Crime in Penistone: statistics, rates and trends
438 crimes were recorded in Penistone in the 12 months to August 2026, 48.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Penistone at a glance
- Crime trends in Penistone
- Types of crime in Penistone
- Penistone compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Penistone
- Streets with the most crime in Penistone
- What happened after crimes were reported in Penistone
- Demographics of Penistone
- Questions about crime in Penistone
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (157), anti-social behaviour (76) and shoplifting (67) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,176th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Penistone | Barnsley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 438 | 27,081 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 48.5 | 107.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 9,031 | 251,770 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Penistone peaked in the year to August 2018 (527 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (396). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 438 | 48.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 439 | 48.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 400 | 44.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 437 | 48.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 425 | 47.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 396 | 43.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 498 | 55.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 454 | 50.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 527 | 58.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 35 |
| July 2026 | 52 |
| June 2026 | 26 |
| May 2026 | 35 |
| April 2026 | 44 |
| March 2026 | 49 |
| February 2026 | 31 |
| January 2026 | 24 |
| December 2025 | 38 |
| November 2025 | 37 |
| October 2025 | 38 |
| September 2025 | 29 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and criminal damage and arson (57% below) and public order (50% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 33 to 67 and burglary rose from 25 to 31, while public order fell from 43 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 157 | 17.4 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 76 | 8.4 | 15.4 | +23% |
| Shoplifting | 67 | 7.4 | 8.5 | +103% |
| Burglary | 31 | 3.4 | 3.6 | +24% |
| Public order | 30 | 3.3 | 6.7 | -30% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 26 | 2.9 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Vehicle crime | 17 | 1.9 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Other theft | 16 | 1.8 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Other crime | 9 | 1.0 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Drugs | 3 | 0.3 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Every one of the 8 nearest towns has a higher crime rate than Penistone.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Penistone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stocksbridge | 647 | 83.9 | +73% |
| Deepcar | 328 | 59.3 | +22% |
| Dodworth | 420 | 70.2 | +45% |
| Skelmanthorpe | 272 | 49.7 | +3% |
| Clayton West and Scissett | 329 | 64.9 | +34% |
| Barugh Green and Redbrook | 486 | 71.4 | +47% |
| Darton | 989 | 59.2 | +22% |
| Worsbrough | 1,154 | 119.4 | +146% |
Penistone West is the one area listed within Penistone, with 50.0 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penistone West | Neighbourhood | 12,671 | 633 | 50.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 53% of the crime recorded in Penistone over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Stottercliffe Road” (74).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Stottercliffe Road | 74 |
| On or near Parking Area | 47 |
| On or near St John'S Close | 21 |
| On or near Market Street | 19 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 16 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 14 |
| On or near Sheffield Road | 13 |
| On or near Saunderson Road | 11 |
| On or near Cock Pit Lane | 10 |
| On or near High Street | 9 |
Of the 362 crimes in Penistone with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 76 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 161 | 44.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 129 | 35.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 25 | 6.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 22 | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 8 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 5 | 1.4% | 4.7% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 4 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Penistone has an estimated population of 9,031 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%), less private renting (12%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.4%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Penistone average decile 7.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Penistone | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 75.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Penistone a safe place to live?
Penistone recorded 48.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,176th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Penistone?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 157 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (76).
Is crime in Penistone going up or down?
Recorded crime in Penistone was almost unchanged on the year before: 438 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 439 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Penistone?
About 9,031 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Penistone?
Penistone 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.