Rotherham Crime Overview
Rotherham is the safest major town in South Yorkshire, and is the 37th most dangerous overall out of South Yorkshire's 110 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Rotherham in 2020 was 91 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to South Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 1.4% higher than the South Yorkshire rate of 90 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Rotherham is the 44th most dangerous major town, and the 686th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2020, Rotherham was the worst major town in South Yorkshire for bicycle theft, with 7 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.06 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2020 was also a bad month for Rotherham residents, when it was South Yorkshire's most dangerous major town for possession of weapons, recording 16 crimes at a rate of 0.14 per 1,000 residents. Rotherham recorded 17 reports of robbery during September 2020, making its crime rate of 0.15 the worst major town for robbery in South Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Rotherham are violence and sexual offences, with 4,158 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 37. This is 3.6% higher than 2019's figure of 4,008 offences and a difference of 1.35 from 2019's crime rate of 36. Rotherham's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 50 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 20% from 2019's figure of 60 crimes.
Compare Rotherham to other towns and cities
See how Rotherham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Rotherham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Rotherham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Rotherham This Year
| Rotherham | South Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,886 | 25.89 | 34,858 | 24.74 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 50 | 0.45 | 886 | 0.63 | 40% safer |
| Burglary | 700 | 6.28 | 10,031 | 7.12 | 13% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,069 | 9.59 | 14,691 | 10.43 | 9% safer |
| Drugs | 316 | 2.83 | 3,999 | 2.84 | 0.35% safer |
| Other Crime | 324 | 2.91 | 4,318 | 3.06 | 5% safer |
| Other Theft | 747 | 6.70 | 9,080 | 6.44 | 3.9% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 141 | 1.26 | 1,539 | 1.09 | 13% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,316 | 11.80 | 14,283 | 10.14 | 14% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 130 | 1.17 | 1,319 | 0.94 | 20% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 483 | 4.33 | 6,687 | 4.75 | 10% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 61 | 0.55 | 843 | 0.60 | 9% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 637 | 5.71 | 10,185 | 7.23 | 27% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,158 | 37.30 | 48,403 | 34.35 | 8% more dangerous |
Crime in Rotherham Compared To South Yorkshire
Rotherham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 44 | 31 | 22 | 26 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.74 | 0.38 | 0.54 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.79 | 1.0 | 0.98 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.55 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 32 | 35 | 36 | 37 | Getting worse |
Changes In Rotherham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Rotherham to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 34% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 17% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 9% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 6% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 5% safer |
| Rotherham | 90.89 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 7% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 12% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 15% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 32% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 34% more dangerous |
Crime in Rotherham's Neighbourhoods
Rotherham Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Rotherham, followed by Masbrough & Bradgate in second place, and Greasborough as the third most dangerous area. Rotherham's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Rotherham South, Wickersley North, and Wickersley South & Bramley South.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Herringthorpe | 832 | 108 | Fifth |
| Eastwood & East Dene | 1,037 | 120 | Fourth |
| Greasborough | 1,028 | 131 | Third |
| Kimberworth Park | 702 | 98 | Sixth |
| Masbrough & Bradgate | 1,328 | 173 | Second |
| Rotherham Central | 2,321 | 278 | First |
| Rotherham South | 778 | 69 | Seventh |
| Wickersley North | 447 | 53 | Eighth |
| Wickersley South & Bramley South | 321 | 50 | Ninth |
Rotherham Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Rotherham for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Wickersley South & Bramley South (116) | Rotherham Central (638) |
| Bicycle Theft | Wickersley South & Bramley South (1) | Rotherham Central (20) |
| Burglary | Wickersley North (18) | Rotherham Central (172) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Wickersley North (34) | Rotherham Central (201) |
| Drugs | East Herringthorpe (13) | Rotherham Central (74) |
| Other Crime | Wickersley South & Bramley South (5) | Rotherham Central (83) |
| Other Theft | Kimberworth Park (31) | Rotherham Central (175) |
| Possession of Weapons | Wickersley South & Bramley South (2) | Rotherham Central (42) |
| Public Order | Wickersley South & Bramley South (34) | Rotherham Central (410) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Wickersley North (2) | Rotherham Central (38) |
| Shoplifting | Eastwood & East Dene (2) | Rotherham Central (214) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Rotherham South (1) | Rotherham Central (30) |
| Vehicle Crime | Wickersley North (26) | Masbrough & Bradgate (79) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Wickersley South & Bramley South (105) | Rotherham Central (784) |
Crime in Rotherham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Rotherham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in July, when Rotherham saw a 100% increase in drugs. Rotherham saw a large fall in theft from the person during June, when it fell by 80% compared to June in 2019. Rates of other theft and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during Rotherham's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +1% | +59% | +44% | +20% | +41% | +29% | +0% | -20% | +20% | +17% |
| Bicycle Theft | +75% | -25% | +11% | -11% | -56% | -29% | -43% | +33% | -67% | - |
| Burglary | -36% | -52% | -53% | -3% | -18% | -34% | -39% | -46% | -31% | -49% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +9% | -25% | -29% | -21% | -30% | -19% | -5% | -18% | +11% | -16% |
| Drugs | +75% | +23% | +77% | +50% | +100% | +100% | - | +71% | +38% | +88% |
| Other Crime | +20% | -16% | +28% | +17% | +23% | - | -3% | +5% | +9% | +63% |
| Other Theft | +8% | -28% | -39% | -38% | -41% | -43% | -33% | -52% | -42% | -38% |
| Possession of Weapons | +22% | +100% | +86% | - | +100% | +78% | -47% | +100% | +100% | - |
| Public Order | +49% | +23% | +44% | +28% | +4% | +16% | -2% | +7% | -2% | -1% |
| Robbery | +43% | -47% | - | -17% | -79% | -38% | +89% | -31% | -36% | -7% |
| Shoplifting | +7% | -60% | -66% | -73% | -68% | -46% | -28% | -15% | -53% | -62% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -62% | -57% | -80% | -79% | -77% | -56% | -80% | -25% | -14% |
| Vehicle Crime | -38% | -16% | -60% | -38% | -59% | -56% | -51% | -25% | -26% | -43% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +0% | -5% | -6% | +12% | +30% | +5% | +2% | +5% | -17% | -8% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Rotherham
What police force serves Rotherham?
Rotherham's local territorial police force is the South Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is Rotherham?
Rotherham is the safest major town in South Yorkshire.What is Rotherham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Rotherham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Rotherham?
Rotherham's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021