Crime in Wakefield: statistics, rates and trends
14,395 crimes were recorded in Wakefield in the 12 months to August 2026, 148.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Wakefield at a glance
- Crime trends in Wakefield
- Types of crime in Wakefield
- Wakefield compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Wakefield
- Streets with the most crime in Wakefield
- What happened after crimes were reported in Wakefield
- Demographics of Wakefield
- Questions about crime in Wakefield
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,148), anti-social behaviour (1,365) and shoplifting (1,268) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 71st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Wakefield | Wakefield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 14,395 | 42,896 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 148.2 | 116.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 97,113 | 367,666 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wakefield peaked in the year to August 2023 (16,875 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (14,168). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 14,395 | 148.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 15,296 | 157.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 15,904 | 163.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,875 | 173.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 16,348 | 168.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 14,168 | 145.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 14,492 | 149.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 14,948 | 153.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,426 | 148.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,232 |
| July 2026 | 1,355 |
| June 2026 | 1,340 |
| May 2026 | 1,288 |
| April 2026 | 1,216 |
| March 2026 | 1,219 |
| February 2026 | 1,009 |
| January 2026 | 1,095 |
| December 2025 | 1,108 |
| November 2025 | 1,148 |
| October 2025 | 1,252 |
| September 2025 | 1,133 |
Compared with England and Wales, Wakefield recorded notably more other crime (2.2 times the national rate), violence and sexual offences (85% above the national rate) and drugs (78% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (34% below). On the year before, bicycle theft fell from 99 to 75 and theft from the person fell from 138 to 108.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,148 | 63.3 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,365 | 14.1 | 15.4 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 1,268 | 13.1 | 8.5 | -7% |
| Public order | 1,149 | 11.8 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 971 | 10.0 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Other theft | 853 | 8.8 | 6.4 | -19% |
| Vehicle crime | 593 | 6.1 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Drugs | 566 | 5.8 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Burglary | 524 | 5.4 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Other crime | 451 | 4.6 | 2.1 | -7% |
| Robbery | 187 | 1.9 | 1.4 | +14% |
| Possession of weapons | 137 | 1.4 | 1.0 | -7% |
| Theft from the person | 108 | 1.1 | 1.7 | -22% |
| Bicycle theft | 75 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -24% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horbury | 783 | 84.5 | -43% |
| Crigglestone and Durkar | 320 | 61.1 | -59% |
| Ossett | 1,556 | 73.8 | -50% |
| Crofton | 438 | 65.4 | -56% |
| East Ardsley | 1,125 | 77.9 | -47% |
| Normanton (Wakefield) | 2,035 | 88.9 | -40% |
| Rothwell (Leeds) | 1,847 | 86.8 | -41% |
| Dewsbury | 8,191 | 125.1 | -16% |
Of the 6 areas within Wakefield, Wakefield East had the highest crime rate (229.4 per 1,000) and Stanley and Outwood East the lowest (76.8).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield East | Neighbourhood | 17,083 | 3,918 | 229.4 |
| Wakefield North | Neighbourhood | 19,142 | 3,280 | 171.4 |
| Wakefield West | Neighbourhood | 14,854 | 2,475 | 166.6 |
| Wakefield South | Neighbourhood | 16,535 | 2,158 | 130.5 |
| Wrenthorpe and Outwood West | Neighbourhood | 17,941 | 1,523 | 84.9 |
| Stanley and Outwood East | Neighbourhood | 20,562 | 1,580 | 76.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Wakefield over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (636).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 636 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 412 |
| On or near Tuke Grove | 357 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 354 |
| On or near Supermarket | 286 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 205 |
| On or near Ings Road | 194 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 146 |
| On or near Charles Avenue | 126 |
| On or near Wicket Drive | 123 |
Of the 13,030 crimes in Wakefield with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,365 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,630 | 35.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,970 | 30.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,628 | 12.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 956 | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 591 | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 410 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 364 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 179 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 129 | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 111 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 36 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 23 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Wakefield has an estimated population of 97,113 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (25%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (23%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.7%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wakefield average decile 4.4 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Wakefield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 21.9% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Wakefield a safe place to live?
Wakefield recorded 148.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 71st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Wakefield?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,148 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,365).
Is crime in Wakefield going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wakefield was down 6% on the year before: 14,395 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 15,296 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wakefield?
About 97,113 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wakefield?
Wakefield is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.