Bradford Crime Overview
Bradford is the most dangerous city in West Yorkshire, and is among the top 5 most dangerous overall out of West Yorkshire's 121 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Bradford in 2020 was 133 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 22% higher than the West Yorkshire rate of 104 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Bradford is the third most dangerous city, and the 194th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2020, Bradford had the worst crime rate in West Yorkshire for other crime, with 162 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.45 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2019 was also a bad month for Bradford residents, when it was West Yorkshire's most dangerous area for drugs, recording 227 crimes at a rate of 0.64 per 1,000 residents. Bradford recorded 495 reports of vehicle crime during June 2017, making its crime rate of 1.4 the worst for vehicle crime in West Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Bradford are violence and sexual offences, with 21,607 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 61. This is 0.65% higher than 2019's figure of 21,466 offences and a difference of 0.40 from 2019's crime rate of 60. Bradford's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 172 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 1.2% from 2019's figure of 174 crimes.
Compare Bradford to other towns and cities
See how Bradford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Bradford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Bradford Crime Map
Crime in Bradford Compared To West Yorkshire
Summary of Crimes in Bradford This Year
| Bradford | West Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 8,623 | 24.21 | 48,240 | 20.68 | 15% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 172 | 0.48 | 1,762 | 0.76 | 58% safer |
| Burglary | 2,926 | 8.21 | 15,102 | 6.47 | 21% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 5,045 | 14.16 | 25,487 | 10.93 | 23% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 2,027 | 5.69 | 8,343 | 3.58 | 37% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 1,509 | 4.24 | 6,613 | 2.84 | 33% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 2,836 | 7.96 | 16,370 | 7.02 | 12% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 411 | 1.15 | 2,120 | 0.91 | 21% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 5,846 | 16.41 | 30,328 | 13.00 | 21% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 505 | 1.42 | 2,443 | 1.05 | 26% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 1,673 | 4.70 | 11,647 | 4.99 | 6% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 367 | 1.03 | 2,040 | 0.87 | 16% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 2,461 | 6.91 | 13,660 | 5.86 | 15% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 21,607 | 60.66 | 107,157 | 45.94 | 24% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Bradford
View crime percentage over time forBradford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 33 | 26 | 22 | 24 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.73 | 0.65 | 0.49 | 0.48 | Safer |
| Burglary | 14 | 13 | 10 | 8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.88 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 13 | 13 | 11 | 7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 42 | 57 | 60 | 61 | Getting worse |
Changes In Bradford's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Bradford's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Bradford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton Villas Cricket Field | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 3.5 |
| Bradford Moor Park | 4 | 2 | 3 | - | 9 | 3 | 3.6 |
| Bradford Park Avenue Cricket Ground | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0.62 |
| Girlington Recreation Ground | - | - | 1 | - | 4 | 0 | 1.6 |
| Harold Park | 1 | - | 4 | - | 3 | 2 | 0.56 |
| King George V Memorial Playing Fields | 1 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 5 | 2.0 |
| Knowles Park | 2 | - | 6 | - | 3 | 7 | 3.3 |
| Lister Park | 1 | - | 3 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 1.2 |
| Myra Shay | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.31 |
| Peel Park | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1.3 |
| Victoria Park | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 0.52 |
| Wibsey Park | 2 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 6 | 1.2 |
Crime in Bradford's Neighbourhoods
Broomfields & East Bowling is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Bradford, followed by Central Bradford & Barkerend West in second place, and Holme Wood as the third most dangerous area. Bradford's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Bolton Road & Kings Road, Calverley & Farsley North, and Queensbury.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allerton | 1,125 | 112 | 19th |
| Bankfoot | 855 | 136 | 14th |
| Barkerend East | 1,244 | 115 | 18th |
| Bierley & Tong | 1,777 | 160 | Eighth |
| Bolton Road & Kings Road | 734 | 94 | 31st |
| Broomfields & East Bowling | 2,211 | 335 | First |
| Brown Royd | 1,339 | 168 | Seventh |
| Buttershaw | 1,647 | 136 | 13th |
| Calverley & Farsley North | 403 | 49 | 33rd |
| Canterbury | 1,060 | 108 | 23rd |
| Central Bradford & Barkerend West | 5,350 | 327 | Second |
| Clayton | 749 | 97 | 28th |
| Eccleshill | 1,188 | 148 | Tenth |
| Fairweather Green | 1,126 | 127 | 17th |
| Girlington | 855 | 104 | 26th |
| Great Horton & Brackenhill | 1,379 | 186 | Sixth |
| Haigh Fold | 650 | 107 | 25th |
| Holme Wood | 1,813 | 221 | Third |
| Horton Bank | 894 | 103 | 27th |
| Idle | 1,312 | 108 | 24th |
| Laisterdyke & Bowling | 1,501 | 194 | Fourth |
| Low Moor | 857 | 109 | 22nd |
| Manningham & Lister Park | 1,371 | 146 | 11th |
| Queensbury | 873 | 79 | 32nd |
| Ravenscliffe | 1,327 | 189 | Fifth |
| Scholemoor | 1,467 | 111 | 21st |
| Shearbridge & University | 2,026 | 134 | 16th |
| Thornbury | 1,236 | 135 | 15th |
| Toller Lane & Infirmary | 1,165 | 111 | 20th |
| Undercliffe | 1,555 | 154 | Ninth |
| Wibsey St Enoch's | 591 | 96 | 30th |
| Wrose & Bolton Woods | 826 | 97 | 29th |
| Wyke | 1,326 | 142 | 12th |
Bradford Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Bradford for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Wibsey St Enoch's (77) | Ravenscliffe (410) |
| Bicycle Theft | Fairweather Green (1) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (24) |
| Burglary | Girlington (18) | Laisterdyke & Bowling (139) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Calverley & Farsley North (28) | Broomfields & East Bowling (231) |
| Drugs | Calverley & Farsley North (9) | Broomfields & East Bowling (291) |
| Other Crime | Calverley & Farsley North (10) | Broomfields & East Bowling (57) |
| Other Theft | Calverley & Farsley North (24) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (329) |
| Possession of Weapons | Calverley & Farsley North (3) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (82) |
| Public Order | Calverley & Farsley North (40) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (786) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Idle (4) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (88) |
| Shoplifting | Barkerend East (3) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (595) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Wibsey St Enoch's (1) | Central Bradford & Barkerend West (128) |
| Vehicle Crime | Bolton Road & Kings Road (29) | Laisterdyke & Bowling (108) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Calverley & Farsley North (168) | Broomfields & East Bowling (924) |
Crime in Bradford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Bradford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Bradford saw a 91% increase in bicycle theft. Bradford saw a large fall in bicycle theft during December, when it fell by 86% compared to December in 2019. Rates of robbery and theft from the person both fell year-on-year for every month during Bradford's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +29% | -17% | +17% | +38% | +8% | +12% | +21% | -2% | +16% | +39% |
| Bicycle Theft | -31% | -24% | -7% | +36% | - | +46% | +91% | -35% | -41% | -86% |
| Burglary | -38% | -40% | -25% | -26% | -36% | -20% | +6% | +1% | -20% | -38% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -6% | -34% | -25% | -8% | -4% | -7% | -1% | -9% | -3% | -12% |
| Drugs | +31% | +62% | +66% | +32% | +21% | -18% | +54% | +38% | -19% | -1% |
| Other Crime | +69% | -1% | +6% | +27% | +35% | +22% | +16% | -26% | -5% | +14% |
| Other Theft | -18% | -46% | -32% | -34% | -34% | -17% | -22% | -23% | -18% | -22% |
| Possession of Weapons | -36% | -9% | -19% | -31% | -23% | +6% | +3% | +64% | +11% | +16% |
| Public Order | +8% | -9% | +15% | +32% | +10% | +14% | +6% | -7% | -5% | +1% |
| Robbery | -29% | -14% | -58% | -48% | -21% | -9% | -10% | +2% | -52% | -38% |
| Shoplifting | -7% | -56% | -67% | -56% | -46% | -27% | -46% | -30% | -52% | -50% |
| Theft From the Person | -26% | -46% | -60% | -58% | -55% | -14% | +3% | -48% | -51% | -40% |
| Vehicle Crime | -44% | -38% | -40% | -53% | -51% | -51% | -26% | -37% | -49% | -50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -8% | -10% | -7% | +1% | +9% | +21% | +8% | -3% | -3% | 0% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Bradford
What police force serves Bradford?
Bradford's local territorial police force is the West Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is Bradford?
Bradford is the most dangerous city in West Yorkshire.What is Bradford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Bradford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Bradford?
Bradford's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 07 May 2021