Neath Crime Overview

Neath is the second most dangerous small town in West Glamorgan, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of West Glamorgan's 70 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Neath in 2020 was 94 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Glamorgan's overall crime rate, coming in 25% higher than the West Glamorgan rate of 70 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Neath is the 75th most dangerous small town, and the 627th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.

In November 2019, Neath had the worst crime rate in West Glamorgan for theft from the person, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.21 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2017 was also a bad month for Neath residents, when it was West Glamorgan's most dangerous area for possession of weapons, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.21 per 1,000 residents. Neath recorded 1 report of robbery during October 2016, making its crime rate of 0.05 the worst for robbery in West Glamorgan that month.

The most common crimes in Neath are violence and sexual offences, with 807 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 42. This is 0.50% lower than 2019's figure of 811 offences and a difference of 0.21 from 2019's crime rate of 42. Neath's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 7 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 29% from 2019's figure of 9 crimes.

Compare Neath to other towns and cities

See how Neath shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Neath and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.

Neath Crime Map

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Crime in Neath Compared To West Glamorgan

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Summary of Crimes in Neath This Year

 NeathWest Glamorgan 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour89546.2412,97333.2428% more dangerous
Bicycle Theft70.362730.7094% safer
Burglary975.011,4093.6128% more dangerous
Criminal Damage and Arson1919.873,1097.9719% more dangerous
Drugs814.181,3773.5316% more dangerous
Other Crime321.655591.4313% more dangerous
Other Theft1336.872,0375.2224% more dangerous
Possession of Weapons170.882220.5735% more dangerous
Public Order25112.973,5949.2129% more dangerous
Robbery160.831520.3953% more dangerous
Shoplifting1196.151,6114.1333% more dangerous
Theft From the Person110.571720.4423% more dangerous
Vehicle Crime502.581,6834.3167% safer
Violence and Sexual Offences80741.6911,28828.9231% more dangerous

Neath Compared to Nearby Small Towns

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Uplands82252.1080% safer
Penderry70954.2673% safer
Cockett77255.7668% safer
Gorseinon59763.0149% safer
Coedffranc79572.8029% safer
Neath1,81293.61-
Castle2,590144.7335% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Neath

View crime percentage over time for

Recent Crimes in Neath

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near D C Griffiths WayInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Public orderOn or near Cobham DriveUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Other theftOn or near Meadow RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Public orderOn or near Meadow RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Bryn AwelInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Windsor RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Public orderOn or near Maes-Yr-Haf RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Public orderOn or near Maes-Yr-Haf RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Maes-Yr-Haf RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Maes-Yr-Haf RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Other crimeOn or near Maes-Yr-Haf RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Parking AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Orchard StreetUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Public orderOn or near Llantwit RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Other theftOn or near Grove LaneUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Public orderOn or near Aspen WayInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Nightingale ParkUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021BurglaryOn or near Park/Open SpaceInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Park/Open SpaceInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Other theftOn or near Harvard Jones CloseUnable to prosecute suspect

Neath Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour29323546Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.460.360.460.36Safer
Burglary4.14.44.85Getting worse
Criminal Damage and Arson11111110Safer
Drugs3.04.94.04.2Getting worse
Other Crime1.92.12.11.6Safer
Other Theft8787Safer
Possession of Weapons0.720.830.570.88Getting worse
Public Order10131313Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.310.360.360.83Getting worse
Shoplifting1612106Safer
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)1.41.21.10.57Safer
Vehicle Crime4.44.852.6Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences30434242Getting worse

Changes In Neath's Crime Rates Over Time

Offences in Neath's Green Spaces

We only display green spaces in Neath that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.

NameASBDrugsPublic OrderRobberyVSOAll OthersCrimes per Hectare
Neath Cricket Club1----00.41
Parc Melin31--418
Parc Mount Pleasant--1-302.4

Comparing Neath to the UK's Major Cities

Small TownCrime RateRate Difference
Barnet67.7138% safer
Coventry77.4121% safer
Croydon83.2212% safer
Sheffield85.819% safer
Bristol86.219% safer
Neath93.61-
Leicester97.443.9% more dangerous
Birmingham102.879% more dangerous
Liverpool107.2813% more dangerous
Bradford133.0230% more dangerous
Leeds137.1032% more dangerous

Crime in Neath's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Neath South43165Second
Neath Town1,061156First

Crime in Neath During Coronavirus Lockdowns

Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Neath change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Neath saw a 250% increase in shoplifting. Neath saw a large fall in vehicle crime during April, when it fell by 86% compared to April in 2019.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Anti-Social Behaviour-45%+75%+42%+91%+26%+60%+39%+40%+109%+80%
Bicycle Theft--------+200%-
Burglary+71%-57%+75%+29%+20%-8%-42%--33%-
Criminal Damage and Arson-52%-45%-52%-50%+23%+47%+24%+24%+47%-40%
Drugs+40%+75%+125%+25%-83%-64%-50%+33%+100%+33%
Other Crime-60%--80%-25%-40%-+100%+100%-40%-
Other Theft+14%-67%-50%-18%-31%-14%+10%+8%-33%+50%
Possession of Weapons-50%------50%--+100%
Public Order---38%-16%+29%-+23%+27%-43%+6%
Robbery+100%----+100%----50%
Shoplifting-68%-68%-+250%-14%-24%-54%-36%+17%-33%
Theft From the Person----50%+100%-67%---75%-
Vehicle Crime-22%-86%--40%-44%-69%+120%-78%+150%-
Violence and Sexual Offences-41%-3%+4%-20%-12%+3%+32%+35%-8%-33%

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Neath

What police force serves Neath?
Neath's local territorial police force is the South Wales Police.
How dangerous is Neath?
Neath is the second most dangerous small town in West Glamorgan.
What is Neath's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Neath are violence and sexual offences.
What is the least common crime in Neath?
Neath's least common crime is bicycle theft.

Last updated: 31 Dec 2021