Crime in Leeds
Recorded crime in Leeds is 1.6 times the Leeds council average and 2.5 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Leeds: about 171,112 residents in 116 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 8.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- −15%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Leeds council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Leeds.
Crime over 5 years
Down 15% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Leeds, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Leeds council average (2.5× the England and Wales average). 195 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 56% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Robbery: 11% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 23 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Leeds (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Leeds council area, not only the city of Leeds. 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 | 1,808 | 2.1 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 3,054 | 3.6 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 5,173 | 6.1 | Down 8% |
| Burglary of homes | 3,530 | 4.2 | Down 2% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 10 | 0.01 | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in LS1
In LS1, the postcode district at the centre of Leeds, 14% 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) | 2,095 | 10% | 3% | 40% | 42% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 1,605 | 22% | 4% | 12% | 61% | 1% |
| Public order | 757 | 15% | 2% | 36% | 43% | 4% |
| Other theft | 618 | 3% | 0% | 10% | 85% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 308 | 14% | 4% | 23% | 56% | 3% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 273 | 1% | 0% | 7% | 89% | 2% |
| Burglary | 269 | 20% | 0% | 12% | 66% | 1% |
| Drugs | 253 | 26% | 41% | 19% | 0% | 14% |
| Robbery | 186 | 12% | 1% | 20% | 62% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 158 | 4% | 0% | 6% | 89% | 2% |
| Bicycle theft | 140 | 3% | 1% | 2% | 92% | 2% |
| Other crime | 105 | 20% | 5% | 39% | 21% | 15% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 70 | 63% | 4% | 10% | 4% | 19% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 4.2 |
| Burglary | 11.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 71.2 |
| Drugs | 7.3 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.2 |
| Other crime | 4.5 |
| Other theft | 18.6 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 5.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 13.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 15.6 |
| Public order | 20.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 3.9 |
| Shoplifting | 17.2 |
Postcode districts in Leeds
Nearby towns
Council: Leeds
Monthly report: Leeds crime figures: year to August 2026 shows fall
Questions about crime in Leeds
- Is Leeds a safe place to live?
- Leeds scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Leeds council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Leeds?
- Down 15% over 5 years, from 37,360 recorded crimes a year to 31,913.
- What is the most common crime in Leeds?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 71 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Leeds compare with Leeds council?
- Crime severity in Leeds is 1.6 times the Leeds council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Leeds?
- In LS1, the postcode district at the centre of Leeds, 14% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 54% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Leeds?
- Of 269 burglaries reported in LS1, the postcode district at the centre of Leeds between September 2024 and August 2025, 20% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 66% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Leeds?
- In the Leeds council area, the police recorded 1,808 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.1 per 1,000 residents, down 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Leeds?
- 5,173 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Leeds council area, 6.1 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Leeds last year?
- 10 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Leeds council area, against 8 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.