Crime in Colwyn Bay: statistics, rates and trends
3,655 crimes were recorded in Colwyn Bay in the 12 months to August 2026, 129.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Colwyn Bay at a glance
- Crime trends in Colwyn Bay
- Types of crime in Colwyn Bay
- Colwyn Bay compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Colwyn Bay
- Streets with the most crime in Colwyn Bay
- What happened after crimes were reported in Colwyn Bay
- Demographics of Colwyn Bay
- Questions about crime in Colwyn Bay
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,567), anti-social behaviour (751), criminal damage and arson (274) and public order (274) made up 78% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 128th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Colwyn Bay | Conwy | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,655 | 12,177 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 129.7 | 106.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 28,172 | 114,891 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Colwyn Bay peaked in the year to August 2022 (4,980 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (3,233). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,655 | 129.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 3,950 | 140.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,098 | 145.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,153 | 147.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,980 | 176.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,107 | 145.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,970 | 140.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,704 | 131.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,233 | 114.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 328 |
| July 2026 | 316 |
| June 2026 | 314 |
| May 2026 | 338 |
| April 2026 | 322 |
| March 2026 | 287 |
| February 2026 | 220 |
| January 2026 | 290 |
| December 2025 | 251 |
| November 2025 | 304 |
| October 2025 | 360 |
| September 2025 | 325 |
Compared with England and Wales, Colwyn Bay recorded notably more possession of weapons (79% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (74% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (62% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (70% below). On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 33 to 49 and other crime rose from 58 to 74, while shoplifting fell from 338 to 257 and burglary fell from 110 to 84.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,567 | 55.6 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 751 | 26.7 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 274 | 9.7 | 6.7 | -14% |
| Public order | 274 | 9.7 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Shoplifting | 257 | 9.1 | 8.5 | -24% |
| Other theft | 166 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -14% |
| Drugs | 91 | 3.2 | 3.3 | +6% |
| Burglary | 84 | 3.0 | 3.6 | -24% |
| Other crime | 74 | 2.6 | 2.1 | +28% |
| Possession of weapons | 49 | 1.7 | 1.0 | +48% |
| Vehicle crime | 42 | 1.5 | 5.0 | +2% |
| Robbery | 15 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 5 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Colwyn Bay; the highest is Llandudno (213.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Conwy (76.5).
Of the 7 areas within Colwyn Bay, Glyn had the highest crime rate (228.5 per 1,000) and Rhiw the lowest (96.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glyn | Neighbourhood | 4,657 | 1,064 | 228.5 |
| Colwyn | Neighbourhood | 4,473 | 515 | 115.1 |
| Eirias | Neighbourhood | 3,537 | 399 | 112.8 |
| Llandrillo-yn-Rhos | Neighbourhood | 7,186 | 730 | 101.6 |
| Mochdre | Neighbourhood | 1,975 | 194 | 98.2 |
| Llysfaen | Neighbourhood | 2,714 | 261 | 96.2 |
| Rhiw | Neighbourhood | 6,383 | 613 | 96.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Colwyn Bay over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (187).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 187 |
| On or near Supermarket | 136 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 101 |
| On or near Hospital | 72 |
| On or near Station Road | 69 |
| On or near Penrhyn Road | 66 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 64 |
| On or near Princes Drive | 63 |
| On or near Woodland Road East | 56 |
| On or near Bodelwyddan Avenue | 55 |
Of the 2,904 crimes in Colwyn Bay with a recorded outcome, 16% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 751 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,335 | 46.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 476 | 16.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 425 | 14.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 198 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 167 | 5.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 92 | 3.2% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 89 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 80 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 24 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Colwyn Bay has an estimated population of 28,172 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (26%, against 19%), more retired residents (28%, against 22%) and fewer students (5.9%, against 7.9%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Colwyn Bay average decile 5.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Colwyn Bay | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 33.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 63.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.4 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 10.9% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Colwyn Bay a safe place to live?
Colwyn Bay recorded 129.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 128th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Colwyn Bay?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,567 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (751).
Is crime in Colwyn Bay going up or down?
Recorded crime in Colwyn Bay was down 7% on the year before: 3,655 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 3,950 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Colwyn Bay?
About 28,172 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 26% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Colwyn Bay?
Colwyn Bay is policed by North Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.