Crime in Barnsley
Recorded crime in Barnsley is 1.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 13%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
251,770 residents in 148 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 6.5/10Good
- 5-year change
- −13%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 13% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Barnsley, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.2× the England and Wales average. 95 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 61% of the harm here
- Burglary: 18% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 61% 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: 22 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
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 | 0.9 |
| Burglary | 7.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 37.0 |
| Drugs | 2.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.0 |
| Other crime | 3.5 |
| Other theft | 7.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 7.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.9 |
| Public order | 9.3 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.4 |
| Shoplifting | 6.3 |
What crimes are recorded in Barnsley
95.1 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Barnsley in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 22,757. Home Office recorded crime: 23,952 (5% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. 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 | 680 | 2.7 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 512 | 2.0 | Down 33% |
| Vehicle tampering | 333 | 1.3 | Down 13% |
| Vandalism to homes | 958 | 3.8 | Down 9% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 147 | 0.58 | Down 17% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 628 | 2.5 | Down 10% |
| Arson | 192 | 0.76 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of homes | 906 | 3.6 | Down 12% |
| Burglary of businesses | 379 | 1.5 | Down 10% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 116 | 0.46 | Down 16% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 189 | 0.75 | About the same |
| Robbery of people | 191 | 0.76 | Down 20% |
| Robbery of businesses | 140 | 0.56 | Up 122% |
| Violence with injury | 2,491 | 9.9 | Down 3% |
| Violence without injury | 3,270 | 13.0 | Up 2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 3,456 | 13.7 | Up 4% |
| Sexual offences | 884 | 3.5 | Down 2% |
| Shoplifting | 1,872 | 7.4 | Down 18% |
| Bicycle theft | 72 | 0.29 | Down 11% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 91 | 0.36 | Down 4% |
| Drug dealing | 320 | 1.3 | Up 27% |
| Drug possession | 465 | 1.8 | Up 14% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
South Yorkshire Police area: 1,400 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,426 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Barnsley.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Barnsley, 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) | 9,646 | 8% | 4% | 73% | 11% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 2,639 | 5% | 4% | 32% | 59% | 1% |
| Public order | 2,240 | 11% | 3% | 61% | 23% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 1,867 | 39% | 1% | 12% | 47% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1,600 | 3% | 0% | 11% | 85% | 1% |
| Burglary | 1,503 | 4% | 0% | 15% | 79% | 1% |
| Other theft | 1,489 | 3% | 2% | 38% | 54% | 3% |
| Other crime | 1,082 | 7% | 2% | 68% | 13% | 9% |
| Drugs | 629 | 28% | 30% | 24% | 9% | 9% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 309 | 25% | 4% | 53% | 14% | 4% |
| Robbery | 282 | 22% | 0% | 37% | 37% | 4% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 88 | 1% | 0% | 30% | 66% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 74 | 1% | 0% | 26% | 72% | 1% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 3% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Barnsley
Postcode districts in Barnsley
Questions about crime in Barnsley
- Is Barnsley a safe place to live?
- Barnsley scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Barnsley?
- Down 13% over 5 years, from 26,014 recorded crimes a year to 22,567.
- What is the most common crime in Barnsley?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 37 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Barnsley?
- In Barnsley, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 33% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Barnsley?
- Of 1,503 burglaries reported in Barnsley between September 2024 and August 2025, 4% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Barnsley?
- In Barnsley, the police recorded 680 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.7 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Barnsley?
- 1,733 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Barnsley in 2025/26, 6.9 per 1,000 residents, 1.4 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Barnsley last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in Barnsley in 2025/26, against 1 the year before.