Carmarthen Crime Overview
Carmarthen is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Dyfed, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Dyfed's 200 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Carmarthen in 2020 was 95 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Dyfed's overall crime rate, coming in 37% higher than the Dyfed rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Carmarthen is the 69th most dangerous small town, and the 582nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2020, Carmarthen had the worst crime rate in Dyfed for possession of weapons, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.21 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2020 was also a bad month for Carmarthen residents, when it was Dyfed's most dangerous area for shoplifting, recording 23 crimes at a rate of 1.6 per 1,000 residents. Carmarthen recorded 2 reports of robbery during January 2020, making its crime rate of 0.14 the worst for robbery in Dyfed that month.
The most common crimes in Carmarthen are violence and sexual offences, with 607 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 42. This is 16% lower than 2019's figure of 703 offences and a difference of 6.58 from 2019's crime rate of 48. Carmarthen's least common crime is robbery, with 5 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 40% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Carmarthen to other towns and cities
See how Carmarthen shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Carmarthen and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Carmarthen Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Carmarthen This Year
| Carmarthen | Dyfed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 661 | 45.30 | 12,543 | 32.51 | 28% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 8 | 0.55 | 78 | 0.20 | 64% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 44 | 3.02 | 1,051 | 2.72 | 10% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 134 | 9.18 | 2,735 | 7.09 | 23% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 133 | 9.12 | 1,565 | 4.06 | 55% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 24 | 1.64 | 581 | 1.51 | 8% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 74 | 5.07 | 1,729 | 4.48 | 12% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 19 | 1.30 | 193 | 0.50 | 62% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 114 | 7.81 | 2,097 | 5.43 | 30% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.34 | 49 | 0.13 | 62% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 194 | 13.30 | 1,009 | 2.62 | 80% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.34 | 62 | 0.16 | 53% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 32 | 2.19 | 592 | 1.53 | 30% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 607 | 41.60 | 11,459 | 29.70 | 29% more dangerous |
Crime in Carmarthen Compared To Dyfed
Carmarthen Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llandybie | 375 | 32.69 | 192% safer |
| Pembrey and Burry Port Town | 518 | 62.31 | 53% safer |
| Llanelli Rural | 1,468 | 62.86 | 52% safer |
| Pembroke | 625 | 77.06 | 24% safer |
| Carmarthen | 1,393 | 95.47 | - |
| Milford Haven | 1,618 | 107.10 | 11% more dangerous |
| Pembroke Dock | 1,051 | 108.74 | 12% more dangerous |
| Aberystwyth | 1,372 | 127.56 | 25% more dangerous |
| Haverfordwest | 1,617 | 128.23 | 26% more dangerous |
Carmarthen Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 56 | 44 | 37 | 45 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.27 | 0.41 | 0.34 | 0.55 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 5 | 3.7 | 5 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 16 | 13 | 13 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 13 | 11 | 10 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.27 | 0.62 | 0.82 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | - | 0.27 | 0.48 | 0.34 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 21 | 21 | 16 | 13 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.55 | 0.34 | 0.69 | 0.34 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.8 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 2.2 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 36 | 42 | 48 | 42 | Safer |
Changes In Carmarthen's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Carmarthen to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 41% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 15% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 11% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 11% safer |
| Carmarthen | 95.47 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 7% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 28% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime in Carmarthen's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmarthen North | 272 | 53 | First |
Crime in Carmarthen During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Carmarthen change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Carmarthen saw a 333% increase in drugs. Carmarthen saw a large fall in burglary during June, when it fell by 88% compared to June in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Carmarthen's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +3% | +100% | +117% | +7% | +46% | +91% | +26% | +6% | +8% | -38% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +233% | -82% | -57% | -88% | - | -33% | -88% | -71% | -25% | +150% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -17% | -40% | -50% | +63% | -70% | -21% | +6% | -47% | -47% | -58% |
| Drugs | +125% | +67% | +82% | +56% | +333% | +25% | -22% | -38% | -22% | -50% |
| Other Crime | - | - | +33% | +100% | - | -67% | +50% | - | +100% | - |
| Other Theft | +8% | -14% | -56% | -50% | -79% | -47% | -53% | -59% | -67% | -78% |
| Possession of Weapons | +200% | - | -75% | -50% | - | +100% | +200% | -50% | +100% | - |
| Public Order | -80% | -25% | -63% | +57% | -44% | +45% | +171% | - | +14% | +22% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +20% | -63% | +64% | +35% | +92% | -50% | -65% | -61% | +15% | -60% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | -67% | -50% | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +300% | -57% | -40% | -80% | -67% | -75% | -25% | - | -33% | -75% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -21% | -44% | +11% | -6% | -22% | +39% | -28% | -18% | -13% | -19% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Carmarthen
What police force serves Carmarthen?
Carmarthen's local territorial police force is the Dyfed-Powys Police.How dangerous is Carmarthen?
Carmarthen is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Dyfed.What is Carmarthen's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Carmarthen are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Carmarthen?
Carmarthen's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021