Car theft and vehicle crime in Rotherham
Police recorded 288 vehicle crimes within about a mile of Rotherham between October 2025 and September 2026. The last three months (94) ran 16% above the three before (81), so the recent direction is up.
Rotherham month by month
The busiest month was June 2026 with 36 offences; the quietest was November 2025 with 14. The second half ran 55% above the first. Average: 24.0 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 15 | -9 |
| Nov 2025 | 14 | -10 |
| Dec 2025 | 15 | -9 |
| Jan 2026 | 22 | -2 |
| Feb 2026 | 25 | +1 |
| Mar 2026 | 22 | -2 |
| Apr 2026 | 23 | -1 |
| May 2026 | 22 | -2 |
| Jun 2026 | 36 | +12 |
| Jul 2026 | 26 | +2 |
| Aug 2026 | 33 | +9 |
| Sep 2026 | 35 | +11 |
How Rotherham compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Rotherham comes 41. Its 24 offences a month are close to the typical town in our set, next to 116 for Cardiff.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Rotherham averaged 31 vehicle offences a month. That is more than 88% of the sampled British postcodes, but well short of the worst. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Rotherham is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the South Yorkshire Police area, Rotherham ranks 3 of the 4 centres we track at 24 offences a month. The others: Sheffield (52), Doncaster (42), Barnsley (18).
Towns nearest to Rotherham
- Sheffield (6 miles away): 52 a month, 116% more than Rotherham
- Barnsley (10 miles away): 18 a month, 24% fewer than Rotherham
- Doncaster (11 miles away): 42 a month, 74% more than Rotherham
Where in Rotherham offences were recorded
Just five locations make up 14% of the 288 offences recorded around Rotherham.
- On or near Parking Area: 15
- On or near The Maltings: 8
- On or near Supermarket: 6
- On or near Corporation Street: 5
- On or near Newton Street: 5
What happened to Rotherham cases
The most common recorded outcome near Rotherham was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (233 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 233 | 81% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 26 | 9% |
| Under investigation | 14 | 5% |
| Status update unavailable | 6 | 2% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 5 | 2% |
| Local resolution | 2 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Rotherham
At about 24 offences a month, Rotherham is quieter than a big-city centre, but one theft still costs the full value of the vehicle. The recent rise is the signal to act now rather than after the next June peak.
Against the 288 offences logged here in a year, an aftermarket immobiliser slows thieves who clone or relay keys, and an S5 or S7 tracker covers you if they still get away. See installation options.
Rotherham car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Rotherham?
288 in the latest 12 months (24 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Rotherham centre. Of our 84 towns, Rotherham comes 41, in the middle end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Rotherham?
The worst month was June 2026 (36). The quietest was November 2025 (14), and September 2026 came in at 35.
Are car thieves caught in Rotherham?
Of the 288 offences, 233 (81%) were closed with no suspect identified, and 6 reached a court or charge stage on police.uk. Prevention and recovery tracking matter more than hoping for an arrest.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Rotherham?
The Rotherham total of 288 includes thefts of vehicles, thefts from them and interference: police.uk does not split these at street level, so treat it as all car crime rather than stolen cars only.
Source: police.uk, centred on 53.4302, -1.3568, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.