Dewsbury Crime Rate February 2026 | Monthly Statistics

The crime profile in Dewsbury during February 2026 reveals a stark imbalance between violent and property crimes, with violence and sexual offences dominating at 46.9% of all reported incidents. This contrasts sharply with the UK average, where such crimes account for only 2.3 per 1,000 residents. The area's crime rate of 8.8 per 1,000, 37.5% above the national average, underscores the challenges faced by this built-up area within Kirklees. The dominance of violent crime over property crime is consistent with the characteristics of a major urban centre, where social dynamics and community tensions may contribute to higher rates of interpersonal violence. Seasonal factors also play a role, with the winter month likely amplifying indoor-based conflicts and reducing outdoor crime opportunities. For instance, the UK average for criminal damage and arson is 0.5 per 1,000, yet Dewsbury recorded 0.7 per 1,000, a 52% increase. This suggests that property-related offences, while lower in proportion than violent crimes, remain a persistent concern. The seasonal context of February—marked by low outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may partly explain the relative stability in property crime rates, though the overall picture remains one of heightened vulnerability to violent incidents. Residents and local authorities must consider these patterns when addressing community safety, particularly given the significant disparity in violent crime rates compared to the UK average.

February 2026 saw a stark increase in vehicle crime, surging by 184.6% to 37 incidents from 13 in January. This jump, coupled with a 166.7% rise in possession of weapons (from 3 to 8), suggests potential shifts in criminal activity patterns during the winter months. Anti-social behaviour also rose by 46.7%, possibly linked to the seasonal context of reduced outdoor activity. In contrast, bicycle theft plummeted by 80%, aligning with the expected decline in cycling during colder weather. Violence and sexual offences remained significantly above the UK average, with 4.1 per 1,000 compared to the national 2.3 per 1,000. This 77% disparity highlights the area's unique challenges in managing violent crime, which constitutes nearly half of all reported incidents. Residents may find the 37% decrease in shoplifting (from 0.6 to 0.5 per 1,000) a welcome trend, though it remains slightly below the UK average.

Dewsbury's crime rate in February 2026 (8.8 per 1,000) reflects a 2.5% decrease from the previous month's rate of 9.1 per 1,000. This decline, though modest, aligns with the seasonal context of a pre-spring lull in outdoor activity. Locally, 20 crimes were reported per day on average, a figure that contextualises the frequency of incidents within the built-up area's daily rhythm. Over the course of February, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 113 residents, a monthly exposure that, while higher than the UK average, provides a tangible measure of risk for local residents. The population-scaled perspective highlights that Dewsbury's 64,786 residents face a crime rate 37.5% above the national average, underscoring the need for targeted local initiatives. This comparison to the previous month and the UK benchmark reveals a combination of seasonal factors and persistent urban challenges, particularly in violent crime categories.