Crime in Sandwell
Recorded crime in Sandwell is 1.3 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
353,860 residents in 190 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 8.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- −15%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 15% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Sandwell, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the England and Wales average. 94 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 15% of the harm here
- Robbery: 11% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 11 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 2.3 |
| Burglary | 6.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 39.8 |
| Drugs | 2.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.4 |
| Other crime | 1.9 |
| Other theft | 6.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 10.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.3 |
| Public order | 7.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.5 |
| Shoplifting | 6.4 |
What crimes are recorded in Sandwell
95.9 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Sandwell in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 34,269. Home Office recorded crime: 33,921 (1% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 1,619 | 4.6 | Up 3% |
| Cars broken into | 1,181 | 3.3 | Up 11% |
| Vehicle tampering | 391 | 1.1 | Down 13% |
| Vandalism to homes | 711 | 2.0 | Down 10% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 252 | 0.71 | Up 4% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 1,078 | 3.0 | About the same |
| Arson | 141 | 0.40 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 781 | 2.2 | Down 11% |
| Burglary of businesses | 366 | 1.0 | Down 31% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 5 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 439 | 1.2 | Up 10% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 328 | 0.93 | Up 33% |
| Robbery of people | 492 | 1.4 | Down 32% |
| Robbery of businesses | 228 | 0.64 | Up 74% |
| Violence with injury | 3,546 | 10.0 | Down 6% |
| Violence without injury | 6,589 | 18.6 | Up 2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 4,261 | 12.0 | Down 2% |
| Sexual offences | 1,169 | 3.3 | Up 2% |
| Shoplifting | 3,326 | 9.4 | Up 23% |
| Bicycle theft | 119 | 0.34 | Up 8% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 182 | 0.51 | Down 23% |
| Drug dealing | 174 | 0.49 | About the same |
| Drug possession | 1,084 | 3.1 | Up 57% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
West Midlands Police area: 3,790 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (4,444 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Sandwell.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Sandwell, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 15,461 | 7% | 8% | 73% | 11% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 3,148 | 27% | 5% | 20% | 48% | 0% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3,056 | 3% | 0% | 18% | 78% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 2,815 | 6% | 6% | 43% | 45% | 1% |
| Other theft | 2,151 | 3% | 3% | 37% | 56% | 2% |
| Public order | 2,056 | 13% | 6% | 59% | 20% | 2% |
| Burglary | 1,343 | 6% | 1% | 21% | 71% | 1% |
| Drugs | 1,071 | 20% | 56% | 17% | 4% | 3% |
| Robbery | 838 | 14% | 2% | 26% | 57% | 2% |
| Other crime | 802 | 17% | 9% | 57% | 15% | 2% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 728 | 28% | 8% | 43% | 20% | 2% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 242 | 2% | 1% | 36% | 58% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 104 | 2% | 2% | 18% | 76% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 1% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Sandwell
Postcode districts in Sandwell
Questions about crime in Sandwell
- Is Sandwell a safe place to live?
- Sandwell scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Sandwell?
- Down 15% over 5 years, from 41,295 recorded crimes a year to 34,990.
- What is the most common crime in Sandwell?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Sandwell?
- In Sandwell, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 31% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Sandwell?
- Of 1,343 burglaries reported in Sandwell between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 71% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Sandwell?
- In Sandwell, the police recorded 1,619 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 4.6 per 1,000 residents, up 3% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Sandwell?
- 2,041 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Sandwell in 2025/26, 5.8 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Sandwell last year?
- 5 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Sandwell in 2025/26, against 5 the year before.