Bridgend Crime Overview
Bridgend is the second most dangerous small town in Mid Glamorgan, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of Mid Glamorgan's 68 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bridgend in 2020 was 121 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Mid Glamorgan's overall crime rate, coming in 43% higher than the Mid Glamorgan rate of 69 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bridgend is the 26th most dangerous small town, and the 266th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Bridgend had the worst crime rate in Mid Glamorgan for drugs, with 19 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2020 was also a bad month for Bridgend residents, when it was Mid Glamorgan's most dangerous area for bicycle theft, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.06 per 1,000 residents. Bridgend recorded 7 reports of burglary during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.45 the worst for burglary in Mid Glamorgan that month.
The most common crimes in Bridgend are violence and sexual offences, with 642 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 42. This is 38% lower than 2019's figure of 884 offences and a difference of 15.68 from 2019's crime rate of 57. Bridgend's least common crime is robbery, with 7 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Bridgend to other towns and cities
See how Bridgend shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bridgend and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bridgend Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Bridgend This Year
| Bridgend | Mid Glamorgan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 914 | 59.22 | 15,505 | 34.56 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 10 | 0.65 | 114 | 0.25 | 62% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 73 | 4.73 | 1,252 | 2.79 | 41% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 202 | 13.09 | 3,480 | 7.76 | 41% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 194 | 12.57 | 1,522 | 3.39 | 73% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 32 | 2.07 | 736 | 1.64 | 21% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 124 | 8.03 | 2,035 | 4.54 | 43% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 14 | 0.91 | 178 | 0.40 | 56% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 281 | 18.21 | 4,416 | 9.84 | 46% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.45 | 72 | 0.16 | 64% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 216 | 14.00 | 1,623 | 3.62 | 74% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 14 | 0.91 | 111 | 0.25 | 73% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 52 | 3.37 | 1,231 | 2.74 | 19% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 642 | 41.60 | 14,041 | 31.30 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Bridgend Compared To Mid Glamorgan
Bridgend Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 40 | 36 | 51 | 59 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 0.52 | 0.58 | 0.65 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 10 | 8 | 5 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 8 | 8 | 12 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 17 | 13 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 1.0 | 0.97 | 0.91 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 14 | 15 | 25 | 18 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.39 | 0.71 | 0.45 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 19 | 24 | 18 | 14 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.91 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 42 | 49 | 57 | 42 | Safer |
Changes In Bridgend's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Bridgend to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Bridgend's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bridgend | 1,436 | 168 | First |
Crime in Bridgend During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bridgend change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Bridgend saw a 500% increase in other crime. Bridgend saw a large fall in shoplifting during April, when it fell by 85% compared to April in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Bridgend's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -30% | +78% | +85% | +70% | +51% | -21% | -10% | -36% | +32% | +21% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -57% | +33% | - | +67% | +80% | -77% | +267% | -73% | -22% | -75% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | +14% | +67% | -31% | -48% | +25% | +13% | -62% | -56% | -19% |
| Drugs | -33% | -33% | -29% | +22% | +145% | +64% | +36% | +19% | -14% | -39% |
| Other Crime | -75% | -50% | - | +200% | -67% | - | +500% | +50% | +100% | -33% |
| Other Theft | -47% | -33% | -42% | +8% | +10% | +29% | -83% | -31% | - | -84% |
| Possession of Weapons | -75% | -50% | -50% | - | - | - | - | +50% | - | - |
| Public Order | -22% | -17% | -45% | - | -6% | +20% | -53% | -76% | -23% | -67% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -26% | -85% | -35% | -10% | +15% | -30% | -16% | -63% | -67% | -50% |
| Theft From the Person | - | +50% | - | - | - | - | -50% | +50% | -50% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -70% | -25% | - | +200% | +25% | -33% | -25% | +50% | +100% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -31% | -51% | -26% | -27% | -24% | -3% | -36% | -35% | -51% | -70% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bridgend
What police force serves Bridgend?
Bridgend's local territorial police force is the South Wales Police.How dangerous is Bridgend?
Bridgend is the second most dangerous small town in Mid Glamorgan.What is Bridgend's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bridgend are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bridgend?
Bridgend's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021