Car theft and vehicle crime in Wakefield
Between October 2025 and September 2026, West Yorkshire Police logged 264 vehicle offences inside a one-mile radius of Wakefield. The most recent quarter brought 66 offences, 14% fewer than the 77 in the quarter before it.
Wakefield month by month
May 2026 stands out at 35 recorded offences, while November 2025 dropped to 14. The later six months were 18% higher than the first six. Average: 22.0 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18 | -4 |
| Nov 2025 | 14 | -8 |
| Dec 2025 | 27 | +5 |
| Jan 2026 | 23 | +1 |
| Feb 2026 | 21 | -1 |
| Mar 2026 | 18 | -4 |
| Apr 2026 | 22 | +0 |
| May 2026 | 35 | +13 |
| Jun 2026 | 20 | -2 |
| Jul 2026 | 17 | -5 |
| Aug 2026 | 19 | -3 |
| Sep 2026 | 30 | +8 |
How Wakefield compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Wakefield ranks 48 for monthly vehicle crime at 22 a month, close to the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Wakefield averaged 22 vehicle offences a month. That is more than 83% 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 Wakefield is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the West Yorkshire Police area, Wakefield ranks 3 of the 4 centres we track at 22 offences a month. The others: Leeds (63), Bradford (58), Huddersfield (21).
Towns nearest to Wakefield
- Leeds (8 miles away): 63 a month, 187% more than Wakefield
- Barnsley (9 miles away): 18 a month, 17% fewer than Wakefield
- Huddersfield (12 miles away): 21 a month, about the same than Wakefield
Where in Wakefield offences were recorded
Just five locations make up 18% of the 264 offences recorded around Wakefield.
- On or near Bus/coach Station: 13
- On or near Shopping Area: 12
- On or near Tuke Grove: 10
- On or near Greenhill Road: 6
- On or near Parking Area: 6
What happened to Wakefield cases
The most common recorded outcome near Wakefield was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (179 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 179 | 68% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 29 | 11% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 24 | 9% |
| Under investigation | 18 | 7% |
| Status update unavailable | 10 | 4% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Wakefield
At about 22 offences a month, Wakefield is quieter than a big-city centre, but one theft still costs the full value of the vehicle. Watch May in particular: it produced the highest count locally.
Against the 264 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.
Wakefield car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Wakefield?
Police recorded 264 vehicle offences within about a mile of central Wakefield in the 12 months to September 2026, an average of 22 a month. That ranks 48 of 84 towns on our list, in the middle end.
When was vehicle crime worst in Wakefield?
May 2026 was the peak with 35 offences, against 14 in November 2025. The latest month, September 2026, recorded 30.
Are car thieves caught in Wakefield?
Rarely. 68% of the Wakefield cases (179 of 264) ended with no suspect identified, while 32 showed a court or charge outcome. Stopping the theft, or recovering the car fast, is the realistic defence.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Wakefield?
The Wakefield total of 264 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 53.6833, -1.4977, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.