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. May 2018 was also a bad month for South Elmsall residents, when it was West Yorkshire's most dangerous small town for robbery, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.40 per 1,000 residents. South Elmsall recorded 13 reports of shoplifting during June 2015, making its crime rate of 1.7 the worst small town for shoplifting 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

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Crime in South Elmsall Compared To West Yorkshire

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Summary of Crimes in South Elmsall This Year

 South ElmsallWest Yorkshire 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour16722.2148,24020.687% more dangerous
Bicycle Theft60.801,7620.765% more dangerous
Burglary405.3215,1026.4722% safer
Criminal Damage and Arson9913.1725,48710.9317% more dangerous
Drugs202.668,3433.5835% safer
Other Crime283.726,6132.8424% more dangerous
Other Theft455.9816,3707.0217% safer
Possession of Weapons60.802,1200.9114% safer
Public Order12917.1630,32813.0024% more dangerous
Robbery40.532,4431.0598% safer
Shoplifting7810.3711,6474.9952% more dangerous
Theft From the Person20.272,0400.87222% safer
Vehicle Crime476.2513,6605.866% more dangerous
Violence and Sexual Offences36748.81107,15745.946% more dangerous

South Elmsall Compared to Nearby Small Towns

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Heckmondwike1,343106.669% safer
South Kirkby and Moorthorpe1,269109.276% safer
Hemsworth1,592112.622.9% safer
Cleckheaton1,271112.922.6% safer
Featherstone1,980114.191.4% safer
South Elmsall871115.84-
Knottingley1,784127.879% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in South Elmsall

View crime percentage over time for

Recent Crimes in South Elmsall

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
November 2021DrugsOn or near Victor StreetOffender given a drugs possession warning
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Victor StreetUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near High StreetUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021DrugsOn or near Church StreetOffender given a caution
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Central AvenueUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Central AvenueUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Central AvenueFurther action is not in the public interest
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Central AvenueUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Upper Ash GroveUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Upper Ash GroveUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near East StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near East StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near East StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near East StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Barnsley RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Barnsley RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Albion PlaceUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Other theftOn or near Albion PlaceInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Albany CrescentUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Wynford DriveUnable to prosecute suspect

South Elmsall Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour42221822Safer
Bicycle Theft-0.270.130.80Getting worse
Burglary4.954.95Getting worse
Criminal Damage and Arson15141113Safer
Drugs1.52.01.62.7Getting worse
Other Crime2.51.71.63.7Getting worse
Other Theft8876Safer
Possession of Weapons0.800.930.530.80Getting worse
Public Order910917Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.530.660.930.53Safer
Shoplifting1551110Getting worse
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)0.401.10.270.27Safer
Vehicle Crime6796Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences33434849Getting worse

Changes In South Elmsall's Crime Rates Over Time

Comparing South Elmsall to the UK's Major Cities

Small TownCrime RateRate Difference
Barnet67.7171% safer
Coventry77.4150% safer
Croydon83.2239% safer
Sheffield85.8135% safer
Bristol86.2134% safer
Leicester97.4419% safer
Birmingham102.8713% safer
Liverpool107.288% safer
South Elmsall115.84-
Bradford133.0213% more dangerous
Leeds137.1016% more dangerous

Crime in South Elmsall's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
South Elmsall841115First

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.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
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: 31 Dec 2021