Cllr Rob Stewart said anti-social behaviour and crime had dropped in the city centre by over 50% in the last two years at a council scrutiny meeting last December.
He was responding to a CCTV query by another councillor, Will Thomas, who said some constituents he’d spoken to didn’t feel safe in the city centre, especially in the evening.
Cllr Stewart said: “I understand the perception that Cllr Thomas has highlighted there but it doesn’t match the reality, and in fact the data that is publicly available now shows that anti-social behaviour and crime in the city centre has fallen by over 50% in the last two years.”
Two days later, in a cabinet meeting, the Swansea Labour leader was talking about various council and private schemes coming to fruition in the city centre, and added: “And again, perceptions are important. I know and see the comments online from time to to time of people concerned about safety in the city centre, and whether or not there are issues in terms of crime.
“Well again, the figures tell a very telling story. Crime has fallen in the city centre by 50% in the last two years. Great work is being done by our police colleagues and our teams of rangers and others.”
Asked about the figures at the time by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, given the extent of the fall and how well it reflected on the city centre, Cllr Stewart indicated that they referred to anti-social behaviour reports and that he would look to provide wider crime data for the city centre and correct the record if required.
The council did put out a press release last October about reports of anti-social behaviour in the school summer holidays dropping by 12.1% in the city centre, following a 38% reduction the previous summer.
The press release, which had quotes from Cllr Stewart and a South Wales Police inspector, highlighted work by the two organisations and other groups to get young people involved in various activities, workshops and events at a pop-up area in St David’s Square.
While this was undoubtedly positive news and there are different types of anti-social behaviour, crime has many more components.
And figures now obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service from South Wales Police give a fuller picture of recorded crime in the calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The Freedom of Information Act response by police said there were 6,353 recorded crimes in 2025 where the location was recorded as Swansea city centre.
The figure was 6,635 in 2024 and 6,427 in 2023. This shows a 4.4% drop between 2024 and 2025, and a 1.1% per cent drop between 2023 and 2025.
The details reveal, among other things, that possession of controlled drugs rose during the three years, as did drug trafficking, while shoplifting rose then fell.
Assault with and without injury fell then rose, although in the case of assault with injury it increased by only one incident.
Burglary of “business and the community” and theft from a person dropped, while harassment increased as did robbery of business property. Public fear, alarm or distress increased and then decreased. Bike theft fell.
Meanwhile, the council has introduced two public spaces protection orders in the city centre to clamp down on anti-social behaviour. These orders give the authority, supported by police, extra powers to deal with the issue.
Swansea also has Purple Flag status – a scheme run by the Association of Town and City Management denoting a safe, thriving evening and night-time economy.
In response to the new crime figures provided by police Cllr Stewart, who has led the council since 2014 and is standing as a Labour candidate for the Gŵyr Abertawe constituency in May’s Senedd elections, said: “My reference was to the significant drop over two years in anti-social behaviour (ASB). The broader crime figures also show reduction but not a big a drop as in ASB.
“The increased level of policing in the city centre and the public space protection order has assisted in reducing the level of crime and ASB in the city centre.”
Freedom of Information response from South Wales Police about recorded crime in Swansea city centre:
| Offence type | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total |
| Absconding from lawful custody | 1 | 1 | ||
| Action Fraud | 1 | 1 | ||
| Aggravated Burglary – Residential (Home) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Aggravated burglary of business and community | 1 | 1 | ||
| Aggravated vehicle taking | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| Arson endangering life | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Arson not endangering life | 10 | 6 | 11 | 27 |
| Assault with injury | 660 | 582 | 583 | 1825 |
| Assault with Injury on a Constable | 14 | 28 | 25 | 67 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 76 | 62 | 65 | 203 |
| Assault without injury | 718 | 667 | 691 | 2076 |
| Assault without injury on a constable | 58 | 81 | 105 | 244 |
| Assaults on emergency workers (other than constables) | 2 | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| Attempted burglary of business and community | 10 | 10 | 16 | 36 |
| Attempted burglary of residential | 2 | 2 | ||
| Attempted Residential Burglary of a Home | 6 | 13 | 10 | 29 |
| Attempted Residential Burglary of Unconnected Building | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Bail offences | 1 | 1 | ||
| Blackmail | 54 | 47 | 29 | 130 |
| Burglary of business and community | 73 | 63 | 35 | 171 |
| Burglary of residential | 27 | 27 | ||
| Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving | 1 | 1 | ||
| Causing death by dangerous driving | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Causing sexual activity without consent | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Child abduction | 1 | 1 | ||
| Conspiracy to murder | 1 | 1 | ||
| Controlling and coercive behaviour | 24 | 33 | 27 | 84 |
| Criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling | 175 | 158 | 134 | 467 |
| Criminal damage to a dwelling | 112 | 113 | 98 | 323 |
| Criminal damage to a vehicle | 163 | 144 | 125 | 432 |
| Cruelty to children/young persons | 3 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| Dangerous driving | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 |
| Disclosure, obstruction, false or misleading statements, etc. | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Dishonest use of electricity | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Endangering life | 2 | 2 | ||
| Exploitation of prostitution | 6 | 6 | ||
| Exposure and voyeurism | 16 | 23 | 29 | 68 |
| Forgery or use of false drug prescription | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Fraud/forgery associated with vehicle or driver records | 2 | 2 | ||
| Going equipped for stealing, etc. | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| Handling stolen goods | 8 | 6 | 9 | 23 |
| Harassment | 216 | 287 | 330 | 833 |
| Interfering with a motor vehicle | 54 | 48 | 34 | 136 |
| Kidnapping | 5 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
| Making off without payment | 15 | 13 | 11 | 39 |
| Making, supplying or possessing articles for use in fraud | 2 | 2 | ||
| Malicious Communications | 167 | 97 | 85 | 349 |
| Modern slavery | 10 | 10 | 15 | 35 |
| Murder | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Obscene publications | 20 | 23 | 22 | 65 |
| Offender Management Act offences | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Other criminal damage | 64 | 56 | 61 | 181 |
| Other drug offences | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Other firearms offences | 2 | 2 | ||
| Other forgery | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Other miscellaneous sexual offences | 2 | 8 | 16 | 26 |
| Other notifiable offences | 5 | 9 | 12 | 26 |
| Other offences against the State or public order | 42 | 58 | 56 | 156 |
| Other theft | 316 | 313 | 277 | 906 |
| Perjury | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Perverting the course of justice | 6 | 13 | 10 | 29 |
| Possession of article with blade or point | 48 | 35 | 46 | 129 |
| Possession of controlled drugs (cannabis) | 89 | 98 | 137 | 324 |
| Possession of controlled drugs (excl. cannabis) | 98 | 139 | 150 | 387 |
| Possession of firearms offences | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Possession of firearms with intent | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Possession of other weapons | 30 | 33 | 44 | 107 |
| Procuring illegal abortion | 1 | 1 | ||
| Profiting from or concealing knowledge of the proceeds of crime | 3 | 19 | 21 | 43 |
| Public fear, alarm or distress | 562 | 658 | 526 | 1746 |
| Racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury | 5 | 4 | 8 | 17 |
| Racially or religiously aggravated assault without injury | 20 | 17 | 20 | 57 |
| Racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| Racially or religiously aggravated harassment | 5 | 10 | 12 | 27 |
| Racially or religiously aggravated public fear, alarm or distress | 92 | 104 | 131 | 327 |
| Rape of a female aged 16 and over | 72 | 71 | 65 | 208 |
| Rape of a female child under 13 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| Rape of a female child under 16 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| Rape of a male aged 16 and over | 8 | 3 | 8 | 19 |
| Rape of a male child under 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Residential Burglary of a Home | 45 | 55 | 50 | 150 |
| Residential Burglary of Unconnected Building | 14 | 17 | 10 | 41 |
| Robbery of business property | 1 | 24 | 25 | |
| Robbery of personal property | 31 | 25 | 19 | 75 |
| Sexual activity involving a child under 13 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Sexual activity involving child under 16 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 |
| Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over | 121 | 112 | 116 | 349 |
| Sexual assault on a female child under 13 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 25 |
| Sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over | 11 | 11 | 25 | 47 |
| Sexual assault on a male child under 13 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 |
| Sexual grooming | 4 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| Shoplifting | 1149 | 1385 | 1101 | 3635 |
| Soliciting for the purposes of prostitution | 1 | 1 | ||
| Stalking | 93 | 104 | 105 | 302 |
| Theft by an employee | 5 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
| Theft from automatic machine or meter | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Theft from the person | 104 | 76 | 72 | 252 |
| Theft from vehicle | 130 | 142 | 86 | 358 |
| Theft in a dwelling other than from an automatic machine or meter | 55 | 57 | 62 | 174 |
| Theft of mail | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Theft or unauthorised taking of a pedal cycle | 195 | 116 | 69 | 380 |
| Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle | 126 | 116 | 135 | 377 |
| Threat or possession with intent to commit criminal damage | 13 | 20 | 31 | 64 |
| Threats to kill | 31 | 61 | 59 | 151 |
| Trafficking in controlled drugs | 65 | 65 | 160 | 290 |
| Unnatural sexual offences | 1 | 1 | ||
| Violent disorder | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Grand Total | 6427 | 6635 | 6353 | 19415 |
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