The number of recorded crimes committed in Cardiff so far this year has increased since the end of 2022, the latest figures suggest. In 2022, a total of 42,970 crimes were committed in Cardiff according to data for South Wales Police. Recorded crimes hit their lowest in December, with a total of 3,288.
However, data for January and February this year shows that the number of recorded crimes for the city has started to increase. A total of 3,474 crimes were recorded in January, with that figure rising to 3,551 in February, the month with the latest available data for 2023.
Cathays - the area of Cardiff that recorded the most crimes last year - also topped the list for the areas of the city with the most crimes for the first two months of 2023, with a total of 1,132 being recorded. It's important to note that the area boundary for Cathays includes the city centre, from Cardiff Central Station up to the A48, separating one side of Cathays Cemetery from the other.
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As well as Cathays, other areas of the city saw a significant increase in the number of crimes committed since the end of last year. For instance, Llanrumney had reached the lowest number of crimes recorded in the area in December last year, with 73 being recorded. However, in February 2023, this figure had increased to 120.
Similarly, crimes recorded in Whitchurch and Tongwynlais reached a low of 68 in December last year, but increased to 114 in February this year. Not all areas of the city saw this increase, however. Some areas, including Splott and Penylan, have seen the number of crimes fall at the start of this year. While crimes in Canton increased to 131 in January from 118 in December, the number of recorded crimes reached its lowest figure in 12 months in February, with 94.
Below, we have put together a breakdown of the total number of crimes recorded for January and February this year and what those crimes in February were for each area of Cardiff. February is the month with the latest available data for 2023 and included a breakdown of the most commonly reported crimes for that month.
Cathays
January - 525
February - 607
In February - the month with the latest available data - the most commonly reported crimes were:
Violence and sexual offences - 196
Shoplifting - 84
Anti-social behaviour - 69
Public order - 51
Plasnewydd
January - 197
February - 209
Violence and sexual offences - 51
Public order - 29
Anti-social behaviour - 25
Shoplifting - 25
Splott
January - 177
February - 141
Violence and sexual offences - 54
Anti-social behaviour - 24
Vehicle crime - 16
Criminal damage and arson - 13
Riverside and Pontcanna
January - 204
February - 187
Violence and sexual offences - 56
Anti-social behaviour - 30
Public order - 25
Criminal damage and arson - 17
Grangetown
January - 226
February - 234
Violence and sexual offences - 59
Anti-social behaviour - 35
Shoplifting - 31
Public order - 27
Adamsdown
January - 228
February - 208
Violence and sexual offences - 60
Shoplifting - 30
Criminal damage and arson - 21
Anti-social behaviour - 19
Ely
January - 126
February - 153
Violence and sexual offences - 70
Anti-social behaviour - 18
Criminal damage and arson - 16
Public order - 14
Penylan
January - 134
February - 101
Vehicle crime - 21
Violence and sexual offences - 21
Shoplifting - 14
Other theft - 12
Canton
January - 131
February - 94
Violence and sexual offences - 22
Vehicle crime - 18
Criminal damage and arson - 11
Anti-social behaviour - 10
Fairwater
January - 98
February - 111
Violence and sexual offences - 38
Anti-social behaviour - 24
Public order - 12
Criminal damage and arson - 11
Trowbridge/St Mellons
January - 151
February - 132
Violence and sexual offences - 44
Anti-social behaviour - 20
Criminal damage and arson - 20
Public order - 19
Caerau
January - 144
February - 174
Violence and sexual offences - 49
Criminal damage and arson - 37
Anti-social behaviour - 33
Public order - 15
Pentwyn
January - 130
February - 104
Violence and sexual offences - 46
Anti-social behaviour - 18
Criminal damage and arson - 14
Public order - 10
Llanrumney
January - 90
February - 120
Violence and sexual offences - 34
Anti-social behaviour - 29
Vehicle crime - 16
Criminal damage and arson - 11
Rumney
January - 56
February - 70
Violence and sexual offences - 30
Vehicle crime - 11
Criminal damage and arson - 10
Other theft - 6
Gabalfa
January - 84
February - 85
Shoplifting - 22
Violence and sexual offences - 15
Anti-social behaviour - 9
Burglary - 8
Whitchurch and Tongwynlais
January - 79
February - 114
Violence and sexual offences - 30
Vehicle crime - 20
Shoplifting - 16
Criminal damage and arson - 11
Heath
January - 65
February - 60
Violence and sexual offences - 27
Public order - 8
Anti-social behaviour - 7
Criminal damage and arson - 7
Llanishen
January - 77
February - 89
Violence and sexual offences - 28
Other theft - 11
Vehicle crime - 10
Shoplifting - 9
Llandaff North
January - 68
February - 53
Violence and sexual offences - 22
Criminal damage and arson - 8
Public order - 8
Anti-social behaviour - 6
Llandaff
January - 27
February - 28
Violence and sexual offences - 9
Anti-social behaviour - 7
Shoplifting - 6
Criminal damage and arson - 2
Pontprennau/Old St Mellons
January - 77
February - 49
Violence and sexual offences - 15
Shoplifting - 8
Vehicle crime - 7
Public order - 5
Cyncoed
January - 32
February - 51
Anti-social behaviour - 15
Shoplifting - 8
Violence and sexual offences - 7
Criminal damage and arson - 6
Radyr
January - 22
February - 39
Vehicle crime - 15
Violence and sexual offences - 7
Public order - 4
Anti-social behaviour - 3
Rhiwbina
January - 23
February - 25
Violence and sexual offences - 8
Public order - 4
Anti-social behaviour - 3
Other theft - 3
Creigiau and St Fagans
January - 26
February - 39
Violence and sexual offences - 12
Public order - 7
Vehicle crime - 6
Anti-social behaviour - 4
Pentyrch
January - 10
February - 20
Anti-social behaviour - 9
Public order - 5
Violence and sexual offences - 4
Burglary - 1
Lisvane
January - 14
February - 11
Vehicle crime - 4
Violence and sexual offences - 3
Anti-social behaviour - 2
Criminal damage and arson - 1
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