Knottingley Crime Rate February 2026 | Monthly Statistics

Knottingley's crime rate for February 2026 stood at 12.6 per 1,000 residents, placing the area 96.9% above the UK average of 6.4 per 1,000. This stark divergence from national trends highlights the area's distinct crime profile. Violence and sexual offences dominated the crime mix, comprising 36.5% of all reported incidents, followed by public order (10.3%) and other theft (10.3%). These figures suggest a concentration of interpersonal and community-level issues that contrast with the UK's broader patterns, where property crime and anti-social behaviour typically feature more prominently. The seasonal context of February—a winter month marked by reduced outdoor activity and a pre-spring lull—may contribute to the elevated levels of violence and disorder, as indoor gatherings and limited daylight hours can amplify tensions in densely populated built-up areas. The area's status as a built-up part of Wakefield, with its mix of residential and commercial zones, likely plays a role in the crime dynamics. The sharp rise in violence and sexual offences compared to the UK average (98% above) indicates a pressing need for targeted interventions, particularly in areas where community cohesion and policing strategies may require recalibration. This month's statistics underscore the importance of contextual analysis when interpreting local crime rates, as national averages often mask regional variations shaped by socioeconomic and geographic factors.

February 2026 saw significant fluctuations in specific crime categories, with public order offences surging by 175% (from 4 to 11) and drug-related crimes increasing by 133% (from 3 to 7). These spikes, coupled with a 100% rise in robbery incidents (from 0 to 1), suggest emerging challenges in community safety that may require closer scrutiny. Conversely, shoplifting decreased by 30.8% (from 13 to 9), and violence and sexual offences fell by 30.4% (from 56 to 39), indicating some progress in addressing retail crime and reducing violent incidents. The crime mix remains heavily skewed toward interpersonal issues, with property crimes (37 incidents) comprising only 34.6% of the total, compared to 65.4% in the violent and disorder categories. This imbalance is starkly evident in the area's performance relative to the UK average, where violence and sexual offences are 98% above the national rate (2.3 per 1,000), public order offences are 217% above (0.4 per 1,000), and drug-related crimes are 248% above (0.2 per 1,000). A resident might find the 30.8% reduction in shoplifting particularly noteworthy, as it suggests potential effectiveness in retail crime prevention measures, though the overall crime picture remains concerning. These shifts highlight the need for differentiated strategies to address both persistent and emerging issues in the area.

Knottingley's crime rate in February 2026 (12.6 per 1,000 residents) marked a 6.9% decrease from the previous month's rate of 13.6 per 1,000, reflecting a slight but measurable improvement in local safety metrics. Over the course of the month, 107 crimes were reported, equating to approximately 4 crimes per day—a figure that, while specific to Knottingley, provides a tangible sense of the area's daily crime exposure. When scaled to the population of 8,484 residents, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 79 residents over the month, a monthly aggregate that underscores the frequency of incidents within the community. This rate is significantly higher than the UK average, with the area's violent crime rates (4.6 per 1,000) and drug-related offences (0.8 per 1,000) standing out as particularly elevated. The comparison to the UK average reveals a broader pattern of elevated interpersonal crime and disorder, which may be influenced by the area's built-up character and the challenges associated with managing social cohesion in a smaller urban environment. While the month-on-month decline offers some cause for cautious optimism, the persistent gap between Knottingley's rates and the national average highlights the need for sustained efforts to address systemic issues that contribute to the area's higher crime profile.