Crap Towns / Washington / Crime

How much crime is there in Washington?

The police recorded 81.8 crimes per 1,000 people a year in Washington from September 2023 to August 2026, 7% higher than 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 73.6, down from 90.6 in the 12 months to August 2024.

**Over time**
Period	Here	Typical town
September 2023 to August 2024	90.6	78.6
September 2024 to August 2025	80.7	77.4
September 2025 to August 2026	73.6	73.7

**By type**
Crime	Here	Typical town
Violence and sexual offences	30.9	34.1
Shoplifting	11.5	7.1
Criminal damage and arson	10.2	7.0
Public order	6.7	6.6
Other theft	5.5	5.4
Vehicle crime	5.2	3.8
Burglary	4.8	3.1
Other crime	3.3	2.0
Drugs	1.4	2.4
Possession of weapons	0.8	0.8
Robbery	0.8	0.6
Bicycle theft	0.4	0.5
Theft from the person	0.3	0.4

**Nearby towns**
Town	Distance	Crimes per 1,000 people a year
Jarrow	7.7 km	112
Sunderland	6.8 km	111
Gateshead	5.7 km	104
Boldon Colliery	6.2 km	94.6
Chester-le-Street	6.8 km	90.9
Washington	–	81.8
Birtley	4.1 km	77.6
Pelton and Ouston	6.5 km	67.0
Fence Houses	6.9 km	65.3
Shiney Row and Penshaw	4.7 km	53.9
East Boldon and West Boldon	6.8 km	46.9
The typical town	–	76.2