Crime in Dewsbury
Recorded crime in Dewsbury is 1.4 times the Kirklees average and 1.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 17%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dewsbury: about 25,855 residents in 25 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.4/10Good
- 5-year change
- −17%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Kirklees average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Dewsbury.
Crime over 5 years
Down 17% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Dewsbury, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Kirklees average (1.7× the England and Wales average). 142 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 62% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Robbery: 7% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 62% 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: 21 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Kirklees (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Kirklees council area, not only Dewsbury. 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 | 1,105 | 2.5 | Up 3% |
| Cars broken into | 641 | 1.4 | Down 32% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 2,205 | 4.9 | Down 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 1,266 | 2.8 | Up 29% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 6 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in WF13
In WF13, the postcode district at the centre of Dewsbury, 9% 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) | 2,238 | 6% | 3% | 67% | 19% | 5% |
| Public order | 505 | 8% | 4% | 46% | 38% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 325 | 6% | 4% | 35% | 53% | 2% |
| Other theft | 302 | 3% | 2% | 29% | 64% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 297 | 30% | 9% | 19% | 40% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 202 | 5% | 0% | 17% | 74% | 3% |
| Drugs | 196 | 19% | 54% | 11% | 3% | 14% |
| Burglary | 176 | 6% | 0% | 15% | 77% | 2% |
| Other crime | 168 | 14% | 3% | 49% | 21% | 13% |
| Robbery | 55 | 25% | 0% | 25% | 40% | 9% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 54 | 37% | 7% | 28% | 9% | 19% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
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 | 1.9 |
| Burglary | 7.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 54.9 |
| Drugs | 4.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.3 |
| Other crime | 3.8 |
| Other theft | 10.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 2.1 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 9.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.9 |
| Public order | 18.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.7 |
| Shoplifting | 13.7 |
Postcode districts in Dewsbury
Nearby towns
Council: Kirklees
Questions about crime in Dewsbury
- Is Dewsbury a safe place to live?
- Dewsbury scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Kirklees average.
- Is crime going up or down in Dewsbury?
- Down 17% over 5 years, from 3,897 recorded crimes a year to 3,216.
- What is the most common crime in Dewsbury?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 55 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Dewsbury compare with Kirklees?
- Crime severity in Dewsbury is 1.4 times the Kirklees average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Dewsbury?
- In WF13, the postcode district at the centre of Dewsbury, 9% 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 Dewsbury?
- Of 176 burglaries reported in WF13, the postcode district at the centre of Dewsbury between September 2024 and August 2025, 6% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 77% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Dewsbury?
- In Kirklees, the council area Dewsbury is in, the police recorded 1,105 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.5 per 1,000 residents, up 3% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Dewsbury?
- 2,205 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Kirklees, the council area Dewsbury is in, 4.9 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Dewsbury last year?
- 6 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Kirklees, the council area Dewsbury is in, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.