Birmingham’s Crime Rates: Explained

Written by regionadmin

28th October 2020

birmingham crime rate

Birmingham Crime Rate

Birmingham has long struggled with crime, keeping yourself safe in any city is always going to be an issue but when the city is the second largest in the country, this is only exacerbated.

We are going to run through each type of crime Plumplot has reported on in relation to the national average to get a better idea of what Birmingham crime rate is really like.

Let’s discuss what we found…

Most Common Crimes In Birmingham

Birmingham is one of the most popular cities in the West Midlands. Some of the most common crimes in Birmingham are:

  • Robbery
  • Vehicle Crime
  • Burglary
  • Weapon Possession
  • Violent Crime
  • Other Theft
  • Public Order Crime
  • Shoplifting
  • Criminal Damage And Arson
  • Theft From Person
  • Drugs
  • Anti-Social Behaviour Crimes
  • Bicycle Theft
  • Other Crimes

Robbery – 224% Of The National Average

Starting at the top, the most prevalent criminal activity currently in Birmingham is robbery, this is defined as the use or expected use of force in order to steal something from someone directly. This is over double the national average of cases and obviously represents a large problem.

Weapons Possession – 143% Of The National Average

Unfortunately, coming in at the second highest is weapons possession, this could include anything from knives to firearms. It is only slightly above the national average but it is enough of a dangerous crime for this to worry residents considerably.

Vehicle Crime – 140% Of The National Average

Vehicle crime comes in at slightly lower than weapons possession, this could include things like stealing or weaponizing vehicles, leading to once again, another worrying crime.

birmingham crime statistics

Burglary – 137% Of The National Average

Burglary is defined as stealing items from someone’s property or premises, this means for residents living in and around the Birmingham area, you may have to get some sort of security measures installed on your property to ensure you aren’t a victim.

Violent Crime – 118% Of The National Average

Violent crime is a very broad designation, making it difficult to pinpoint what is and isn’t a violent crime, in general, this consists of anything which would inflict some kind of pain on someone else or the threat of such. This is only just above average which is a very positive sign given that large cities like Birmingham typically have this as more of a rampant issue.

Other Theft – 97% Of The National Average

Other theft just constitutes all other instances whereby someone has taken something from someone else that doesn’t strictly fall into robbery or burglary.

Public Order Crime – 95% Of The National Average

Public order crime is defined as “crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently” and so with it being below the national average, it is easy to see that this isn’t too much of an issue in Birmingham.

Shoplifting – 90% Of The National Average

Shoplifting is simply defined as the act of stealing products from a shop without paying for them, this is seen to be slightly below the national average so shopkeepers can rest a little easier.

crime in birmingham

Other Crime – 89% Of The National Average

As you might expect, other crime consists of any other act of criminal activity that isn’t strictly defined by one of the mentioned categories. Whilst there isn’t a hard and fast verdict on what other crime strictly “is”, it does allow for the filing and management of anomalous acts of criminal activity.

Criminal Damage And Arson – 87% Of The National Average

Criminal damage and arson are what it says on the tin, any malicious act of damage to a property or premise be it through the use of fire or other methods comes under this. Due to Birmingham being a densely populated area, this may explain why this is slightly lower than average due to how a potential fire or act of damage could spread.

Theft From The Person – 70% Of The National Average

Whilst robbery is theft from someone using or implying the use of force, theft from the person instead covers all the more subtle ways of stealing from someone including pickpocketing or taking their items when they aren’t looking.

Drugs – 70% Of The National Average

Despite the intense nightlife, it appears that drug use isn’t nearly as much of an issue in Birmingham as in a lot of other places around the UK, this act of criminal activity covers the possession or consumption of any drugs classified as illegal

Antisocial Behaviour Crime – 66% Of The National Average

Antisocial behaviour is anything which disrupts or impedes the general populous, things like loud noises, loitering and public indecency would come under this category.

Bicycle Theft – 54% Of The National Average

Finally comes bicycle theft, sitting at a measly 54% of the national average, bicycles in Birmingham are generally safe from the hands of prying thieves.

To keep updated with all the latest West Midlands news head over to our news page where you can find articles about the crime rate in Wolverhampton and how to stay safe in Birmingham.

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