Crime in Batley: statistics, rates and trends
4,884 crimes were recorded in Batley in the 12 months to August 2026, 114.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 8% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,924), anti-social behaviour (690) and shoplifting (391) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 219th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Batley | Kirklees | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,884 | 43,862 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 114.6 | 97.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +8% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 42,616 | 447,847 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Batley peaked in the year to August 2019 (6,660 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (4,524). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 19%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,884 | 114.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,524 | 106.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,958 | 116.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,706 | 133.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,598 | 131.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,308 | 124.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,754 | 135.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,660 | 156.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,024 | 141.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 469 |
| July 2026 | 473 |
| June 2026 | 443 |
| May 2026 | 498 |
| April 2026 | 450 |
| March 2026 | 351 |
| February 2026 | 305 |
| January 2026 | 337 |
| December 2025 | 348 |
| November 2025 | 375 |
| October 2025 | 414 |
| September 2025 | 421 |
Compared with England and Wales, Batley recorded notably more other crime (88% above the national rate), violence and sexual offences (32% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (31% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (67% below) and robbery (26% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 432 to 690 and robbery rose from 32 to 43.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,924 | 45.1 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 690 | 16.2 | 15.4 | +60% |
| Shoplifting | 391 | 9.2 | 8.5 | +21% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 377 | 8.8 | 6.7 | +15% |
| Public order | 364 | 8.5 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Other theft | 257 | 6.0 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Vehicle crime | 254 | 6.0 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Burglary | 195 | 4.6 | 3.6 | +26% |
| Other crime | 169 | 4.0 | 2.1 | +5% |
| Drugs | 146 | 3.4 | 3.3 | +7% |
| Robbery | 43 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +34% |
| Possession of weapons | 39 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +8% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 11 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Batley; the highest is Morley (Leeds) (133.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Gomersal and Birkenshaw (73.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Batley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heckmondwike | 1,134 | 95.4 | -17% |
| Dewsbury | 8,191 | 125.1 | +9% |
| Gomersal and Birkenshaw | 1,178 | 73.1 | -36% |
| Liversedge | 1,687 | 103.7 | -10% |
| Morley (Leeds) | 4,442 | 133.4 | +16% |
| Gildersome | 599 | 95.7 | -17% |
| East Ardsley | 1,125 | 77.9 | -32% |
| Cleckheaton | 1,521 | 123.0 | +7% |
Of the 2 areas within Batley, Batley West had the highest crime rate (128.2 per 1,000) and Batley East the lowest (91.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batley West | Neighbourhood | 22,163 | 2,841 | 128.2 |
| Batley East | Neighbourhood | 15,879 | 1,450 | 91.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 22% of the crime recorded in Batley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (436).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 436 |
| On or near Upper Blakeridge Lane | 126 |
| On or near Parking Area | 117 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 94 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 66 |
| On or near White Horse Close | 64 |
| On or near Lowood Lane | 55 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 49 |
| On or near Hyrst Walk | 45 |
| On or near York Grove | 44 |
Of the 4,194 crimes in Batley with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 690 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,551 | 37.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,261 | 30.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 614 | 14.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 181 | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 176 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 129 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 103 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 72 | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 59 | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 24 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Batley has an estimated population of 42,616 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (26%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and a younger population (14%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Batley average decile 3.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Batley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 54.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 26.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 20.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Batley a safe place to live?
Batley recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 219th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Batley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,924 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (690).
Is crime in Batley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Batley was up 8% on the year before: 4,884 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,524 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Batley?
About 42,616 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Batley?
Batley is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.