Crime in Scarborough: statistics, rates and trends
10,011 crimes were recorded in Scarborough in the 12 months to August 2026, 168.5 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 11% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Scarborough at a glance
- Crime trends in Scarborough
- Types of crime in Scarborough
- Scarborough compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Scarborough
- Streets with the most crime in Scarborough
- What happened after crimes were reported in Scarborough
- Demographics of Scarborough
- Questions about crime in Scarborough
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,613), anti-social behaviour (2,753) and shoplifting (976) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 32nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Scarborough | North Yorkshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 10,011 | 41,610 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 168.5 | 65.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +11% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 59,427 | 635,270 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Scarborough peaked in the year to August 2019 (11,302 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (9,056). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 10,011 | 168.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,056 | 152.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,204 | 154.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 10,130 | 170.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 10,333 | 173.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,871 | 182.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 10,597 | 178.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 11,302 | 190.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 10,761 | 181.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 856 |
| July 2026 | 996 |
| June 2026 | 973 |
| May 2026 | 889 |
| April 2026 | 874 |
| March 2026 | 838 |
| February 2026 | 635 |
| January 2026 | 697 |
| December 2025 | 840 |
| November 2025 | 766 |
| October 2025 | 811 |
| September 2025 | 836 |
Compared with England and Wales, Scarborough recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (3.0 times the national rate), shoplifting (94% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (89% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (72% below) and vehicle crime (61% below). On the year before, theft from the person rose from 21 to 28 and robbery rose from 44 to 56, while bicycle theft fell from 49 to 37 and vehicle crime fell from 150 to 115.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,613 | 60.8 | 34.2 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,753 | 46.3 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Shoplifting | 976 | 16.4 | 8.5 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 735 | 12.4 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Public order | 580 | 9.8 | 6.7 | +20% |
| Other theft | 381 | 6.4 | 6.4 | +15% |
| Drugs | 349 | 5.9 | 3.3 | +16% |
| Burglary | 144 | 2.4 | 3.6 | +9% |
| Other crime | 135 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Vehicle crime | 115 | 1.9 | 5.0 | -23% |
| Possession of weapons | 109 | 1.8 | 1.0 | -1% |
| Robbery | 56 | 0.9 | 1.4 | +27% |
| Bicycle theft | 37 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -24% |
| Theft from the person | 28 | 0.5 | 1.7 | +33% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Scarborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filey | 533 | 78.7 | -53% |
| Pickering | 526 | 68.1 | -60% |
| Bridlington | 4,465 | 124.4 | -26% |
| Whitby | 1,487 | 112.7 | -33% |
| Norton-on-Derwent | 395 | 46.8 | -72% |
| Malton | 386 | 57.3 | -66% |
| Driffield | 985 | 65.2 | -61% |
| Hornsea | 542 | 65.8 | -61% |
Of the 8 areas within Scarborough, Castle had the highest crime rate (527.6 per 1,000) and Newby the lowest (67.5), 8 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 7,944 | 4,191 | 527.6 |
| Eastfield | Neighbourhood | 7,692 | 1,076 | 139.9 |
| Falsgrave & Stepney | Neighbourhood | 8,038 | 1,097 | 136.5 |
| Northstead | Neighbourhood | 8,500 | 1,151 | 135.4 |
| Weaponness & Ramshill | Neighbourhood | 7,804 | 1,029 | 131.9 |
| Woodlands | Neighbourhood | 7,315 | 713 | 97.5 |
| Cayton | Neighbourhood | 4,477 | 307 | 68.6 |
| Newby | Neighbourhood | 6,337 | 428 | 67.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 33% of the crime recorded in Scarborough over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “On or near” (1,244).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near | 1,244 |
| On or near Parking Area | 615 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 240 |
| On or near Aberdeen Place | 232 |
| On or near Wooler Street | 204 |
| On or near Nightclub | 171 |
| On or near Belgrave Crescent | 161 |
| On or near Hospital | 143 |
| On or near Police Station | 139 |
| On or near St Martin'S Place | 131 |
Of the 7,258 crimes in Scarborough with a recorded outcome, 16% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 9.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,753 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,192 | 44.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,177 | 16.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 865 | 11.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 710 | 9.8% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 396 | 5.5% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 323 | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 282 | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 144 | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 63 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 38 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 32 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 20 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Scarborough has an estimated population of 59,427 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (33%, against 23%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and an older population (25%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Scarborough average decile 3.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Scarborough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 26.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 32.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 23.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Scarborough a safe place to live?
Scarborough recorded 168.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 32nd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Scarborough?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,613 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,753).
Is crime in Scarborough going up or down?
Recorded crime in Scarborough was up 11% on the year before: 10,011 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,056 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Scarborough?
About 59,427 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 25% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Scarborough?
Scarborough is policed by North Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.