Birkenhead, SA 5015 Crime Rate: Is it safe?

According to South Australia Police (SAPOL), Birkenhead crime rate for the year ending December 2022 was 5770 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 2% increase from the previous year.

Birkenhead Crime Index

27

(100 is safest)

Safer than 27% of most Australia suburbs

Birkenhead Crime Map

Is Birkenhead Safe?

Birkenhead has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Birkenhead are quite a bit higher than average regarding to most Australian suburbs. Birkenhead is safer than 27% of all Australian suburbs and than 25% of South Australia suburbs. However, Serious Assault not resulting in injury is a common offence in Birkenhead.

Birkenhead Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Birkenhead increased or decreased in the past 5 years? The chart below shows the 60-month historical trend of the number of offences that occurred in Birkenhead.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded by South Australia Police in the year 2022 was 103, up 2% from 101 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Birkenhead is in the 25th percentile for safety, meaning 75% of South Australia suburbs are safer than Birkenhead and 25% of suburbs are more dangerous than Birkenhead.

• Common crime: Serious Assault not resulting in injury.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 35% (11 Incidents) compared to the previous year..

• The number of homicide offences recorded in 2022 increased by 100% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of burglary offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 36% (5 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of theft offences recorded in 2022 increased by 4% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 increased by 100% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of motor vehicle thefts recorded in 2022 increased by 33% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of vandalism offences (Property damage) recorded in 2022 increased by 56% (14 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

Crime in Birkenhead: An In-Depth Analysis

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of recent crime data from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) reveals that Birkenhead’s crime rate is quite a bit higher than average regarding to most Australian suburbs, as it is ranked safer than only 27% of suburbs across the country, irrespective of population size.

Approximately 75% of South Australia suburbs have a lower crime rate compared to Birkenhead. Therefore, Birkenhead’s public safety metrics are generally considered low.

How risky is that? Living in Birkenhead comes with a statistical risk of 1 in 16 of becoming a victim of crime, considering the total rate of crimes against the person and property. In contrast, the average chance of falling victim to crime in South Australia stands at 1 in 16.

To better understand Birkenhead’s overall crime rate, it is essential to examine its performance in crimes against the person and property crimes separately. This approach can provide further insight into whether violent crimes, property crimes, or both, are the primary drivers of the general crime rate in Birkenhead.

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of Birkenhead crime statistics shows that there are 1345 incidents against the person per 100,000 inhabitants in a standard year, compared to the South Australia average rate of 1218. As a result, the chances of becoming a victim of crimes such as homicide, acts intended to cause injury, robbery, and other offences against the person in Birkenhead are 1 in 73.

Our analysis indicates that if you reside in Birkenhead, your chances of falling victim to property crimes, including theft, fraud, property damage, and serious criminal trespass, are 1 in 22, equivalent to a rate of 4426 per 100,000 residents. As a reference, the property crime rate for every 100,000 residents in South Australia is 4816.

Birkenhead Crime Rates by Offences Division

Note: The only crime data that SAPOL presents is Property and person crimes. So you shouldn’t compare the crime rates of suburbs or urban areas with any other areas in another state in Australia.

Birkenhead Crimes Against the Person (Violent crimes)

These are violent crimes against people whether these are family violence or non-family violence. Basically, if someone does something to hurt or scare another person, it’s considered a crime against the person. This includes:

1. “Acts Intended to Cause Injury” is a legal category that includes different types of crimes where someone intentionally tries to harm another person. There are subcategories within this, including:
   • Assault Police: When someone intentionally attacks a police officer while they’re doing their job.
   • Common Assault: This involves deliberately using force or threats to make someone fear they’ll be hurt. It doesn’t necessarily result in serious injuries.
   • Serious Assault Resulting in Injury: This is when someone intentionally harms another person, causing them significant injuries.
   • Serious Assault Not Resulting in Injury: Even if serious harm doesn’t happen, if someone tries to cause it intentionally, it can still be a crime.
2. Homicide and Related offences: These are categories of crimes related to taking someone’s life:
   • Murder: This is the most serious type of crime where someone intentionally kills another person.
   • Other Homicide and Related offences: This category includes various other crimes connected to causing death. These might involve different levels of intent or circumstances, like manslaughter or offences related to causing death through negligence or recklessness.
3. Robbery and related offences: These are the categories of crimes related to robbery:
   • Non-Aggravated Robbery: This is a type of theft where someone takes property from another person using force or threats, but it doesn’t involve additional serious factors.
   • Blackmail and Extortion: These offences involve forcing someone to give you money or property by using threats or information against them. Blackmail is when you threaten to reveal embarrassing or damaging information, while extortion includes broader threats of harm or force.
   • Aggravated Robbery: This is a more severe form of robbery. It happens when someone uses weapons or inflicts serious harm or injury during the robbery. These factors make the crime even more serious and result in harsher penalties.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

Crimes Against the Person Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Crimes Against the Person: Birkenhead vs South Australia

Here is a breakdown of the major Crimes against the person

Note:  The data on sexual assault and related crimes is only available for the entire state of South Australia and not broken down by specific suburbs or urban areas. We have provided state-level statistics for your reference.

Birkenhead Offences Against Property

These are crimes related to stealing or damaging property or deceiving someone for personal gain. Property crimes include:

1. Property damage and environmental offences: These are categories of crimes related to damaging property and environmental violations:
   • Other Property Damage and Environmental: This is a broad category covering various offences related to damaging property or breaking environmental rules. It includes different types of related crimes not mentioned elsewhere.
   • Graffiti: Graffiti involves illegally drawing or writing on buildings or walls without permission, which damages property and is against the law.
   • Property Damage by Fire or Explosion (Arson): Arson is when someone intentionally sets fire to property, causing damage or destruction. This category focuses on property damage caused specifically by fire or explosions, often with criminal intent.
2. Serious criminal trespass: These categories are related to serious criminal trespass, commonly referred to as burglary, and other unlawful entries with different intents:
   • Other Unlawful Entry with Intent: This covers various unauthorized entries into different places where the purpose may not fit into the categories below.
   • Unlawful Entry – Non-Residence: This is when someone breaks into a non-residential place, like a store or office, with the intention to commit a crime, like theft or vandalism. It’s not about homes.
   • Unlawful Entry – Residence: This is about unlawfully entering someone’s home with criminal intent, like to steal or harm. It’s specifically about intrusions into houses.
3. Theft: It can be committed in various forms such as shoplifting, stealing from a person’s home, or taking a vehicle without permission. Other examples include stealing a bicycle, snatching a purse, or taking items from an unattended bag.
   
4.  Fraud, Deception, and Related offences: These are categories of crimes related to fraud and deception in South Australia:
   • Other Fraud, Deception, and Related offences: This covers various types of fraudulent and deceptive activities that don’t fit into specific subcategories. It’s a broad category.
   • Obtain Benefit by Deception: This offence involves deceiving someone to gain an advantage or benefit that you aren’t entitled to. It means obtaining something unfairly through trickery or dishonesty.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of Offences Against Property

Offences Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Against Property offences: Birkenhead vs South Australia

Here is a breakdown of Birkenhead crime rate and offences count for the major property and deception offences.

Birkenhead Crimes per Square KM

How many murders in Birkenhead in 2022?

According to South Australia Police (SAPOL), there were 0 murders in Birkenhead in 2022. The number of homicides (which includes murders and other related offences) was 1.

What’s the most common crime in Birkenhead?

According to the latest available data from South Australia Police (SAPOL), the most common type of crime in Birkenhead is Serious Assault not resulting in injury.

What is the crime rate in Birkenhead?

The overall crime rate in Birkenhead, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 5770 in the year ending December 2022.

However, it’s important to note that this is an aggregate figure that includes all types of crime, and some types of offences are more prevalent than others. Additionally, crime rates can vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher rates of certain types of crime than others.

Is Birkenhead a safe place to live in?

Birkenhead is safer than 27% of suburbs across Australia and the crime rates are quite a bit higher than average regarding to most Australian suburbs. Compared to South Australia suburbs, Birkenhead is safer than 25% of other suburbs in the state which are considered low safety scores in South Australia.

Total Crime Stats of Birkenhead

Note: This article doesn’t have detailed data for family violence, victims, female offenders, reoffending, sexual offences, stalking, and youth crime. For more information about these topics, check our resources page.

References

• South Australia Police (SAPOL)
• South Australia Government Data Directory