Crime in Sunderland
Recorded crime in Sunderland is 1.4 times the Sunderland council average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 16%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Sunderland: about 85,231 residents in 71 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 8.0/10Good
- 5-year change
- −16%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Sunderland council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Sunderland.
Crime over 5 years
Down 16% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Sunderland, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Sunderland council average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 142 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 59% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 34 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Sunderland (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Sunderland council area, not only the city of Sunderland. 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 | 478 | 1.7 | Down 11% |
| Cars broken into | 501 | 1.7 | Down 46% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 2,597 | 9.0 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 818 | 2.8 | Down 7% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 5 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SR2
In SR2, the postcode district at the centre of Sunderland, 6% 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) | 1,735 | 6% | 2% | 0% | 30% | 62% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 407 | 5% | 2% | 0% | 58% | 35% |
| Public order | 366 | 5% | 1% | 0% | 31% | 63% |
| Other theft | 251 | 2% | 0% | 0% | 70% | 27% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 235 | 8% | 0% | 0% | 81% | 11% |
| Burglary | 174 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 79% | 15% |
| Shoplifting | 143 | 17% | 0% | 0% | 53% | 29% |
| Drugs | 138 | 12% | 12% | 1% | 28% | 47% |
| Other crime | 128 | 8% | 2% | 0% | 25% | 66% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 49% 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 | 1.3 |
| Burglary | 8.6 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 47.8 |
| Drugs | 3.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.3 |
| Other crime | 3.6 |
| Other theft | 12.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 18.0 |
| Public order | 17.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.7 |
| Shoplifting | 16.3 |
Postcode districts in Sunderland
Nearby towns
Council: Sunderland
Questions about crime in Sunderland
- Is Sunderland a safe place to live?
- Sunderland scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Sunderland council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Sunderland?
- Down 16% over 5 years, from 11,552 recorded crimes a year to 9,744.
- What is the most common crime in Sunderland?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 48 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Sunderland compare with Sunderland council?
- Crime severity in Sunderland is 1.4 times the Sunderland council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Sunderland?
- In SR2, the postcode district at the centre of Sunderland, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 43% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Sunderland?
- Of 174 burglaries reported in SR2, the postcode district at the centre of Sunderland between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Sunderland?
- In the Sunderland council area, the police recorded 478 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.7 per 1,000 residents, down 11% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Sunderland?
- 2,597 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Sunderland council area, 9.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Sunderland last year?
- 5 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Sunderland council area, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.