Crime in Otley
Recorded crime in Otley is 0.5 times the Leeds average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. 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 Otley: about 11,985 residents in 11 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- 0%about the same
- vs the council
- 0.5×the Leeds average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Otley.
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Otley, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.5× the Leeds average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 56 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 16% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% 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: 8.6 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 Otley. 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 LS21
In LS21, the postcode district at the centre of Otley, 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) | 445 | 7% | 4% | 64% | 20% | 4% |
| Public order | 112 | 4% | 4% | 46% | 41% | 5% |
| Burglary | 101 | 5% | 0% | 16% | 74% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 80 | 0% | 4% | 33% | 60% | 4% |
| Shoplifting | 76 | 41% | 1% | 13% | 39% | 5% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 67 | 0% | 0% | 4% | 94% | 1% |
| Other theft | 54 | 2% | 0% | 20% | 76% | 2% |
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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 3.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 24.0 |
| Drugs | 1.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.5 |
| Other theft | 4.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.6 |
| Public order | 6.6 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 4.4 |
Postcode districts in Otley
Nearby towns
Council: Leeds
Questions about crime in Otley
- Is Otley a safe place to live?
- Otley scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.5 times the Leeds average.
- Is crime going up or down in Otley?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 741 recorded crimes a year then, 741 now.
- What is the most common crime in Otley?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 24 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Otley compare with Leeds?
- Crime severity in Otley is 0.5 times the Leeds average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Otley?
- In LS21, the postcode district at the centre of Otley, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 41% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Otley?
- Of 101 burglaries reported in LS21, the postcode district at the centre of Otley between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 74% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Otley?
- In Leeds, the council area Otley is in, 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 Otley?
- 5,173 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Leeds, the council area Otley is in, 6.1 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Otley last year?
- 10 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Leeds, the council area Otley is in, against 8 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.