Crime and Safety in Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Pontefract is the third most dangerous medium-sized town in West Yorkshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of West Yorkshire's 118 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Pontefract in 2026 is 104 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 8% higher than the West Yorkshire rate of 96 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Pontefract is the 31st most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 562nd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2019, Pontefract had the worst crime rate in West Yorkshire for shoplifting, with 46 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.4 per 1,000 daytime population. August 2017 was also a bad month for Pontefract residents, when it was West Yorkshire's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 8 crimes at a rate of 0.26 per 1,000 daytime population. Pontefract recorded 35 reports of shoplifting during February 2016, making its crime rate of 1.1 the worst for shoplifting in West Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Pontefract are violence and sexual offences, with 1,893 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 54. This is 1.0% lower than 2025's figure of 1,913 offences and a difference of 0.62 from 2025's crime rate of 55. Pontefract's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 10 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 9% from 2025's figure of 11 crimes.
Pontefract 2026 Crime Scorecard
Third Most Dangerous
Medium-Sized Towns, West Yorkshire
22% higher, regional crime rate
Yorkshire and The Humber
44% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Pontefract is 22% higher than Yorkshire and The Humber and 44% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Pontefract Crime Rate Over Time
| Pontefract | |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Pontefract Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Pontefract represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Pontefract Compares
You can compare Pontefract's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Pontefract's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Pontefract up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Pontefract's 868 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Pontefract? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Pontefract • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Pontefract has a crime risk score of 731. This is based on analysis of 868 nearby areas within Pontefract, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Pontefract's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Pontefract, crime risk scores are typically around 731, while in West Yorkshire they are average 638.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 781 (666 for West Yorkshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 849 (West Yorkshire 702).
Trends in Crime Risk
Pontefract
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates an increase of 4.2% in Pontefract's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
The five-year trend may be static; no significant trend was identified in Pontefract's crime risk scores during this timeframe.
Over the last year, Pontefract's crime risk score has shown a downward trend of approximately 1.3%, indicating that the risk profile is going down. This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Pontefract
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Pontefract • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Violence and Sexual Offences have a crime rate of 54 reports per 1,000 people in Pontefract, which is 1.78 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 1,893 crime reports logged by West Yorkshire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, West Yorkshire Police recorded 317 reports of Public Order in Pontefract, resulting in a crime rate of 9.07 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.56.
The crime rate for Possession of Weapons is 1.49 times the national average at 0.94 reports per 1,000. This is from 33 crime reports reported to West Yorkshire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Pontefract
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Vehicle Crime offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.83 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Vehicle Crime CrimeRate Index was 0.93 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 11% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Pontefract
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Public Order offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.44 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 2.13 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 32% over this timeframe.
Burglary offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.08 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 1.27 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 15% over this timeframe.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.31 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson CrimeRate Index was 1.70 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 23% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Pontefract • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Pontefract | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 477 | 13.66 | 0.97 | 28,357 | 10.30 | 0.73 | 77,875 | 12.35 | 0.87 |
| Bicycle Theft | 10 | 0.29 | 0.78 | 1,587 | 0.59 | 0.81 | 4,306 | 0.68 | 0.93 |
| Burglary | 124 | 3.55 | 1.13 | 14,188 | 5.18 | 1.65 | 27,843 | 4.41 | 1.41 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 311 | 8.90 | 1.42 | 20,740 | 7.54 | 1.20 | 47,570 | 7.55 | 1.20 |
| Drugs | 96 | 2.76 | 0.89 | 10,751 | 3.90 | 1.26 | 19,757 | 3.14 | 1.02 |
| Other Crime | 113 | 3.23 | 1.75 | 9,197 | 3.34 | 1.81 | 18,290 | 2.91 | 1.57 |
| Other Theft | 171 | 4.88 | 0.86 | 18,533 | 6.75 | 1.19 | 36,443 | 5.78 | 1.02 |
| Possession of Weapons | 33 | 0.94 | 1.49 | 2,561 | 0.93 | 1.09 | 5,827 | 0.93 | 1.09 |
| Public Order | 317 | 9.07 | 1.56 | 23,622 | 8.57 | 1.48 | 47,514 | 7.55 | 1.30 |
| Robbery | 36 | 1.04 | 0.97 | 3,718 | 1.35 | 1.14 | 7,156 | 1.13 | 0.96 |
| Shoplifting | 344 | 9.84 | 1.38 | 20,448 | 7.41 | 1.04 | 48,695 | 7.71 | 1.08 |
| Theft From the Person | 25 | 0.72 | 0.46 | 2,229 | 0.81 | 0.52 | 3,568 | 0.57 | 0.37 |
| Vehicle Crime | 153 | 4.40 | 1.02 | 15,694 | 5.69 | 1.32 | 30,637 | 4.87 | 1.13 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,893 | 54.15 | 1.78 | 122,302 | 44.42 | 1.46 | 239,898 | 38.04 | 1.25 |
Download | |||||||||
Total Crime by Year
Pontefract | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 3,626 | 103.77 | 1.46 | 265,570 | 96.48 | 1.34 | 537,504 | 85.27 | 1.18 |
| 2025 | 3,660 | 105.03 | 1.43 | 277,491 | 101.23 | 1.37 | 553,826 | 88.44 | 1.19 |
| 2024 | 3,904 | 113.04 | 1.51 | 287,194 | 105.62 | 1.40 | 576,330 | 93.00 | 1.23 |
| 2023 | 4,491 | 131.47 | 1.68 | 312,915 | 116.19 | 1.47 | 611,034 | 99.55 | 1.26 |
| 2022 | 4,216 | 125.34 | 1.64 | 294,530 | 110.60 | 1.44 | 574,808 | 94.84 | 1.23 |
| 2021 | 2,970 | 89.52 | 1.32 | 250,751 | 94.53 | 1.38 | 501,180 | 83.02 | 1.21 |
| 2020 | 3,638 | 111.55 | 1.52 | 275,554 | 104.15 | 1.40 | 549,148 | 91.15 | 1.23 |
| 2019 | 3,710 | 115.71 | 1.53 | 287,851 | 109.31 | 1.43 | 568,297 | 94.66 | 1.24 |
| 2018 | 3,101 | 98.48 | 1.40 | 256,214 | 97.73 | 1.37 | 514,090 | 85.73 | 1.21 |
| 2017 | 2,904 | 93.39 | 1.48 | 226,333 | 86.57 | 1.35 | 456,998 | 76.46 | 1.20 |
| 2016 | 951 | 30.66 | 1.62 | 67,845 | 26.03 | 1.36 | 133,274 | 22.31 | 1.17 |
Download | |||||||||
Pontefract Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castleford | 6,059 | 123.63 | 19% more dangerous |
| Keighley | 6,863 | 108.93 | 5.0% more dangerous |
| Pontefract | 3,626 | 103.77 | - |
| Shipley | 1,779 | 95.13 | 8% safer |
| Morley | 4,230 | 95.96 | 8% safer |
| Batley | 4,131 | 88.83 | 14% safer |
| Brighouse | 2,918 | 83.30 | 20% safer |
| Pudsey | 3,056 | 80.60 | 22% safer |
| Holme Valley | 1,392 | 47.86 | 54% safer |
| Kirkburton | 1,221 | 45.34 | 56% safer |
Comparing Pontefract to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 23% safer |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 20% safer |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 19% safer |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 6% safer |
| Pontefract | 103.77 | - |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 0.84% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 3.2% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 20% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
To download charts and tables, you must subscribed to CrimeRate Pro
You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Pontefract's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Pontefract that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton Green | 18 | - | 3 | - | 24 | 14 |
| Friarwood Valley Gardens | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 17 |
| Monkhill Allotments | 8 | - | 9 | 1 | 31 | 15 |
| Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Pontrfract Swimming Pool | 2 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 3 |
| Barbican Garden | 7 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 35 |
| Aspire | 3 | - | 5 | - | 6 | 2 |
Recent Crimes in Pontefract
The 20 most recent crime reports in Pontefract.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Other crime | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Other crime | On or near Eastbourne Terrace | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Eastbourne Terrace | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near West Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near West Avenue | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Eastbourne Terrace | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Eastbourne Terrace | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Chantry Close | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Eastbourne Terrace |
Methodology & Data Sources
Pontefract Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Pontefract during July 2026 will typically become available in September 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Pontefract Data Points
For Pontefract, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2022 release of their Built Up Areas dataset, using the BUA22CD column value E63000957.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Pontefract's daytime - or "workday" - population of 23,521 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Pontefract