Crime in Aberdare
Recorded crime in Aberdare is 1.4 times the Rhondda Cynon Taf average and 1.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Aberdare: about 12,806 residents in 12 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −9%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Rhondda Cynon Taf average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Aberdare.
Crime over 5 years
Down 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Aberdare, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Rhondda Cynon Taf average (1.2× the England and Wales average). 103 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 77% of the harm here
- Burglary: 6% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 77% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 33 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Rhondda Cynon Taf (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Rhondda Cynon Taf partnership area, not only Aberdare. Figures for the Cwm Taf community safety partnership, which covers Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 518 | 1.7 | Up 9% |
| Cars broken into | 423 | 1.4 | Up 6% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,866 | 6.2 | Up 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 342 | 1.1 | Up 12% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 7 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in CF44
In CF44, the postcode district at the centre of Aberdare, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 1,862 | 11% | 3% | 69% | 10% | 7% |
| Public order | 551 | 4% | 3% | 64% | 22% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 330 | 5% | 7% | 38% | 45% | 5% |
| Other theft | 183 | 3% | 0% | 37% | 55% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 169 | 34% | 4% | 20% | 41% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 160 | 1% | 1% | 23% | 72% | 3% |
| Other crime | 133 | 12% | 1% | 60% | 14% | 14% |
| Drugs | 108 | 37% | 26% | 14% | 18% | 6% |
| Burglary | 94 | 11% | 0% | 17% | 68% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 6% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.3 |
| Burglary | 2.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 48.5 |
| Drugs | 4.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.8 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 6.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.7 |
| Public order | 15.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.2 |
| Shoplifting | 8.8 |
Postcode districts in Aberdare
Nearby towns
Council: Rhondda Cynon Taf
Questions about crime in Aberdare
- Is Aberdare a safe place to live?
- Aberdare scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Rhondda Cynon Taf average.
- Is crime going up or down in Aberdare?
- Down 9% over 5 years, from 1,416 recorded crimes a year to 1,294.
- What is the most common crime in Aberdare?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 48 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Aberdare compare with Rhondda Cynon Taf?
- Crime severity in Aberdare is 1.4 times the Rhondda Cynon Taf average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Aberdare?
- In CF44, the postcode district at the centre of Aberdare, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 23% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Aberdare?
- Of 94 burglaries reported in CF44, the postcode district at the centre of Aberdare between September 2024 and August 2025, 11% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 68% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Aberdare?
- In 2025/26, in the Cwm Taf partnership area, which includes Aberdare, the police recorded 518 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.7 per 1,000 residents, up 9% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Aberdare?
- 1,866 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cwm Taf partnership area, which includes Aberdare, 6.2 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Aberdare last year?
- 7 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Cwm Taf partnership area, which includes Aberdare, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.