The Welsh neighbourhoods where the most crimes are committed

The Welsh neighbourhoods with the highest level of crime have been revealed Latest crime statistics have revealed the areas of the country that have seen the most crimes committed over 12 months.

Over a period of 12 months, ending in January 2022, Cathays South and Bute Park suffered more crime than anywhere else in Wales. According to the data, a total of 6,580 crimes were committed in the neighbourhood, which includes areas of the city centre, over the 12 month period.

When compared to the population, that works out as 506 crimes for every 1,000 people who live there, which is the highest in Wales and the 14th highest in all England and Wales. Anti-social behaviour was a particular concern for the area, with 126 crimes for every 1,000 people.

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For this article, we used data published on Friday, April 1. The data, taken from data.police.uk, provides statistics for MSOAs (Middle-Layer Super Output Areas), with an average of 7,000 residents, meaning that numbers are provided for areas such as Adamsdown in Cardiff, or Killay in Swansea.

The Cathays South and Bute Park MSOA, which contains large parts of Cardiff city centre, had the highest rate of burglary, with 14 of these crimes for every 1,000 residents. The neighbourhood also had the highest rates of theft from a person (13 crimes for every 1,000 residents), shoplifting (69 crimes for every 1,000 residents), and bicycle theft (29 crimes for every 1,000 residents).

The Cathays South and Bute Park area suffered more crime than anywhere else in Wales, according to data (Mark Lewis)

Stow Hill in Newport came in second on the list for the highest crime rate, with 442 offences for every 1,000 people. According to the data, this was partly driven by the neighbourhood having the highest rates of public order crimes in the country, with 71 offences for every 1,000 people. The area also had the highest rates of robbery, with five crimes per 1,000 residents, and weapons offences, with four per 1,000 residents.

Central Swansea had the third-highest crime rate, with 411 crimes per 1,000 people. This included the highest rates of drug offences in Wales, with 29 for every 1,000 residents in the neighbourhood. Rhyl North was the area in the country where people were most likely to be attacked, having the highest rate of violence and sexual offences. There were 159 of these crimes for every 1,000 residents - the 16th highest in England and Wales.

Lampeter and Llanfihangel Ystrad in Ceredigion was the area that saw the highest rise in crime. A total of 1,262 crimes were reported in that neighbourhood in the year ending January 2022 - a huge 174% rise from the 461 offences the previous year. This was followed by three Swansea neighbourhoods - Dunvant and Upper Killay, Killay, and Llanmorlais and Three Crosses.

Here are the top 10 areas in Wales, with the overall placing in England and Wales in brackets:

1. Cardiff - Cathays South & Bute Park (14) - 505.9 crimes per 1,000 residents
   
2. Newport - Stow Hill (29) - 441.9 per 1,000 residents
   
3. Swansea - Central Swansea (39) - 472 per 1,000 residents
   
4. Denbighshire - Rhyl North (46) - 391.5 per 1,000 residents
   
5. Conwy - Colwyn Bay North (97) - 323.7 per 1,000 residents
   
6. Wrexham - Wrexham West (157) - 276.8 per 1,000 residents
   
7. Merthyr Tydfil - Gelli-deg & Town (197) - 255.5 per 1,000 residents
   
8. Neath Port Talbot - Neath Town (199) - 254.9 per 1,000 residents
   
9. Denbighshire - Rhyl South West (239) - 238.1 per 1,000 residents
   
10. Cardiff - Adamsdown (260) - 232.9 per 1,000 residents

In contrast, the data also revealed the areas of Wales with the least number of reported crimes. Abergwili, Llanegwad and Carmel, in Carmarthenshire, coming in at top of the list, with just 29 offences for every 1,000 residents. The top 10 neighbourhoods in Wales were also revealed, and they also used a rate per 1,000 residents. The areas were:

1. Carmarthenshire - Abergwili, Llanegwad & Carmel (6,768) - 28.9 crimes per 1,000 residents
2. Swansea - Dunvant & Upper Killay (6,755) - 29.8 per 1,000 residents
3. Swansea - Killay (6,751) - 30 per 1,000 residents
4. Swansea - Llanmorlais & Three Crosses (6,737) - 30.6 per 1,000 residents
5. Powys - Four Crosses & Guilsfield (6,734) - 30.7 per 1,000 residents
6. Cardiff - Rhiwbina & Pant-mawr (6,681) - 31.4 per 1,000 residents
7. Swansea - Mayals & Bishopston (6,681) - 32.2 per 1,000 residents
8. Swansea - West Gower (6,626) - 33.9 per 1,000 residents
9. Pembrokeshire - Crundale, Clynderwen & Maenclochog (6,611) - 34.2 per 1,000 residents
10. The Vale of Glamorgan - Barry Dyfan & Illtyd (6,602) - 34.5 per 1,000 residents

It is important to bear in mind that this data can be volatile because it covers smaller areas. Where an area has a very small population even a small rise in reported crimes can see a big increase in the crimes per 1,000. You should therefore be cautious about drawing too many conclusions directly from the information.

Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the charity Victim Support said: “High crime rates in any area of the country are cause for concern. We see first-hand the devastating impact crime has on victims - from making them question their sense of safety to severely damaging their mental health.

“When looking at these figures, it is worth keeping in mind that there are many different ways of measuring crime. Because many victims don’t report to the police, the true crime rates could be much higher.

“It is vital that victims are given support, no matter where they live or whether or not they have reported the crime. Visit the Victim Support website or call our free, 24/7 helpline on 08 08 16 89 111.”