Great Yarmouth Crime Overview
Great Yarmouth is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Norfolk, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of Norfolk's 546 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Great Yarmouth in 2020 was 135 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Norfolk's overall crime rate, coming in 49% higher than the Norfolk rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Great Yarmouth is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 186th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2019, Great Yarmouth had the worst crime rate in Norfolk for possession of weapons, with 17 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.31 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2016 was also a bad month for Great Yarmouth residents, when it was Norfolk's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 82 crimes at a rate of 1.5 per 1,000 residents. Great Yarmouth recorded 12 reports of theft from the person during April 2016, making its crime rate of 0.22 the worst for theft from the person in Norfolk that month.
The most common crimes in Great Yarmouth are violence and sexual offences, with 3,547 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 65. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 3,229 offences and a difference of 5.83 from 2019's crime rate of 59. Great Yarmouth's least common crime is theft from the person, with 54 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 22% from 2019's figure of 66 crimes.
Compare Great Yarmouth to other towns and cities
See how Great Yarmouth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Great Yarmouth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Great Yarmouth Crime Map
Crime in Great Yarmouth Compared To Norfolk
Summary of Crimes in Great Yarmouth This Year
| Great Yarmouth | Norfolk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,608 | 29.47 | 15,140 | 16.68 | 43% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 67 | 1.23 | 875 | 0.96 | 22% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 228 | 4.18 | 2,498 | 2.75 | 34% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 797 | 14.61 | 7,035 | 7.75 | 47% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 331 | 6.07 | 2,599 | 2.86 | 53% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 180 | 3.30 | 2,320 | 2.56 | 22% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 475 | 8.71 | 4,182 | 4.61 | 47% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 85 | 1.56 | 579 | 0.64 | 59% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,000 | 18.33 | 7,162 | 7.89 | 57% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 57 | 1.04 | 338 | 0.37 | 64% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 384 | 7.04 | 3,166 | 3.49 | 50% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 54 | 0.99 | 357 | 0.39 | 61% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 169 | 3.10 | 1,878 | 2.07 | 33% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,547 | 65.01 | 30,141 | 33.20 | 49% more dangerous |
Great Yarmouth Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford | 2,592 | 96.58 | 40% safer |
| King's Lynn | 5,040 | 104.44 | 29% safer |
| Great Yarmouth | 7,374 | 135.15 | - |
Crime Over Time in Great Yarmouth
View crime percentage over time forGreat Yarmouth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 46 | 37 | 32 | 29 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | Safer |
| Drugs | 4.4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Public Order | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.99 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.99 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 4.7 | 6 | 3.6 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 45 | 54 | 59 | 65 | Getting worse |
Changes In Great Yarmouth's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Great Yarmouth's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Great Yarmouth that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorleston Recreation Ground | 4 | - | 2 | - | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Southtown Common | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0.74 |
| St Nicholas Recreation Ground | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2.6 |
Comparing Great Yarmouth to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Great Yarmouth's Neighbourhoods
Yarmouth Parade is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Great Yarmouth, followed by Yarmouth Central & Northgate in second place, and Southtown & Cobholm as the third most dangerous area. Great Yarmouth's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Gorleston South & Beach, Gorleston West, and Yarmouth North.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorleston North | 878 | 111 | Fourth |
| Gorleston South & Beach | 668 | 76 | Seventh |
| Gorleston West | 580 | 77 | Sixth |
| Southtown & Cobholm | 1,119 | 149 | Third |
| Yarmouth Central & Northgate | 1,901 | 252 | Second |
| Yarmouth North | 623 | 105 | Fifth |
| Yarmouth Parade | 2,453 | 253 | First |
Great Yarmouth Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Great Yarmouth for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Gorleston West (138) | Yarmouth Parade (593) |
| Bicycle Theft | Gorleston South & Beach (4) | Yarmouth Parade (24) |
| Burglary | Gorleston South & Beach (13) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (69) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Gorleston West (55) | Yarmouth Parade (271) |
| Drugs | Gorleston South & Beach (21) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (89) |
| Other Crime | Gorleston West (13) | Yarmouth Parade (55) |
| Other Theft | Gorleston South & Beach (37) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (125) |
| Possession of Weapons | Yarmouth North (2) | Yarmouth Parade (42) |
| Public Order | Gorleston South & Beach (71) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (315) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Gorleston South & Beach (1) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (23) |
| Shoplifting | Yarmouth North (6) | Southtown & Cobholm (135) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Gorleston South & Beach (1) | Yarmouth Central & Northgate (21) |
| Vehicle Crime | Gorleston West (21) | Yarmouth Parade (58) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Gorleston South & Beach (351) | Yarmouth Parade (1,263) |
Crime in Great Yarmouth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Great Yarmouth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Great Yarmouth saw a 333% increase in vehicle crime. Great Yarmouth saw a large fall in possession of weapons during March, when it fell by 85% compared to March in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Great Yarmouth's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +22% | +34% | +32% | -18% | -28% | -13% | -24% | -20% | -38% | -27% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | -73% | -56% | +33% | +100% | +25% | +14% | +14% | +50% | - |
| Burglary | -36% | -5% | -29% | -77% | -14% | +28% | +32% | -33% | +46% | +9% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -28% | -21% | -13% | +3% | +21% | +34% | +71% | +27% | +9% | +30% |
| Drugs | -8% | +8% | +58% | +5% | -39% | -39% | -17% | -30% | -19% | -68% |
| Other Crime | +89% | -57% | +18% | +6% | -48% | -11% | -36% | +73% | +29% | -11% |
| Other Theft | +11% | -45% | -31% | +29% | -2% | -10% | +33% | +81% | - | +10% |
| Possession of Weapons | -85% | -77% | - | -18% | - | - | -31% | -22% | -83% | +100% |
| Public Order | +12% | +1% | +8% | +32% | +29% | +21% | -4% | +5% | +5% | +42% |
| Robbery | -38% | - | -25% | +133% | +75% | +75% | - | -25% | -71% | -70% |
| Shoplifting | +6% | -84% | -73% | -48% | -5% | -27% | -50% | -17% | -22% | -38% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -75% | -43% | +100% | - | -38% | -22% | +17% | - | -63% |
| Vehicle Crime | -52% | -59% | -69% | -40% | +55% | +9% | +333% | -13% | +100% | +50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +10% | -22% | +3% | -9% | +10% | +28% | +22% | +26% | +5% | +13% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Great Yarmouth
What police force serves Great Yarmouth?
Great Yarmouth's local territorial police force is the Norfolk Constabulary.How dangerous is Great Yarmouth?
Great Yarmouth is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Norfolk.What is Great Yarmouth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Great Yarmouth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Great Yarmouth?
Great Yarmouth's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021