Barnsley Crime Overview
Barnsley is the second most dangerous major town in South Yorkshire, and is the 27th most dangerous overall out of South Yorkshire's 110 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Barnsley in 2020 was 103 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to South Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 13% higher than the South Yorkshire rate of 90 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Barnsley is the 25th most dangerous major town, and the 443rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Barnsley was the worst major town in South Yorkshire for drugs, with 51 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.52 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Barnsley residents, when it was South Yorkshire's most dangerous major town for other crime, recording 40 crimes at a rate of 0.40 per 1,000 residents. Barnsley recorded 15 reports of possession of weapons during February 2020, making its crime rate of 0.15 the worst major town for possession of weapons in South Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Barnsley are violence and sexual offences, with 4,241 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 43. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 3,855 offences and a difference of 3.90 from 2019's crime rate of 39. Barnsley's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 37 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 35% from 2019's figure of 50 crimes.
Compare Barnsley to other towns and cities
See how Barnsley shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Barnsley and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Barnsley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Barnsley This Year
| Barnsley | South Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,333 | 23.58 | 34,858 | 24.74 | 4.9% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 37 | 0.37 | 886 | 0.63 | 70% safer |
| Burglary | 646 | 6.53 | 10,031 | 7.12 | 9% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,227 | 12.40 | 14,691 | 10.43 | 16% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 423 | 4.28 | 3,999 | 2.84 | 34% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 388 | 3.92 | 4,318 | 3.06 | 22% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 795 | 8.04 | 9,080 | 6.44 | 20% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 108 | 1.09 | 1,539 | 1.09 | 0% safer |
| Public Order | 1,196 | 12.09 | 14,283 | 10.14 | 16% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 102 | 1.03 | 1,319 | 0.94 | 9% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 483 | 4.88 | 6,687 | 4.75 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 65 | 0.66 | 843 | 0.60 | 9% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 506 | 5.12 | 10,185 | 7.23 | 41% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,241 | 42.87 | 48,403 | 34.35 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime in Barnsley Compared To South Yorkshire
Barnsley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 46 | 29 | 22 | 24 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.51 | 0.37 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.70 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 11 | 8 | 4.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 36 | 41 | 39 | 43 | Getting worse |
Changes In Barnsley's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Barnsley to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 53% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 33% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 24% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 20% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 20% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 6% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 0.40% safer |
| Barnsley | 103.28 | - |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 22% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Barnsley's Neighbourhoods
Barnsley Town & Park Road is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Barnsley, followed by Worsbrough Common in second place, and Ardsley & Stairfoot as the third most dangerous area. Barnsley's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Lundwood, Mapplewell & Staincross, and Monk Bretton.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardsley & Stairfoot | 869 | 120 | Third |
| Athersley | 934 | 93 | Fifth |
| Barnsley Town & Park Road | 2,726 | 213 | First |
| Kendray | 597 | 94 | Fourth |
| Lundwood | 739 | 92 | Sixth |
| Mapplewell & Staincross | 417 | 51 | Eighth |
| Monk Bretton | 658 | 81 | Seventh |
| Worsbrough Common | 1,089 | 155 | Second |
Barnsley Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Barnsley for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Mapplewell & Staincross (96) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (561) |
| Bicycle Theft | Mapplewell & Staincross (1) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (12) |
| Burglary | Mapplewell & Staincross (20) | Worsbrough Common (101) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Mapplewell & Staincross (54) | Worsbrough Common (167) |
| Drugs | Mapplewell & Staincross (9) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (205) |
| Other Crime | Mapplewell & Staincross (17) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (113) |
| Other Theft | Mapplewell & Staincross (22) | Monk Bretton (120) |
| Possession of Weapons | Mapplewell & Staincross (2) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (35) |
| Public Order | Mapplewell & Staincross (49) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (382) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Monk Bretton (1) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (55) |
| Shoplifting | Worsbrough Common (5) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (190) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Athersley (1) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (39) |
| Vehicle Crime | Mapplewell & Staincross (17) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (144) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Mapplewell & Staincross (192) | Barnsley Town & Park Road (970) |
Crime in Barnsley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Barnsley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Barnsley saw a 150% increase in bicycle theft. Barnsley saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 82% compared to April in 2019. Vehicle Crime saw a fall in every month of Barnsley's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -7% | +9% | +62% | +15% | +6% | +47% | -20% | +1% | +25% | +16% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | -33% | -33% | +150% | +25% | - | - | +67% | - | +100% |
| Burglary | +8% | -2% | -49% | -29% | -59% | -34% | -27% | +28% | +37% | -35% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -8% | -28% | +11% | -17% | +11% | -12% | +24% | -2% | +19% | -35% |
| Drugs | +6% | -32% | +30% | +17% | +100% | - | +21% | -3% | +35% | +70% |
| Other Crime | -13% | +17% | +21% | +75% | +24% | -11% | - | -58% | +27% | +43% |
| Other Theft | -6% | -12% | -36% | -13% | -18% | -1% | -16% | -28% | -20% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | -78% | -38% | -11% | -71% | -8% | +13% | -10% | +36% | -15% |
| Public Order | +9% | -4% | +56% | -10% | +1% | +3% | -9% | -27% | +11% | -2% |
| Robbery | +57% | -40% | +50% | -33% | -41% | +10% | -30% | -40% | -70% | -11% |
| Shoplifting | -22% | -64% | -65% | -52% | -33% | -42% | -47% | -13% | -39% | -35% |
| Theft From the Person | +30% | -82% | -33% | -33% | -82% | -67% | -50% | -62% | - | -29% |
| Vehicle Crime | +2% | -22% | -47% | -21% | -44% | -52% | -54% | -31% | -44% | -46% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +13% | -5% | +22% | +34% | +20% | +24% | +11% | -12% | +1% | -5% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Barnsley
What police force serves Barnsley?
Barnsley's local territorial police force is the South Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is Barnsley?
Barnsley is the second most dangerous major town in South Yorkshire.What is Barnsley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Barnsley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Barnsley?
Barnsley's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021