Keighley Crime Overview
Keighley is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in West Yorkshire, and is among the top 10 most dangerous overall out of West Yorkshire's 121 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Keighley in 2020 was 121 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 14% higher than the West Yorkshire rate of 104 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Keighley is among the top 20 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 262nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Keighley was the worst medium-sized town in West Yorkshire for criminal damage and arson, with 65 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2020 was also a bad month for Keighley residents, when it was West Yorkshire's most dangerous medium-sized town for burglary, recording 46 crimes at a rate of 0.81 per 1,000 residents. Keighley recorded 20 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.35 the worst medium-sized town for drugs in West Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Keighley are violence and sexual offences, with 3,226 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 57. This is 2.5% higher than 2019's figure of 3,144 offences and a difference of 1.45 from 2019's crime rate of 56. Keighley's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 19 offences recorded in 2020, an increase of 11% from 2019's figure of 17 crimes.
Compare Keighley to other towns and cities
See how Keighley shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Keighley and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Keighley Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Keighley This Year
| Keighley | West Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,303 | 23.05 | 48,240 | 20.68 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 19 | 0.34 | 1,762 | 0.76 | 124% safer |
| Burglary | 411 | 7.27 | 15,102 | 6.47 | 11% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 715 | 12.65 | 25,487 | 10.93 | 14% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 185 | 3.27 | 8,343 | 3.58 | 9% safer |
| Other Crime | 196 | 3.47 | 6,613 | 2.84 | 18% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 376 | 6.65 | 16,370 | 7.02 | 6% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 50 | 0.88 | 2,120 | 0.91 | 3.4% safer |
| Public Order | 930 | 16.45 | 30,328 | 13.00 | 21% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 50 | 0.88 | 2,443 | 1.05 | 19% safer |
| Shoplifting | 357 | 6.32 | 11,647 | 4.99 | 21% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 28 | 0.50 | 2,040 | 0.87 | 74% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 292 | 5.17 | 13,660 | 5.86 | 13% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,226 | 57.07 | 107,157 | 45.94 | 20% more dangerous |
Crime in Keighley Compared To West Yorkshire
Keighley Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pudsey | 2,447 | 72.47 | 67% safer |
| Brighouse | 2,668 | 78.76 | 54% safer |
| Pontefract | 3,076 | 100.71 | 20% safer |
| Morley | 3,178 | 103.77 | 17% safer |
| Castleford | 5,173 | 120.39 | 0.43% safer |
| Keighley | 6,835 | 120.91 | - |
| Shipley | 3,522 | 122.38 | 1.2% more dangerous |
Keighley Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 28 | 24 | 19 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.64 | 0.44 | 0.30 | 0.34 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.65 | 1.0 | 0.76 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 9 | 14 | 16 | 16 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.85 | 0.87 | 0.88 | 0.88 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 10 | 11 | 6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.85 | 1.3 | 0.85 | 0.50 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 36 | 56 | 56 | 57 | Getting worse |
Changes In Keighley's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Keighley to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Keighley's Neighbourhoods
Keighley Central & East is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Keighley, followed by Keighley South in second place, and Keighley Oakworth Road & West Lane as the third most dangerous area. Keighley's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Keighley Utley, Oakworth & Laycock, and Riddlesden & East Morton.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keighley Central & East | 2,246 | 189 | First |
| Keighley Exley Head | 742 | 101 | Fourth |
| Keighley Oakworth Road & West Lane | 1,374 | 142 | Third |
| Keighley South | 1,108 | 179 | Second |
| Keighley Utley | 541 | 79 | Fifth |
| Oakworth & Laycock | 402 | 63 | Sixth |
| Riddlesden & East Morton | 396 | 51 | Seventh |
Keighley Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Keighley for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Oakworth & Laycock (59) | Keighley Oakworth Road & West Lane (312) |
| Bicycle Theft | Keighley Oakworth Road & West Lane (1) | Keighley South (4) |
| Burglary | Keighley Utley (26) | Keighley South (75) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Riddlesden & East Morton (28) | Keighley South (132) |
| Drugs | Oakworth & Laycock (3) | Keighley Central & East (74) |
| Other Crime | Oakworth & Laycock (6) | Keighley South (37) |
| Other Theft | Oakworth & Laycock (12) | Keighley South (87) |
| Possession of Weapons | Oakworth & Laycock (1) | Keighley Central & East (18) |
| Public Order | Riddlesden & East Morton (49) | Keighley Central & East (326) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Riddlesden & East Morton (2) | Keighley Central & East (22) |
| Shoplifting | Keighley Oakworth Road & West Lane (1) | Keighley Central & East (279) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Keighley Exley Head (1) | Keighley Central & East (15) |
| Vehicle Crime | Keighley Utley (23) | Keighley South (45) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Oakworth & Laycock (150) | Keighley South (542) |
Crime in Keighley During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Keighley change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Keighley saw a 400% increase in possession of weapons. Keighley saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 86% compared to April in 2019. Rates of shoplifting and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Keighley's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +38% | -7% | +46% | - | +33% | +24% | -25% | +15% | +52% | +83% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | +100% | -50% | +300% | +50% | +50% | -50% | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +39% | -31% | -32% | -41% | -27% | -29% | +119% | -29% | -16% | -38% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -2% | -20% | +18% | -2% | +27% | +34% | -3% | +14% | +5% | +33% |
| Drugs | -10% | -47% | +50% | +60% | +78% | +63% | -7% | +17% | +21% | +100% |
| Other Crime | -5% | -26% | +18% | +23% | -9% | +33% | +18% | -7% | -6% | -27% |
| Other Theft | +28% | -57% | -17% | -39% | -18% | +3% | -19% | - | -3% | +9% |
| Possession of Weapons | -33% | -50% | -60% | +50% | - | +33% | -67% | +100% | +400% | -25% |
| Public Order | +48% | - | +20% | +23% | -25% | +34% | +10% | +19% | -11% | - |
| Robbery | +150% | +20% | -57% | +50% | -44% | -75% | +67% | +100% | +100% | - |
| Shoplifting | +3% | -69% | -79% | -75% | -58% | -33% | -21% | -53% | -75% | -61% |
| Theft From the Person | +150% | -86% | -60% | - | -20% | -57% | - | -33% | -67% | -80% |
| Vehicle Crime | +13% | -47% | -44% | -44% | -58% | -50% | -10% | -50% | -50% | -56% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -14% | -19% | -9% | -5% | +22% | +18% | -4% | +24% | +6% | +1% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Keighley
What police force serves Keighley?
Keighley's local territorial police force is the West Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is Keighley?
Keighley is the second most dangerous medium-sized town in West Yorkshire.What is Keighley's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Keighley are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Keighley?
Keighley's least common crime is bicycle theft.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021