Crime in Penarth: statistics, rates and trends
1,673 crimes were recorded in Penarth in the 12 months to August 2026, 59.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower 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 (596), anti-social behaviour (192) and public order (181) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 963rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Penarth | Vale of Glamorgan | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,673 | 9,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 59.6 | 73.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 28,050 | 135,743 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Penarth peaked in the year to August 2020 (2,214 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,625). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 14%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,673 | 59.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,625 | 57.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,959 | 69.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,729 | 61.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,785 | 63.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,064 | 73.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,214 | 78.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,912 | 68.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,953 | 69.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 169 |
| July 2026 | 162 |
| June 2026 | 166 |
| May 2026 | 181 |
| April 2026 | 183 |
| March 2026 | 157 |
| February 2026 | 87 |
| January 2026 | 96 |
| December 2025 | 131 |
| November 2025 | 119 |
| October 2025 | 118 |
| September 2025 | 104 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and drugs (77% below) and anti-social behaviour (55% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 50 to 180 and vehicle crime rose from 108 to 139, while drugs fell from 31 to 21 and other crime fell from 48 to 33.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 596 | 21.2 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 192 | 6.8 | 15.4 | -18% |
| Public order | 181 | 6.5 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Shoplifting | 180 | 6.4 | 8.5 | +260% |
| Vehicle crime | 139 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 122 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -28% |
| Other theft | 92 | 3.3 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Burglary | 54 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -23% |
| Other crime | 33 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -31% |
| Drugs | 21 | 0.7 | 3.3 | -32% |
| Bicycle theft | 20 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 17 | 0.6 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 16 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Penarth; the highest is Cardiff (113.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Pontyclun (38.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penarth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinas Powis | 362 | 43.2 | -28% |
| Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) | 5,851 | 99.7 | +67% |
| Cardiff | 41,320 | 113.9 | +91% |
| Rhoose | 310 | 40.7 | -32% |
| Caerphilly | 3,656 | 113.3 | +90% |
| Pontyclun | 200 | 38.9 | -35% |
| Church Village | 574 | 39.7 | -33% |
| Bedwas | 693 | 98.8 | +66% |
Of the 5 areas within Penarth, Llandough had the highest crime rate (136.3 per 1,000) and Plymouth the lowest (26.8), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llandough | Neighbourhood | 2,105 | 287 | 136.3 |
| St Augustine's | Neighbourhood | 6,901 | 624 | 90.4 |
| Cornerswell | Neighbourhood | 5,288 | 280 | 53.0 |
| Stanwell | Neighbourhood | 4,728 | 213 | 45.1 |
| Plymouth | Neighbourhood | 5,624 | 151 | 26.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Penarth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Arcot Lane” (109).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Arcot Lane | 109 |
| On or near Lewis Road | 103 |
| On or near Spencer Drive | 85 |
| On or near Herbert Terrace | 70 |
| On or near Parking Area | 39 |
| On or near Little Dock Street | 36 |
| On or near Bradenham Place | 34 |
| On or near Upper Cosmeston Farm | 33 |
| On or near Northcliffe | 28 |
| On or near Salisbury Close | 26 |
Of the 1,481 crimes in Penarth with a recorded outcome, 35% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 192 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 513 | 34.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 457 | 30.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 290 | 19.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 86 | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 74 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 19 | 1.3% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 19 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 16 | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Penarth has an estimated population of 28,050 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (48%, against 34%), less social housing (10%, against 17%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penarth average decile 8.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Penarth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 47.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.7 | 5.5 (Wales) |
Is Penarth a safe place to live?
Penarth recorded 59.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 963rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Penarth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 596 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (192).
Is crime in Penarth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penarth was up 3% on the year before: 1,673 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,625 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penarth?
About 28,050 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penarth?
Penarth is policed by South Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.