Crime in Doncaster: statistics, rates and trends
17,801 crimes were recorded in Doncaster in the 12 months to August 2026, 191.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Doncaster at a glance
- Crime trends in Doncaster
- Types of crime in Doncaster
- Doncaster compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Doncaster
- Streets with the most crime in Doncaster
- What happened after crimes were reported in Doncaster
- Demographics of Doncaster
- Questions about crime in Doncaster
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,709), shoplifting (2,544) and anti-social behaviour (2,366) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 16th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Doncaster | Doncaster | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 17,801 | 42,135 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 191.8 | 131.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 92,814 | 319,765 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Doncaster peaked in the year to August 2023 (20,426 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (16,949). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 17,801 | 191.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 17,867 | 192.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 18,624 | 200.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 20,426 | 220.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 19,167 | 206.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 16,949 | 182.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 17,394 | 187.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 18,245 | 196.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,345 | 208.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,568 |
| July 2026 | 1,533 |
| June 2026 | 1,554 |
| May 2026 | 1,568 |
| April 2026 | 1,441 |
| March 2026 | 1,641 |
| February 2026 | 1,298 |
| January 2026 | 1,438 |
| December 2025 | 1,405 |
| November 2025 | 1,440 |
| October 2025 | 1,440 |
| September 2025 | 1,475 |
Compared with England and Wales, Doncaster recorded notably more shoplifting (3.2 times the national rate), other crime (2.7 times the national rate) and robbery (2.7 times the national rate). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 1,863 to 2,544 and robbery rose from 264 to 341, while drugs fell from 784 to 541 and burglary fell from 870 to 689.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,709 | 61.5 | 34.2 | -1% |
| Shoplifting | 2,544 | 27.4 | 8.5 | +37% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,366 | 25.5 | 15.4 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,281 | 13.8 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Public order | 1,209 | 13.0 | 6.7 | -11% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,121 | 12.1 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Other theft | 1,022 | 11.0 | 6.4 | -1% |
| Burglary | 689 | 7.4 | 3.6 | -21% |
| Drugs | 541 | 5.8 | 3.3 | -31% |
| Other crime | 530 | 5.7 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Robbery | 341 | 3.7 | 1.4 | +29% |
| Possession of weapons | 173 | 1.9 | 1.0 | -19% |
| Bicycle theft | 148 | 1.6 | 0.8 | +6% |
| Theft from the person | 127 | 1.4 | 1.7 | -14% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Doncaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprotbrough | 581 | 77.7 | -59% |
| Bentley (Doncaster) | 1,712 | 153.0 | -20% |
| Armthorpe | 1,460 | 98.7 | -49% |
| Scawthorpe and Cusworth | 1,455 | 105.1 | -45% |
| New Rossington and Rossington | 1,091 | 74.5 | -61% |
| Warmsworth | 1,414 | 113.3 | -41% |
| Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe | 716 | 63.4 | -67% |
| Finningley | 303 | 54.7 | -71% |
Of the 6 areas within Doncaster, Town had the highest crime rate (330.1 per 1,000) and Finningley the lowest (46.4), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Neighbourhood | 22,905 | 7,561 | 330.1 |
| Hexthorpe & Balby North | Neighbourhood | 14,704 | 3,315 | 225.4 |
| Wheatley Hills & Intake | Neighbourhood | 19,187 | 3,166 | 165.0 |
| Balby South | Neighbourhood | 8,978 | 1,200 | 133.7 |
| Bessacarr | Neighbourhood | 15,738 | 1,630 | 103.6 |
| Finningley | Neighbourhood | 18,611 | 864 | 46.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Doncaster over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (863).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 863 |
| On or near Parking Area | 505 |
| On or near Nightclub | 492 |
| On or near Dublin Road | 476 |
| On or near Supermarket | 465 |
| On or near St Sepulchre Gate | 346 |
| On or near Balby Road | 345 |
| On or near Hospital | 325 |
| On or near Prison | 301 |
| On or near Police Station | 294 |
Of the 15,435 crimes in Doncaster with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,366 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 6,133 | 39.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,505 | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,116 | 7.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 969 | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 537 | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 431 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 425 | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 138 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 107 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 41 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 31 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Doncaster has an estimated population of 92,814 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (25%, against 18%), more households without a car (31%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Doncaster average decile 3.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Doncaster | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 55.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.4% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 31.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Doncaster a safe place to live?
Doncaster recorded 191.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 16th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Doncaster?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,709 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (2,544).
Is crime in Doncaster going up or down?
Recorded crime in Doncaster was almost unchanged on the year before: 17,801 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 17,867 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Doncaster?
About 92,814 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Doncaster?
Doncaster 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.