Crime in Whickham: statistics, rates and trends
1,404 crimes were recorded in Whickham in the 12 months to August 2026, 90.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 23% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Whickham at a glance
- Crime trends in Whickham
- Types of crime in Whickham
- Whickham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Whickham
- Streets with the most crime in Whickham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Whickham
- Demographics of Whickham
- Questions about crime in Whickham
- About this data
Crime map
Shoplifting (349), violence and sexual offences (322) and anti-social behaviour (222) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 465th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Whickham | Gateshead | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,404 | 19,271 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 90.5 | 95.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -23% | -15% | -1% |
| Population | 15,522 | 202,760 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Whickham of any year here (1,404 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 29%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,404 | 90.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,817 | 117.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,786 | 115.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,026 | 130.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,902 | 122.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,731 | 111.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,684 | 108.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,817 | 117.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,973 | 127.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 133 |
| July 2026 | 115 |
| June 2026 | 118 |
| May 2026 | 106 |
| April 2026 | 120 |
| March 2026 | 110 |
| February 2026 | 96 |
| January 2026 | 41 |
| December 2025 | 154 |
| November 2025 | 141 |
| October 2025 | 154 |
| September 2025 | 116 |
Compared with England and Wales, Whickham recorded notably more shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate) and other crime (58% above the national rate), and notably less drugs (55% below) and violence and sexual offences (39% below). On the year before, other crime rose from 32 to 52 and vehicle crime rose from 56 to 65, while criminal damage and arson fell from 134 to 82 and violence and sexual offences fell from 461 to 322.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting | 349 | 22.5 | 8.5 | -23% |
| Violence and sexual offences | 322 | 20.7 | 34.2 | -30% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 222 | 14.3 | 15.4 | -27% |
| Public order | 107 | 6.9 | 6.7 | -29% |
| Other theft | 85 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -25% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 82 | 5.3 | 6.7 | -39% |
| Vehicle crime | 65 | 4.2 | 5.0 | +16% |
| Other crime | 52 | 3.4 | 2.1 | +62% |
| Burglary | 51 | 3.3 | 3.6 | -6% |
| Drugs | 23 | 1.5 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Robbery | 17 | 1.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 16 | 1.0 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Whickham; the highest is Stanley (County Durham) (160.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Crawcrook and Greenside (48.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Whickham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaydon | 1,342 | 98.4 | +9% |
| Rowlands Gill | 357 | 63.9 | -29% |
| Ryton | 657 | 78.0 | -14% |
| Gateshead | 12,182 | 105.0 | +16% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 36,743 | 121.3 | +34% |
| Crawcrook and Greenside | 398 | 48.8 | -46% |
| Throckley | 601 | 86.5 | -4% |
| Stanley (County Durham) | 3,177 | 160.9 | +78% |
Of the 2 areas within Whickham, Whickham North had the highest crime rate (192.5 per 1,000) and Whickham South and Sunniside the lowest (38.5), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whickham North | Neighbourhood | 5,869 | 1,130 | 192.5 |
| Whickham South and Sunniside | Neighbourhood | 9,837 | 379 | 38.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 50% of the crime recorded in Whickham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (219).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 219 |
| On or near Parking Area | 143 |
| On or near Theme/Adventure Park | 90 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 48 |
| On or near Front Street | 46 |
| On or near Gibside Way | 45 |
| On or near School Lane | 28 |
| On or near Supermarket | 28 |
| On or near Napier Road | 27 |
| On or near Park Terrace | 23 |
Of the 1,182 crimes in Whickham with a recorded outcome, 38% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 1.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 222 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 451 | 38.2% | 35.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 332 | 28.1% | 4.7% |
| Under investigation | 308 | 26.1% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 55 | 4.7% | 2.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 18 | 1.5% | 5.2% |
| Offender given a caution | 14 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Local resolution | 1 | 0.1% | 3.1% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1 | 0.1% | 34.5% |
Whickham has an estimated population of 15,522 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more retired residents (33%, against 22%), an older population (28%, against 19%) and less private renting (12%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Whickham average decile 7.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Whickham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 28.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 52.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 33.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 75.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Whickham a safe place to live?
Whickham recorded 90.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 465th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Whickham?
Shoplifting was the most common category, with 349 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by violence and sexual offences (322).
Is crime in Whickham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Whickham was down 23% on the year before: 1,404 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,817 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Whickham?
About 15,522 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 28% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Whickham?
Whickham is policed by Northumbria.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.