Sunderland Crime Rate February 2024 | Monthly Statistics

For every 1,000 residents in Sunderland, 9.4 crimes were reported in February 2024 — a rate 32.4% higher than the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000. This figure translates to a daily risk of one in 10.7 residents encountering a crime, a statistic that may feel more tangible when considering the city's industrial and coastal character. The most common crimes were violence and sexual offences (36% of total), followed by anti-social behaviour (16.9%) and criminal damage and arson (12.5%). These patterns align with Sunderland's mix of urban and industrial areas, where anti-social behaviour may be exacerbated by the density of residential and commercial spaces, while criminal damage could reflect the challenges of maintaining public infrastructure in a historically industrialised region. The winter season, with its low outdoor activity and pre-spring lull, likely contributes to the prominence of indoor crimes like violence and anti-social behaviour, as social interactions shift to enclosed spaces. The rate of violent crime is 36% above the UK average, a disparity that may partly explain the area's higher-than-national exposure to interpersonal crime. Meanwhile, property crimes such as shoplifting and vehicle theft remain below UK averages, suggesting a lower incidence of targeted theft compared to other regions. These findings illustrate a city where the risk of violent crime is high, while property-related offences remain relatively moderate — a balance that may reflect both local demographics and the economic landscape of a post-industrial town.

February saw notable shifts in crime patterns, with bicycle theft surging by 44.4% (18 to 26 incidents) — a figure that may reflect colder weather driving more cyclists to use bikes for commuting. Concurrently, criminal damage and arson rose by 31.1% (257 to 337), a spike that could align with the pre-spring lull in outdoor activity, where vandalism may go unchecked. In contrast, burglary fell by 22.2% (99 to 77), linked to increased indoor activity during winter months. The breakdown reveals violent crime remains the dominant category, with 36% of all incidents — 36% above the UK average — a statistic that underscores the area's particular vulnerability to interpersonal crime. Anti-social behaviour, at 16.9% of total crimes, also exceeds the UK average by 52%, suggesting a need for targeted community interventions in high-risk areas. These fluctuations highlight the dynamic nature of local crime trends, even as the overall rate remains stable.

Sunderland's crime rate in February 2024 remained stable at 9.4 per 1,000 residents, a 1.4% increase from the previous month's 9.2 rate. While the overall figure shows little change, the daily crime count reveals 93 incidents per day, translating to a monthly exposure of one reported crime for every 107 residents. This rate, though consistent with recent months, places Sunderland 32.4% above the UK average, highlighting a persistent gap in local crime trends. The population context further underscores the scale: in a city of nearly 289,000 people, the 2,701 reported crimes represent a significant proportion of daily life. Residents may find the 1-in-107 figure particularly relevant when assessing personal risk, though the stability in month-on-month figures suggests no immediate spikes in criminal activity. The comparison to the UK average remains a critical metric, as Sunderland's rates consistently exceed national benchmarks, warranting closer attention to local factors that may contribute to this disparity.