Crime in Brecon: statistics, rates and trends
728 crimes were recorded in Brecon in the 12 months to August 2026, 113.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (320), anti-social behaviour (85) and criminal damage and arson (84) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 236th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Brecon | Powys | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 728 | 10,323 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 113.2 | 76.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +7% | -1% |
| Population | 6,431 | 135,059 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Brecon peaked in the year to August 2022 (959 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (515). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 728 | 113.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 709 | 110.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 515 | 80.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 807 | 125.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 959 | 149.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 891 | 138.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 870 | 135.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 758 | 117.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 734 | 114.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 61 |
| July 2026 | 88 |
| June 2026 | 64 |
| May 2026 | 58 |
| April 2026 | 59 |
| March 2026 | 70 |
| February 2026 | 58 |
| January 2026 | 67 |
| December 2025 | 40 |
| November 2025 | 52 |
| October 2025 | 60 |
| September 2025 | 51 |
Compared with England and Wales, Brecon recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (94% above the national rate), public order (54% above the national rate) and drugs (47% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (54% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 49 to 85 and other theft rose from 33 to 39, while shoplifting fell from 40 to 25.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 320 | 49.8 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 85 | 13.2 | 15.4 | +73% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 84 | 13.1 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Public order | 66 | 10.3 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Other theft | 39 | 6.1 | 6.4 | +18% |
| Drugs | 31 | 4.8 | 3.3 | -14% |
| Burglary | 29 | 4.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 25 | 3.9 | 8.5 | -38% |
| Vehicle crime | 17 | 2.6 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 16 | 2.5 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
7 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Brecon; the highest is Rhymney (183.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Aberdare (95.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Brecon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merthyr Tydfil | 4,434 | 115.4 | +2% |
| Tredegar | 2,425 | 182.4 | +61% |
| Ebbw Vale | 3,028 | 147.8 | +31% |
| Rhymney | 972 | 183.7 | +62% |
| Brynmawr | 887 | 162.2 | +43% |
| Aberdare | 3,670 | 95.8 | -15% |
| Abergavenny | 1,920 | 132.2 | +17% |
| Abertillery | 1,570 | 143.4 | +27% |
Of the 2 areas within Brecon, Brecon East had the highest crime rate (109.4 per 1,000) and Brecon West the lowest (89.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brecon East | Neighbourhood | 5,182 | 567 | 109.4 |
| Brecon West | Neighbourhood | 3,168 | 283 | 89.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 42% of the crime recorded in Brecon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (69).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 69 |
| On or near Heol Y Ffynnon | 40 |
| On or near Uplands | 34 |
| On or near Cradoc Close | 27 |
| On or near Parking Area | 26 |
| On or near Llys Yr Arad | 25 |
| On or near Newgate Street | 24 |
| On or near Ashfield Place | 23 |
| On or near Mill Street | 19 |
| On or near B4601 | 18 |
Of the 643 crimes in Brecon with a recorded outcome, 19% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 85 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 293 | 45.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 124 | 19.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 65 | 10.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 46 | 7.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 38 | 5.9% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 22 | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 16 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 14 | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 1.7% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Brecon has an estimated population of 6,431 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (24%, against 17%), an older population (27%, against 19%) and more retired residents (29%, against 22%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Brecon average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Brecon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (Wales) |
Is Brecon a safe place to live?
Brecon recorded 113.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 236th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and public order.
What is the most common crime in Brecon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 320 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (85).
Is crime in Brecon going up or down?
Recorded crime in Brecon was up 3% on the year before: 728 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 709 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Brecon?
About 6,431 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Brecon?
Brecon is policed by Dyfed-Powys.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.