Crap Towns / Birtley / Crime

How much crime is there in Birtley?

The police recorded 77.6 crimes per 1,000 people a year in Birtley from September 2023 to August 2026, about the same as the typical town's 76.2. The most common was violence and sexual offences, at 30.9. In the 12 months to August 2026 it was 64.7, down from 79.2 in the 12 months to August 2024.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
September 2023 to August 2024	79.2	78.6
September 2024 to August 2025	87.9	77.4
September 2025 to August 2026	64.7	73.7

**By type**
Crime	Here	Typical town
Violence and sexual offences	30.9	34.1
Criminal damage and arson	8.6	7.0
Shoplifting	7.4	7.1
Vehicle crime	6.0	3.8
Other theft	5.9	5.4
Public order	5.9	6.6
Burglary	5.8	3.1
Other crime	3.5	2.0
Drugs	1.8	2.4
Robbery	0.7	0.6
Possession of weapons	0.7	0.8
Theft from the person	0.4	0.4
Bicycle theft	0.3	0.5

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Crimes per 1,000 people a year
Stanley	8.2 km	126
Gateshead	4.6 km	104
Sacriston	9.4 km	91.3
Chester-le-Street	4.8 km	90.9
Washington	4.1 km	81.8
Hebburn	9.3 km	78.4
Birtley	–	77.6
Pelton and Ouston	2.9 km	67.0
Fence Houses	7.9 km	65.3
Shiney Row and Penshaw	7.0 km	53.9
Whickham	8.3 km	46.5
The typical town	–	76.2