Crime in Butetown: statistics, rates and trends
3,093 crimes were recorded in Butetown in the 12 months to August 2026, 228.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (902), anti-social behaviour (465) and shoplifting (403) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 145th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Butetown | Cardiff | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,093 | 42,811 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 228.3 | 111.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -2% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 13,550 | 383,919 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Butetown peaked in the year to August 2024 (3,642 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (2,479). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,093 | 228.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,158 | 233.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,642 | 268.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,065 | 226.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,479 | 183.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,002 | 221.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,770 | 204.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,665 | 196.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,703 | 199.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 355 |
| July 2026 | 330 |
| June 2026 | 264 |
| May 2026 | 276 |
| April 2026 | 260 |
| March 2026 | 221 |
| February 2026 | 214 |
| January 2026 | 221 |
| December 2025 | 207 |
| November 2025 | 226 |
| October 2025 | 290 |
| September 2025 | 229 |
Compared with England and Wales, Butetown recorded notably more bicycle theft (5.8 times the national rate), public order (4.2 times the national rate) and drugs (4.0 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 34 to 41, while other crime fell from 60 to 39 and other theft fell from 176 to 143.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 902 | 66.6 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 465 | 34.3 | 15.4 | -10% |
| Shoplifting | 403 | 29.7 | 8.5 | +1% |
| Public order | 383 | 28.3 | 6.7 | +2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 204 | 15.1 | 6.7 | +10% |
| Drugs | 176 | 13.0 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Vehicle crime | 152 | 11.2 | 5.0 | -18% |
| Other theft | 143 | 10.6 | 6.4 | -19% |
| Bicycle theft | 65 | 4.8 | 0.8 | -8% |
| Burglary | 60 | 4.4 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Robbery | 41 | 3.0 | 1.4 | +21% |
| Other crime | 39 | 2.9 | 2.1 | -35% |
| Possession of weapons | 36 | 2.7 | 1.0 | +6% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 1.8 | 1.7 | +4% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Butetown; the highest is Cathays (304.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Penylan (86.0).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Butetown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grangetown | 2,331 | 104.7 | -54% |
| Adamsdown | 2,948 | 222.9 | -2% |
| Riverside | 2,505 | 175.8 | -23% |
| Splott | 1,758 | 118.3 | -48% |
| Plasnewydd | 2,347 | 117.0 | -49% |
| Cathays | 7,292 | 304.8 | +34% |
| Canton | 1,499 | 89.0 | -61% |
| Penylan | 1,152 | 86.0 | -62% |
The 10 locations below account for 60% of the crime recorded in Butetown over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Police Station” (408).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Police Station | 408 |
| On or near Tresillian Terrace | 284 |
| On or near Ellen Street | 244 |
| On or near Parking Area | 222 |
| On or near Bute Crescent | 205 |
| On or near Tyndall Street | 178 |
| On or near Brigantine Place | 87 |
| On or near North Church Street | 80 |
| On or near Tresillian Way | 78 |
| On or near Falcon Drive | 75 |
Of the 2,628 crimes in Butetown with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 13% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 465 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 830 | 31.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 665 | 25.3% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 462 | 17.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 343 | 13.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 141 | 5.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 91 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 27 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 22 | 0.8% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 22 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 6 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 4 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Butetown has an estimated population of 13,550 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (19.3%, against 7.9%), more private renting (48%, against 20%) and more unemployed residents (5.8%, against 3.4%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Butetown average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Butetown | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 12.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 7.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 8.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 19.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 53.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 35.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 32.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 48.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.4% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Butetown a safe place to live?
Butetown recorded 228.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 145th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and public order.
What is the most common crime in Butetown?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 902 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (465).
Is crime in Butetown going up or down?
Recorded crime in Butetown was down 2% on the year before: 3,093 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,158 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Butetown?
About 13,550 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 7.9% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Butetown?
Butetown is policed by South Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.