| March 2026 | 232 |
| February 2026 | 216 |
| January 2026 | 192 |
| December 2025 | 212 |
| November 2025 | 240 |
| October 2025 | 238 |
| September 2025 | 199 |
Compared with England and Wales, Wednesbury recorded notably more shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate), vehicle crime (2.6 times the national rate) and possession of weapons (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (74% below). On the year before, public order rose from 100 to 143 and burglary rose from 79 to 97, while anti-social behaviour fell from 197 to 84 and robbery fell from 74 to 33.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 896 | 43.2 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Shoplifting | 474 | 22.9 | 8.5 | -13% |
| Vehicle crime | 272 | 13.1 | 5.0 | +9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 215 | 10.4 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Other theft | 171 | 8.2 | 6.4 | -35% |
| Public order | 143 | 6.9 | 6.7 | +43% |
| Burglary | 97 | 4.7 | 3.6 | +23% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 84 | 4.1 | 15.4 | -57% |
| Other crime | 63 | 3.0 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Drugs | 55 | 2.7 | 3.3 | -11% |
| Possession of weapons | 45 | 2.2 | 1.0 | -22% |
| Robbery | 33 | 1.6 | 1.4 | -55% |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wednesbury; the highest is Walsall (140.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Coseley (76.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wednesbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlaston | 2,166 | 104.4 | -16% |
| West Bromwich | 11,594 | 107.9 | -13% |
| Walsall | 10,536 | 140.2 | +13% |
| Tipton | 4,617 | 98.7 | -20% |
| Bilston (Wolverhampton) | 4,386 | 119.0 | -4% |
| Willenhall | 5,492 | 105.6 | -15% |
| Coseley | 1,975 | 76.9 | -38% |
| Bloxwich | 6,029 | 110.6 | -11% |
Of the 2 areas within Wednesbury, Wednesbury North had the highest crime rate (128.1 per 1,000) and Friar Park the lowest (81.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesbury North | Neighbourhood | 12,782 | 1,637 | 128.1 |
| Friar Park | Neighbourhood | 13,626 | 1,106 | 81.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Wednesbury over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Russell Street” (249).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Russell Street | 249 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 174 |
| On or near Axletree Way | 155 |
| On or near Parking Area | 119 |
| On or near Union Street | 79 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 73 |
| On or near Upper Russell Street | 65 |
| On or near Hydes Road | 43 |
| On or near Supermarket | 41 |
| On or near B4200 | 40 |
Of the 2,481 crimes in Wednesbury with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 84 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,000 | 40.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 810 | 32.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 182 | 7.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 171 | 6.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 129 | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 102 | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 45 | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 31 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 8 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Wednesbury has an estimated population of 20,737 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (28%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (30%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (19%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wednesbury average decile 2.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Wednesbury | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 30.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 28.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 2.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wednesbury a safe place to live?
Wednesbury recorded 123.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 153rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Wednesbury?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 896 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (474).
Is crime in Wednesbury going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wednesbury was down 10% on the year before: 2,565 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,865 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wednesbury?
About 20,737 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wednesbury?
Wednesbury 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.