Crime in Bootle
Recorded crime in Bootle is 1.8 times the Sefton average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 19%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Bootle: about 36,721 residents in 34 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.5/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −19%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.8×the Sefton average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Bootle.
Crime over 5 years
Down 19% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Bootle, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.8× the Sefton average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 139 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Drugs: 9% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 23 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Sefton (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Sefton council area, not only Bootle. 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 | 246 | 0.86 | Down 18% |
| Cars broken into | 340 | 1.2 | Down 28% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,444 | 5.0 | Up 3% |
| Burglary of homes | 318 | 1.1 | Down 29% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in L20
In L20, the postcode district at the centre of Bootle, 13% 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) | 2,228 | 9% | 5% | 71% | 13% | 2% |
| Drugs | 526 | 35% | 52% | 11% | 1% | 1% |
| Public order | 496 | 10% | 1% | 56% | 31% | 1% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 429 | 5% | 1% | 28% | 66% | 0% |
| Other theft | 276 | 4% | 0% | 28% | 66% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 269 | 30% | 3% | 20% | 47% | 0% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 186 | 6% | 0% | 16% | 77% | 1% |
| Burglary | 122 | 10% | 0% | 16% | 72% | 2% |
| Other crime | 117 | 24% | 2% | 52% | 15% | 8% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
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 | 1.2 |
| Burglary | 6.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 61.0 |
| Drugs | 12.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.3 |
| Other crime | 3.2 |
| Other theft | 8.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 5.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 14.2 |
| Public order | 15.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.6 |
| Shoplifting | 7.6 |
Postcode districts in Bootle
Nearby towns
Council: Sefton
Questions about crime in Bootle
- Is Bootle a safe place to live?
- Bootle scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.8 times the Sefton average.
- Is crime going up or down in Bootle?
- Down 19% over 5 years, from 6,232 recorded crimes a year to 5,047.
- What is the most common crime in Bootle?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 61 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Bootle compare with Sefton?
- Crime severity in Bootle is 1.8 times the Sefton average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Bootle?
- In L20, the postcode district at the centre of Bootle, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 28% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Bootle?
- Of 122 burglaries reported in L20, the postcode district at the centre of Bootle between September 2024 and August 2025, 10% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 72% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Bootle?
- In Sefton, the council area Bootle is in, the police recorded 246 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.9 per 1,000 residents, down 18% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Bootle?
- 1,444 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Sefton, the council area Bootle is in, 5.0 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Bootle last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Sefton, the council area Bootle is in, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.