South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police covers Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield, as well as a number of large rural districts.

The average crime rate in South Yorkshire is one of the highest in the UK, with 298 offences per 10,000 registered cars. Theft from a motor vehicle makes up 48 per cent of all car crime, while criminal damage accounts for 35 per cent of offences. Just 12 per cent of all crimes involve a car being stolen.

The worst city for car crime in South Yorkshire is Sheffield; the city centre recorded 1492 incidents per 10,000 cars in 2011-2012, making it one of the worst areas in the country for vehicle crime. Areas to the north and south of Sheffield also rated poorly in our census, with the city’s S3 and S2 postcodes recording 844 and 556 comparative vehicle crimes.

Other postcodes showing increased criminal activity include Doncaster; with the postcode DN1 recording 722 offences. The safest areas in South Yorkshire are largely consigned to the High Peak District, with the postcode S36 recording just 79 offences.

Police in Sheffield have launched a campaign to tackle the city’s vehicle crime, with the launch of Operation Optimal. Officers will visit houses in known crime hotspots to offer crime prevention advice and reassurance.

Chief Superintendent David Hartley said: “This work forms part of our continued commitment to reducing crime in Sheffield. We are constantly looking for new ways of taking the fight to the thieves, to protect the public and their cars.

He added: “We will be focussing police activity around areas of vehicle crime, to gather all possible evidence to catch the criminals and to share crime prevention messages to other car users to stop giving criminals open invitations and easy options to steal.”

See also: Top 10 Cars Stolen to order / Top 10 Most Stolen Cars / Crime homepage