Crime in Barnsley: statistics, rates and trends
11,264 crimes were recorded in Barnsley in the 12 months to August 2026, 153.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Barnsley at a glance
- Crime trends in Barnsley
- Types of crime in Barnsley
- Barnsley compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Barnsley
- Streets with the most crime in Barnsley
- What happened after crimes were reported in Barnsley
- Demographics of Barnsley
- Questions about crime in Barnsley
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,948), anti-social behaviour (1,765) and shoplifting (1,013) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 57th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Barnsley | Barnsley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 11,264 | 27,081 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 153.3 | 107.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 73,493 | 251,770 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Barnsley peaked in the year to August 2018 (12,998 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (10,705). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 11,264 | 153.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,977 | 163.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,438 | 169.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 12,815 | 174.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,065 | 164.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,705 | 145.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 11,080 | 150.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 11,217 | 152.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 12,998 | 176.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 984 |
| July 2026 | 1,068 |
| June 2026 | 1,015 |
| May 2026 | 1,002 |
| April 2026 | 923 |
| March 2026 | 949 |
| February 2026 | 727 |
| January 2026 | 825 |
| December 2025 | 912 |
| November 2025 | 896 |
| October 2025 | 969 |
| September 2025 | 994 |
Compared with England and Wales, Barnsley recorded notably more other crime (2.5 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (2.0 times the national rate) and public order (92% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (50% below) and bicycle theft (42% below). On the year before, possession of weapons fell from 136 to 100 and burglary fell from 544 to 448.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,948 | 53.7 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,765 | 24.0 | 15.4 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 1,013 | 13.8 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,008 | 13.7 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Public order | 940 | 12.8 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Other theft | 621 | 8.4 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Burglary | 448 | 6.1 | 3.6 | -18% |
| Vehicle crime | 437 | 5.9 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Other crime | 382 | 5.2 | 2.1 | -14% |
| Drugs | 354 | 4.8 | 3.3 | +12% |
| Robbery | 151 | 2.1 | 1.4 | +3% |
| Possession of weapons | 100 | 1.4 | 1.0 | -26% |
| Theft from the person | 62 | 0.8 | 1.7 | -6% |
| Bicycle theft | 35 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -10% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Barnsley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worsbrough | 1,154 | 119.4 | -22% |
| Barugh Green and Redbrook | 486 | 71.4 | -53% |
| Dodworth | 420 | 70.2 | -54% |
| Darton | 989 | 59.2 | -61% |
| Cudworth and Shafton | 1,258 | 99.9 | -35% |
| Royston (Barnsley) | 965 | 93.2 | -39% |
| Wombwell | 1,523 | 92.2 | -40% |
| Grimethorpe | 717 | 115.2 | -25% |
Of the 6 areas within Barnsley, Kingstone had the highest crime rate (276.1 per 1,000) and Old Town the lowest (118.8).
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Barnsley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (559).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 559 |
| On or near Nightclub | 531 |
| On or near Parking Area | 460 |
| On or near Hanson Street | 423 |
| On or near Churchfield | 212 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 206 |
| On or near Nelson Street | 189 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 169 |
| On or near Hospital | 154 |
| On or near Locke Street | 113 |
Of the 9,499 crimes in Barnsley with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,765 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,288 | 45.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,570 | 27.1% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 722 | 7.6% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 676 | 7.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 384 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 365 | 3.8% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 247 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 75 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 71 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 49 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 38 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 12 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Barnsley has an estimated population of 73,493 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Barnsley average decile 3.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Barnsley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 29.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Barnsley a safe place to live?
Barnsley recorded 153.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 57th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Barnsley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,948 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,765).
Is crime in Barnsley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Barnsley was down 6% on the year before: 11,264 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,977 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Barnsley?
About 73,493 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Barnsley?
Barnsley is policed by South Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.