Car theft and vehicle crime in Swansea
Police recorded 317 vehicle crimes within about a mile of Swansea between October 2025 and September 2026. The most recent quarter brought 71 offences, 29% fewer than the 100 in the quarter before it.
Swansea month by month
Counts ranged from 9 in July 2026 up to 41 in May 2026. The later six months were 17% higher than the first six. Average: 26.4 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 21 | -5 |
| Nov 2025 | 21 | -5 |
| Dec 2025 | 20 | -6 |
| Jan 2026 | 22 | -4 |
| Feb 2026 | 29 | +3 |
| Mar 2026 | 33 | +7 |
| Apr 2026 | 37 | +11 |
| May 2026 | 41 | +15 |
| Jun 2026 | 22 | -4 |
| Jul 2026 | 9 | -17 |
| Aug 2026 | 26 | -0 |
| Sep 2026 | 36 | +10 |
How Swansea compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Swansea comes 39. Its 26 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 Swansea averaged 24 vehicle offences a month. Central Swansea is busier than 84% of the postcodes in our Great Britain sample. Our benchmark is 400 random postcodes from England, Scotland and Wales, counted with the same one-mile method over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the South Wales Police area, Swansea ranks 2 of the 2 centres we track at 26 offences a month. The others: Cardiff (116).
Towns nearest to Swansea
- Cardiff (34 miles away): 116 a month, 337% more than Swansea
- Newport (41 miles away): 38 a month, 43% more than Swansea
- Bristol (59 miles away): 78 a month, 197% more than Swansea
Where in Swansea offences were recorded
Just five locations make up 15% of the 317 offences recorded around Swansea.
- On or near Parking Area: 20
- On or near Clews Mews: 8
- On or near Bonville Terrace: 7
- On or near Welcome Lane: 6
- On or near Ferry Side: 5
What happened to Swansea cases
The most common recorded outcome near Swansea was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (216 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 216 | 68% |
| Under investigation | 47 | 15% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 25 | 8% |
| Status update unavailable | 21 | 7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 6 | 2% |
| Court result unavailable | 1 | 0% |
What this means if you park near Swansea
Swansea sees around 26 vehicle offences a month: low by city standards, yet thieves target the most valuable cars first. Watch May in particular: it produced the highest count locally.
For a car kept near Swansea, layering helps: an immobiliser to stop the engine starting, and a certified tracker for recovery if it goes anyway. See installation options.
Swansea car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Swansea?
317 in the latest 12 months (26 a month on average) within roughly a mile of the Swansea centre. Of our 84 towns, Swansea comes 39, in the middle end of the table.
When was vehicle crime worst in Swansea?
The worst month was May 2026 (41). The quietest was July 2026 (9), and September 2026 came in at 36.
Are car thieves caught in Swansea?
Of the 317 offences, 216 (68%) were closed with no suspect identified, and 7 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 Swansea?
Not only. The 317 Swansea offences combine cars stolen outright, items taken from vehicles and tampering, because police.uk publishes them as one vehicle crime category.
Source: police.uk, centred on 51.6214, -3.9436, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.