Waterfront, Swansea: Safety
Safety
Crime rates in Waterfront are higher than the UK and Wales averages, but they're heading in the right direction. Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents dropped from 335 in 2024 to 274 in 2025, and that improvement has continued into 2026.
Shoplifting makes up a large chunk of these figures, which you'd expect in an area with plenty of retail and commercial activity. Violent crime is also above average, though Waterfront performs better than the neighbouring Castle neighbourhood, which has considerably higher rates across most crime types.
The real positive here is the downward trend. Total crimes fell by around 18% between 2024 and 2025, and 2026 data shows that improvement is sticking around. Crime is something to be aware of in this neighbourhood, but the trajectory is clearly improving.
Source: police-recorded crime for Waterfront ward (South Wales Police, data.police.uk), Jan 2024–Aug 2026; residents from Census 2021. This summary may predate the latest data release; the table below has the current figures.
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Crime rate comparison
Crimes per 1,000 residents, Jan–Dec 2025. Waterfront ward: South Wales Police data via data.police.uk; residents from Census 2021. Averages are for all wards in the area over the same months. Planna's safety index uses the latest 12 months instead, so it can differ.
2024
2025
Jan–Aug 2026
Waterfront ward
Crimes/1,000 residents
216.3
Higher than
UK average (England, Wales & N. Ireland)
98.8
Higher than
Wales average
96.6
Neighbouring wards
Lower than
Castle
418.4
Higher than
Uplands
76.7
Higher than
St Thomas
80.7
Higher than
Coedffranc West
50.5
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Types of Crime
Share of police-recorded crimes in Waterfront ward and the Wales average, Jan–Dec 2025.
This ward
Regional average
- Shoplifting25%7%
- Violent offences24%39%
- Anti-social behaviour15%15%
- Public order8%10%
- Vehicle crime6%4%
- Criminal damage and arson5%9%
- Other theft5%5%
- Drugs2%3%
- Burglary2%3%
- Bicycle theft2%1%
- Other crime1%3%
- Robbery1%1%
- Possession of weapons1%1%
- Theft from the person<1%1%
