Caernarfon Crime Overview
Caernarfon is the most dangerous small town in Gwynedd, and is the most dangerous overall out of Gwynedd's 103 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Caernarfon in 2020 was 128 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Gwynedd's overall crime rate, coming in 51% higher than the Gwynedd rate of 63 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Caernarfon is among the top 20 most dangerous small towns, and the 220th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Caernarfon had the worst crime rate in Gwynedd for burglary, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.39 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Caernarfon residents, when it was Gwynedd's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 15 crimes at a rate of 1.5 per 1,000 residents. Caernarfon recorded 6 reports of drugs during May 2020, making its crime rate of 0.59 the worst for drugs in Gwynedd that month.
The most common crimes in Caernarfon are violence and sexual offences, with 598 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 59. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 661 offences and a difference of 6.17 from 2019's crime rate of 65. Caernarfon's least common crime is robbery, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 167% from 2019's figure of 8 crimes.
Compare Caernarfon to other towns and cities
See how Caernarfon shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Caernarfon and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Caernarfon Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Caernarfon This Year
| Caernarfon | Gwynedd | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 436 | 42.68 | 4,389 | 22.66 | 47% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 9 | 0.88 | 77 | 0.40 | 55% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 62 | 6.07 | 510 | 2.63 | 57% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 196 | 19.19 | 1,584 | 8.18 | 57% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 39 | 3.82 | 383 | 1.98 | 48% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 26 | 2.55 | 266 | 1.37 | 46% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 89 | 8.71 | 869 | 4.49 | 48% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.88 | 65 | 0.34 | 61% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 158 | 15.47 | 1,452 | 7.50 | 52% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.29 | 30 | 0.15 | 48% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 88 | 8.61 | 516 | 2.66 | 69% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.29 | 29 | 0.15 | 48% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 29 | 2.84 | 266 | 1.37 | 52% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 598 | 58.54 | 6,119 | 31.60 | 46% more dangerous |
Crime in Caernarfon Compared To Gwynedd
Caernarfon Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 52 | 32 | 37 | 43 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.49 | 0.49 | 1.1 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 23 | 22 | 19 | 19 | Safer |
| Drugs | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Other Crime | 2.1 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.69 | 0.78 | 0.59 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5 | 11 | 16 | 15 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.29 | 0.39 | 0.78 | 0.29 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 8 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.59 | 0.49 | 0.78 | 0.29 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 45 | 51 | 65 | 59 | Getting worse |
Changes In Caernarfon's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Caernarfon to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Caernarfon's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caernarfon East | 987 | 116 | First |
Crime in Caernarfon During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Caernarfon change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Caernarfon saw a 1,000% increase in vehicle crime. Caernarfon saw a large fall in burglary during December, when it fell by 83% compared to December in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -13% | +15% | +3% | -24% | +63% | +27% | +39% | +11% | +10% | +9% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +50% | - | - | +100% | -75% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -53% | +67% | +67% | -75% | +67% | -20% | -67% | -30% | -43% | -83% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -7% | -58% | -20% | +40% | +63% | -30% | -12% | - | +6% | -46% |
| Drugs | -20% | -75% | +50% | -50% | -60% | - | -50% | - | -20% | +67% |
| Other Crime | - | -75% | -60% | -50% | -33% | +75% | - | +50% | +200% | - |
| Other Theft | +17% | +29% | -64% | +33% | -36% | -57% | -31% | - | +50% | -78% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | -21% | -47% | -14% | -32% | +55% | +33% | -20% | +18% | -54% | -9% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | -38% | -36% | +40% | +71% | -33% | -64% | -57% | -83% | +225% | -79% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +200% | -33% | +1,000% | - | - | - | -50% | +20% | -67% | -67% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +4% | -5% | -12% | -32% | +14% | -13% | +8% | -7% | -31% | -57% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Caernarfon
What police force serves Caernarfon?
Caernarfon's local territorial police force is the North Wales Police.How dangerous is Caernarfon?
Caernarfon is the most dangerous small town in Gwynedd.What is Caernarfon's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Caernarfon are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Caernarfon?
Caernarfon's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021