Crime in Penarth
Recorded crime in Penarth is 0.8 times the Vale of Glamorgan average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 2%. 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 Penarth: about 19,343 residents in 16 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- +2%more crimes
- vs the council
- 0.8×the Vale of Glamorgan average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Penarth.
Crime over 5 years
Up 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Penarth, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the Vale of Glamorgan average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 51 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 63% of the harm here
- Burglary: 17% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 63% 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: 15 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Vale of Glamorgan (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Vale of Glamorgan council area, not only Penarth. 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 | 130 | 0.96 | Down 28% |
| Cars broken into | 200 | 1.5 | Down 15% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 630 | 4.6 | Down 20% |
| Burglary of homes | 118 | 0.87 | Down 33% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 2 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in CF64
In CF64, the postcode district at the centre of Penarth, 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) | 804 | 8% | 1% | 71% | 13% | 7% |
| Public order | 257 | 2% | 1% | 61% | 32% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 224 | 6% | 3% | 33% | 56% | 2% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 128 | 2% | 0% | 16% | 78% | 3% |
| Other theft | 111 | 2% | 2% | 17% | 77% | 2% |
| Burglary | 90 | 18% | 0% | 12% | 68% | 2% |
| Shoplifting | 89 | 31% | 1% | 18% | 49% | 0% |
| Other crime | 65 | 12% | 0% | 57% | 18% | 12% |
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 | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 3.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 17.9 |
| Drugs | 0.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.3 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 4.0 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 6.4 |
| Public order | 5.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.2 |
| Shoplifting | 4.8 |
Postcode districts in Penarth
Nearby towns
Council: Vale of Glamorgan
Questions about crime in Penarth
- Is Penarth a safe place to live?
- Penarth scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the Vale of Glamorgan average.
- Is crime going up or down in Penarth?
- Up 2% over 5 years, from 936 recorded crimes a year to 952.
- What is the most common crime in Penarth?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 18 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Penarth compare with Vale of Glamorgan?
- Crime severity in Penarth is 0.8 times the Vale of Glamorgan average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Penarth?
- In CF64, the postcode district at the centre of Penarth, 9% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 35% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Penarth?
- Of 90 burglaries reported in CF64, the postcode district at the centre of Penarth between September 2024 and August 2025, 18% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 68% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Penarth?
- In Vale of Glamorgan, the council area Penarth is in, the police recorded 130 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.0 per 1,000 residents, down 28% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Penarth?
- 630 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Vale of Glamorgan, the council area Penarth is in, 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Penarth last year?
- 2 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Vale of Glamorgan, the council area Penarth is in, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.