Crime in Washington
Recorded crime in Washington is 0.8 times the Sunderland average and 0.9 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 10%. 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 Washington: about 20,882 residents in 24 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- −10%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 0.8×the Sunderland average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Washington.
Crime over 5 years
Down 10% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Washington, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the Sunderland average (0.9× the England and Wales average). 87 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 67% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 67% 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: 28 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 Washington. 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 NE38
In NE38, the postcode district at the centre of Washington, 5% 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) | 872 | 3% | 2% | 0% | 29% | 66% |
| Shoplifting | 253 | 17% | 0% | 0% | 57% | 27% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 225 | 2% | 3% | 0% | 74% | 21% |
| Public order | 211 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 41% | 53% |
| Burglary | 149 | 5% | 0% | 0% | 83% | 13% |
| Other theft | 127 | 1% | 0% | 0% | 66% | 33% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 111 | 4% | 0% | 0% | 83% | 14% |
| Other crime | 86 | 5% | 0% | 0% | 41% | 55% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 45% 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 | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 3.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 31.0 |
| Drugs | 1.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 2.4 |
| Other theft | 7.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.8 |
| Public order | 9.4 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.7 |
| Shoplifting | 13.1 |
Postcode districts in Washington
Nearby towns
Council: Sunderland
Questions about crime in Washington
- Is Washington a safe place to live?
- Washington scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the Sunderland average.
- Is crime going up or down in Washington?
- Down 10% over 5 years, from 1,766 recorded crimes a year to 1,581.
- What is the most common crime in Washington?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 31 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Washington compare with Sunderland?
- Crime severity in Washington is 0.8 times the Sunderland average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Washington?
- In NE38, the postcode district at the centre of Washington, 5% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 49% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Washington?
- Of 149 burglaries reported in NE38, the postcode district at the centre of Washington between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 83% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Washington?
- In Sunderland, the council area Washington is in, 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 Washington?
- 2,597 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Sunderland, the council area Washington is in, 9.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Washington last year?
- 5 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Sunderland, the council area Washington is in, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.