Yorkshire is one of the biggest regions within the UK. The area has hit headlines for being one of the safest places to live despite having some of the highest crime rates. But how safe is Yorkshire and Humber really? We’ll be discussing this and more, such as which areas are ranked to be the most dangerous.
Is Yorkshire Safe To Live In?
This is not an easy question – Yorkshire is one of the largest areas in England. The area has busy cities and wide, open countryside and cannot be looked at as a whole as statistics vary differently depending on the location.
Safest Areas In Yorkshire
Examinerlive conducted a survey of Yorkshire’s safest neighbourhoods in 2022. The safest Yorkshire neighbourhood on the list was the Leeming, Pickhill and Thornton-Hambleton area, which ranked 13th overall safest place in the country.
| Location | Total number of crimes | Crime Rate | Safety Rank |
| Leeming, Pickhill and Thornton – Hambleton | 151 | 22.1 | 13 |
| Wigginton – York | 171 | 28.3 | 76 |
| Strensall – York | 214 | 30.8 | 127 |
| Linton, Tollerton and Raskelf – Hambleton | 215 | 31.4 | 152 |
| Wetherby West – Leeds | 212 | 31.8 |
165 |
| Menston and Burley Moor – Bradford | 195 | 32.5 | 185 |
| Dunnington, Elvington and Wheldrake – York | 210 | 32.6 | 187 |
| Garforth East – Leeds | 241 | 34.6 | 263 |
| Knaresborough North – Harrogate | 253 | 35.1 | 275 |
| Fulwood and Lodge More – Sheffield | 277 | 35.3 | 288 |
Most Dangerous Areas In Yorkshire
Examinverlive also conducted a survey determining Yorkshire’s most dangerous locations in 2022. The most dangerous areas were central Doncaster and Hyde Park, central Halifax and Boothtown, and Leeds city centre.
|
Location |
Total Number Of Crimes |
Crime Rate |
|
Leeds City Centre |
10,626 |
736.6 |
|
Central Doncaster & Hyde Park |
6,697 |
496.2 |
|
Central Halifax & Boothtown |
4,215 |
479.1 |
|
Wakefield Central |
3,831 |
431.9 |
|
Central Bradford & Barkerend West |
6,675 |
409.2 |
|
York City Centre |
2,957 |
385.7 |
|
Huddersfield Leeds Road & Fartown |
2,957 |
385.7 |
|
Broomfield & East Bowling (Bradford) |
2,516 |
381.4 |
|
Scarborough Town & North Bay |
2,817 |
361.8 |
|
Rotherham Central |
2,975 |
352.3 |
|
Armley & New Wortley (Leeds) |
2,789 |
310.8 |
Crime In Yorkshire
According to Plumplot, Yorkshire’s overall crime rate is 127.3 crimes committed per 1,000 people. Out of all crimes committed, violent crimes were the most popular. These made up 37.7% of all crimes committed in Yorkshire. Shoplifting is another crime that has increased in Yorkshire. In the last twelve months, shoplifting crimes increased by 21.2% and made up more than 7.7% of all crimes committed in Yorkshire.
To gain a better understanding of where crime occurs in Yorkshire, we have compared crime rates across the regions of Yorkshire. Using crime statistics from the Office for National Statistics, we aimed to determine the most dangerous area in Yorkshire.
Crime In North Yorkshire
The first region we are analysing is North Yorkshire. In 2023, North Yorkshire had the lowest number of recorded crimes in all of Yorkshire, totalling 48,885 crimes (excluding fraud). The most common crimes in North Yorkshire during 2023 were:
- Violence against the person (19,967 reported incidents)
- Theft offences (14,737 reported incidents)
- Violent crimes without injury (8,447 reported incidents)
- Violent crimes with injury (5,954 reported incidents)
- Criminal damage and arson (5,161 reported incidents)
Crime In West Yorkshire
The second region we are analysing is West Yorkshire. In 2023, West Yorkshire had the highest number of recorded crimes in the whole of Yorkshire, totalling 301,036 crimes (excluding fraud). The most common crimes in North Yorkshire during this time were:
- Violence against the person (126,893 reported incidents)
- Theft offences (82,050 reported incidents)
- Stalking and harassment crimes (51,874 reported incidents)
- Violence crimes without injury (47,312 reported incidents)
- Violent crimes with injury (27,561 reported incidents)
Crime In South Yorkshire
The third region we are reviewing is South Yorkshire. In 2023, South Yorkshire had the second highest number of recorded crimes in all of Yorkshire, totalling 156,748 crimes (excluding fraud). The most frequent crimes committed during this time were:
- Violence against the person (55,746 incidents reported)
- Theft offences (50,600 incidents reported)
- Stalking and harassment (20,030 incidents reported)
- Violence without injury (19,442 incidents reported)
- Violence with injury (16,237 incidents reported)
Crime In Humberside
The final region we are reviewing is Humberside. In 2023, Humberside had the third-highest number of recorded crimes in the whole of Yorkshire, totalling 104,986 crimes (excluding fraud). The most frequent crimes committed in the area were:
- Violence against the person (43,214 incidents reported)
- Theft offences (27,793 incidents reported)
- Stalking and harassment (17,019 incidents reported)
- Violence without injury (14,077 incidents reported)
- Violence with injury (12,098 incidents reported)
Crime In Huddersfield
Huddersfield is one of the Yorkshire’s biggest cities. But how safe is Huddersfield really? According to Crimerate, Huddersfield’s overall crime rate in 2023 was 136 crimes per 1,000 people. The most common offences were violent crimes, which decreased by 3.7% with 8,442 incidents reported. The least common crime was bicycle theft, which saw a 2.2% decrease with 89 incidents reported.
Conclusion
So, overall Yorkshire’s most dangerous region is West Yorkshire. But like all regions, there will be some areas which are more dangerous than others.
Understandably, businesses may want to protect themselves so that they or their staff are not the victims of crime. There are ways to reduce your likelihood of being targeted by criminals, and one such way is by hiring a security company. A security company can install CCTV cameras to monitor premises or provide security guards for a physical presence, deterring potential criminals. Security companies can also review your current security methods, making recommendations on how to secure your business.
Leeds is another popular area within Yorkshire, check our article to see how safe Leeds really is. Or head over to our news page so that you can keep up to date with all the latest Yorkshire news.
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