North Yorkshire is a popular tourist destination, but what is the crime situation like? In this article, we will explore everything about crime in North Yorkshire and identify the most dangerous towns in the area.
North Yorkshire Crime
North Yorkshire is home to beautiful areas such as Ripon, Harrogate, and Scarborough, but when it comes to crime there are mixed reviews. Some places in Yorkshire have relatively low crime rates, while others have made headlines for their high crime areas.
According to Plumplot, the annual crime rate in North Yorkshire is 36.6 crimes committed per 1,000 people. When compared to the national crime rate, North Yorkshire”s rate makes up 103%.
From using statistics from Plumplot, we have compiled a list of North Yorkshire’s most common crimes and their respective percentages of the total crimes committed in the county.
| Type Of Crime | Share Of All Crimes |
| Violent Crimes | 34.5% |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20.5% |
| Criminal Damage & Arson | 9.1% |
| Shoplifting | 7.6% |
| Public Order Crimes | 6.5% |
| Other Theft Crimes | 5.8% |
| Burglary | 4.4% |
| Vehicle Crime | 4% |
| Drug Crime | 2.6% |
| Other Crime | 1.9% |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4% |
| Possessions Of Weapons | 0.7% |
| Robbery | 0.6% |
| Theft From The Person | 0.4% |
From looking at the stats above we can see that many crimes affect the county’s safety, but its most common crimes are anti-social behaviour crimes and violent crimes. To get a better idea of what crime is like in North Yorkshire, we have decided to take a closer look at crime in some of North Yorkshire’s most popular areas. Starting off with Harrogate.
Harrogate Crime
According to Crimerate, Harrogate is North Yorkshire’s safest major town. In 2023, Harrogate had an overall crime rate of 73 crimes committed per 1,000 people. This was 13% lower than North Yorkshire’s overall crime of 85 crimes.
The most common crime committed in Harrogate is violent and sexual offences crimes. In 2023, violent crimes were reported over 2,286 times and had an average crime rate of 33. This was 0.26% lower than 2022 where there were 2,292 violent crimes offences.
While Harrogate’s least common crime is robbery. In 2023, robbery crimes had decreased by 41% and were only committed 22 times.
To get a better idea of which areas in Harrogate are crime hotspots we have listed the town’s most dangerous wards based on statistics from Crimerate.
| Ward | Crime Count | Crime Rate Per 1,000 |
| Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate | 1,430 | 89 |
| Fairfax & Starbeck | 636 | 77 |
| High Harrogate & Kingsley | 595 | 75 |
| Bilton Grange & New Park | 383 | 70 |
| Coppice Valley & Duchy | 349 | 51 |
Is Harrogate Safe?
As we mentioned earlier, Harrogate is viewed as the safest big town in the whole of Nork Yorkshire. But it’s also ranked as the 59th most dangerous area in North Yorkshire when compared county’s other 699 towns, villages, and cities. When compared to the whole of the UK, Harrogate is ranked as the 2,145th most dangerous location out of the UK’s cities, towns and villages.
Scarborough Crime
Scarborough is a popular tourist destination in North Yorkshire, but it’s also the county’s second most dangerous medium-sized town. Crimerate reports that in 2023, Scarborough had an overall crime rate of 152 crimes per 1,000 people. This was 80% higher than North Yorkshire’s own crime rate of 85 crimes.
When it comes to crime – violent and sexual offences are Scarborough’s most common. In 2023, violent crimes were committed over 3,717 times and had an average crime rate of 76. When compared to 2022’s crime figures, violent crimes had actually decreased by 4.5%.
In 2023, Scarborough’s least common crime were theft from the person. These had decreased by 31% and were reported 27 times.
To identify the crime hotspots in Scarborough, we have created a list using crime statistics from Crimerate.
| Ward | Number of Crimes | Crimes Rate Per 1000 |
| Castle | 3,007 | 224 |
| Falsgrave & Stepney | 917 | 119 |
| Northstead | 736 | 122 |
| Woodlands | 719 | 86 |
| Eastfield | 703 | 145 |
Is Scarborough Safe?
As we mentioned earlier, Scarborough has been labelled as the most dangerous medium-sized town in North Yorkshire due to its high crime rate. When compared to the whole of the UK, Scarborough is among the top 10 most dangerous medium-sized towns. It’s considered to be the 260th most dangerous area when compared to all towns, cities, and villages in the UK.
Eastfield Crime Rate
Just outside Scarborough is the region of Filey and Eastfield. Crimerate reports that Eastfield is among the top 10 most dangerous villages in North Yorkshire.
During 2023, Eastfield had an average crime rate of 150 crimes committed per 1,000 people. This was 77% higher than North Yorkshire’s own crime rate of 85 crimes.
Many types of crime impact safety in Eastfield, but the most concerning are violent crimes. In 2023, violent crimes had decreased by 7% and were reported over 456 times. The least common crime committed in Eastfield is theft from the person. In 2023, these types of crimes had 0 offences recorded.
North Yorkshire Crime Conclusion
Every area has its parts that are safer and those that are more dangerous, and North Yorkshire is no exception. In comparison to a number of areas in English, however, it is a safer option. It is understandable, however, that businesses might want to obtain security to protect themselves further. Companies can do this by installing CCTV cameras or hiring a security company to provide security guards to patrol your premises. These methods will help deter any potential criminals, keeping a business safe.
Interested in knowing more about Yorkshire’s crime? Check out our other articles where you can find more information about what the crime in South Yorkshire is like and whether the crime in the West of Yorkshire is rising. Or head over to our news page so that you can stay up to date with all the latest Yorkshire news.
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