Penarth Crime Overview
Penarth is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in South Glamorgan, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of South Glamorgan's 60 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Penarth in 2020 was 47 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to South Glamorgan's overall crime rate, coming in 80% lower than the South Glamorgan rate of 84 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Penarth is the 352nd safest small town, and the 3,402nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Penarth was the worst small town in South Glamorgan for criminal damage and arson, with 15 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.65 per 1,000 inhabitants. July 2020 was also a bad month for Penarth residents, when it was South Glamorgan's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 7 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Penarth recorded 7 reports of bicycle theft during April 2020, making its crime rate of 0.30 the worst small town for bicycle theft in South Glamorgan that month.
The most common crimes in Penarth are violence and sexual offences, with 402 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 17. This is 15% lower than 2019's figure of 462 offences and a difference of 2.58 from 2019's crime rate of 20. Penarth's least common crime is robbery, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 33% from 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare Penarth to other towns and cities
See how Penarth shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Penarth and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Penarth Crime Map
Crime in Penarth Compared To South Glamorgan
Summary of Crimes in Penarth This Year
| Penarth | South Glamorgan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 699 | 30.08 | 19,617 | 39.21 | 30% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 21 | 0.90 | 1,163 | 2.32 | 158% safer |
| Burglary | 54 | 2.32 | 2,322 | 4.64 | 100% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 152 | 6.54 | 4,612 | 9.22 | 41% safer |
| Drugs | 30 | 1.29 | 2,264 | 4.53 | 251% safer |
| Other Crime | 26 | 1.12 | 783 | 1.57 | 40% safer |
| Other Theft | 85 | 3.66 | 3,311 | 6.62 | 81% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 7 | 0.30 | 321 | 0.64 | 113% safer |
| Public Order | 130 | 5.59 | 5,203 | 10.40 | 86% safer |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.13 | 284 | 0.57 | 338% safer |
| Shoplifting | 102 | 4.39 | 3,387 | 6.77 | 54% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.22 | 516 | 1.03 | 368% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 73 | 3.14 | 3,507 | 7.01 | 123% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 402 | 17.30 | 14,556 | 29.10 | 68% safer |
Penarth Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llantwit Major | 372 | 38.43 | 22% safer |
| Canton | 601 | 39.46 | 19% safer |
| Llandaff North | 349 | 40.17 | 17% safer |
| Pentwyn | 681 | 42.77 | 10% safer |
| Splott | 625 | 45.76 | 2.5% safer |
| Penarth | 1,090 | 46.91 | - |
| Ely | 726 | 47.94 | 2.1% more dangerous |
| Llanrumney | 578 | 49.36 | 5.0% more dangerous |
| Trowbridge | 858 | 50.54 | 7% more dangerous |
| Fairwater | 672 | 51.40 | 9% more dangerous |
| Grangetown | 1,230 | 55.50 | 15% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Penarth
View crime percentage over time forPenarth Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 15 | 10 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.90 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Drugs | 0.77 | 0.90 | 1.1 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.60 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.39 | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.30 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.09 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.0 | 4.6 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.13 | 0.22 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.7 | 6 | 4.5 | 3.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 17 | 20 | 17 | Safer |
Changes In Penarth's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Penarth's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Penarth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maes Hamdden Cwrt-y-vil | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.19 |
Comparing Penarth to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Penarth | 46.91 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 31% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 39% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 44% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 46% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 52% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 54% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 56% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 65% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 66% more dangerous |
Crime in Penarth's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llandough & Cogan | 501 | 56 | Second |
| Lower Penarth & Sully | 339 | 32 | Third |
| Penarth | 643 | 60 | First |
Crime in Penarth During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Penarth change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Penarth saw a 500% increase in anti-social behaviour. Penarth saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 89% compared to June in 2019. Violence and Sexual Offences saw a fall in every month of Penarth's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +68% | +291% | +272% | +245% | +135% | +500% | +89% | +227% | +162% | +492% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | +17% | -50% | -20% | - | - | +200% | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | -55% | -50% | -40% | +75% | -33% | -17% | - | -17% | -71% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -42% | - | -25% | +113% | +70% | +56% | +22% | -50% | - | +7% |
| Drugs | - | - | - | +150% | -50% | - | -50% | +200% | +33% | -86% |
| Other Crime | -75% | - | - | +200% | -50% | -60% | -20% | -33% | - | -67% |
| Other Theft | -64% | -80% | -13% | +43% | -33% | +17% | -55% | +80% | -18% | +50% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Public Order | - | +163% | -67% | +17% | - | +60% | +71% | -27% | -18% | -63% |
| Shoplifting | -9% | -38% | +9% | -89% | +42% | -60% | -68% | -9% | -23% | -75% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +17% | +17% | -50% | -75% | -73% | -57% | -67% | -45% | -43% | +133% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -3% | -13% | -16% | -12% | -45% | +32% | -15% | -18% | -31% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Penarth
What police force serves Penarth?
Penarth's local territorial police force is the South Wales Police.How dangerous is Penarth?
Penarth is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in South Glamorgan.What is Penarth's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Penarth are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Penarth?
Penarth's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021