South Elmsall Crime Overview
South Elmsall is the second most dangerous small town in West Yorkshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of West Yorkshire's 121 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in South Elmsall in 2020 was 116 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to West Yorkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 10% higher than the West Yorkshire rate of 104 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, South Elmsall is the 30th most dangerous small town, and the 308th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2018, South Elmsall was the worst small town in West Yorkshire for possession of weapons, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.40 per 1,000 inhabitants. June 2015 was also a bad month for South Elmsall residents, when it was West Yorkshire's most dangerous small town for shoplifting, recording 13 crimes at a rate of 1.7 per 1,000 residents. South Elmsall recorded 2 reports of bicycle theft during December 2015, making its crime rate of 0.27 the worst small town for bicycle theft in West Yorkshire that month.
The most common crimes in South Elmsall are violence and sexual offences, with 367 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 49. This is 2.2% higher than 2019's figure of 359 offences and a difference of 1.06 from 2019's crime rate of 48. South Elmsall's least common crime is theft from the person, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 2 crimes.
Compare South Elmsall to other towns and cities
See how South Elmsall shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how South Elmsall and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
South Elmsall Crime Map
Crime in South Elmsall Compared To West Yorkshire
Summary of Crimes in South Elmsall This Year
| South Elmsall | West Yorkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 167 | 22.21 | 48,240 | 20.68 | 7% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 0.80 | 1,762 | 0.76 | 5% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 40 | 5.32 | 15,102 | 6.47 | 22% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 99 | 13.17 | 25,487 | 10.93 | 17% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 20 | 2.66 | 8,343 | 3.58 | 35% safer |
| Other Crime | 28 | 3.72 | 6,613 | 2.84 | 24% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 45 | 5.98 | 16,370 | 7.02 | 17% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 6 | 0.80 | 2,120 | 0.91 | 14% safer |
| Public Order | 129 | 17.16 | 30,328 | 13.00 | 24% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.53 | 2,443 | 1.05 | 98% safer |
| Shoplifting | 78 | 10.37 | 11,647 | 4.99 | 52% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 2 | 0.27 | 2,040 | 0.87 | 222% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 47 | 6.25 | 13,660 | 5.86 | 6% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 367 | 48.81 | 107,157 | 45.94 | 6% more dangerous |
South Elmsall Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heckmondwike | 1,343 | 106.66 | 9% safer |
| South Kirkby and Moorthorpe | 1,269 | 109.27 | 6% safer |
| Hemsworth | 1,592 | 112.62 | 2.9% safer |
| Cleckheaton | 1,271 | 112.92 | 2.6% safer |
| Featherstone | 1,980 | 114.19 | 1.4% safer |
| South Elmsall | 871 | 115.84 | - |
| Knottingley | 1,784 | 127.87 | 9% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in South Elmsall
View crime percentage over time forSouth Elmsall Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 42 | 22 | 18 | 22 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | - | 0.27 | 0.13 | 0.80 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 4.9 | 5 | 4.9 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 14 | 11 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 3.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.80 | 0.93 | 0.53 | 0.80 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 9 | 10 | 9 | 17 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.53 | 0.66 | 0.93 | 0.53 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 15 | 5 | 11 | 10 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.40 | 1.1 | 0.27 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 33 | 43 | 48 | 49 | Getting worse |
Changes In South Elmsall's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing South Elmsall to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in South Elmsall's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Elmsall | 841 | 115 | First |
Crime in South Elmsall During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in South Elmsall change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when South Elmsall saw a 600% increase in shoplifting. South Elmsall saw a large fall in vehicle crime during April, when it fell by 88% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +50% | -64% | +300% | +240% | +67% | -43% | +83% | -29% | -28% | +36% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -67% | +200% | +233% | -17% | - | -67% | +100% | -67% | +100% | - |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -38% | +143% | +100% | +67% | -14% | -14% | +14% | +50% | -20% | -8% |
| Drugs | +100% | - | -50% | - | - | +100% | - | - | +200% | +100% |
| Other Crime | +33% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | +300% | -60% | -75% | - | -17% | +200% | - | - | -29% | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +100% | +50% | -27% | +300% | +100% | +317% | +71% | +250% | +29% | -20% |
| Shoplifting | +100% | - | -14% | +22% | -38% | +600% | -50% | -56% | -60% | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | -40% | -88% | -80% | -29% | -14% | +20% | - | +67% | -63% | +20% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +81% | +6% | +44% | -9% | -28% | +9% | -27% | +37% | +38% | -32% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in South Elmsall
What police force serves South Elmsall?
South Elmsall's local territorial police force is the West Yorkshire Police.How dangerous is South Elmsall?
South Elmsall is the second most dangerous small town in West Yorkshire.What is South Elmsall's most common crime?
The most common crimes in South Elmsall are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in South Elmsall?
South Elmsall's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021