Penfield, SA 5121 Crime Rate: Is it safe?

According to South Australia Police (SAPOL), Penfield crime rate for the year ending December 2022 was 9832 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 24% increase from the previous year.

Penfield Crime Index

13

(100 is safest)

Safer than 13% of most Australia suburbs

Penfield Crime Map

Is Penfield Safe?

Penfield has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Penfield are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Penfield is safer than 13% of all Australian suburbs and than 12% of South Australia suburbs. However, Theft/Illegal Use of MV is a common offence in Penfield.

Penfield Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Penfield increased or decreased in the past 5 years? The chart below shows the 60-month historical trend of the number of offences that occurred in Penfield.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded by South Australia Police in the year 2022 was 41, up 24% from 33 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Penfield is in the 12nd percentile for safety, meaning 88% of South Australia suburbs are safer than Penfield and 12% of suburbs are more dangerous than Penfield.

• Common crime: Theft/Illegal Use of MV.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 400% (4 Incidents) compared to the previous year..

• There were no homicide offences recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

• The number of burglary offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 33% (2 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of theft offences recorded in 2022 increased by 50% (6 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• There were no robbery offences recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

• The number of motor vehicle thefts recorded in 2022 increased by 43% (3 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• There was no change in the number of vandalism offences (Property damage) recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

Crime in Penfield: An In-Depth Analysis

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of recent crime data from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) reveals that Penfield’s crime rate is considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia, as it is ranked safer than only 13% of suburbs across the country, irrespective of population size.

Approximately 88% of South Australia suburbs have a lower crime rate compared to Penfield. Therefore, Penfield’s public safety metrics are generally considered low.

How risky is that? Living in Penfield comes with a statistical risk of 1 in 9 of becoming a victim of crime, considering the total rate of crimes against the person and property. In contrast, the average chance of falling victim to crime in South Australia stands at 1 in 16.

To better understand Penfield’s overall crime rate, it is essential to examine its performance in crimes against the person and property crimes separately. This approach can provide further insight into whether violent crimes, property crimes, or both, are the primary drivers of the general crime rate in Penfield.

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of Penfield crime statistics shows that there are 1439 incidents against the person per 100,000 inhabitants in a standard year, compared to the South Australia average rate of 1218. As a result, the chances of becoming a victim of crimes such as homicide, acts intended to cause injury, robbery, and other offences against the person in Penfield are 1 in 69.

Our analysis indicates that if you reside in Penfield, your chances of falling victim to property crimes, including theft, fraud, property damage, and serious criminal trespass, are 1 in 11, equivalent to a rate of 8393 per 100,000 residents. As a reference, the property crime rate for every 100,000 residents in South Australia is 4816.

Penfield Crime Rates by Offences Division

Note: The only crime data that SAPOL presents is Property and person crimes. So you shouldn’t compare the crime rates of suburbs or urban areas with any other areas in another state in Australia.

Penfield Crimes Against the Person (Violent crimes)

These are violent crimes against people whether these are family violence or non-family violence. Basically, if someone does something to hurt or scare another person, it’s considered a crime against the person. This includes:

1. “Acts Intended to Cause Injury” is a legal category that includes different types of crimes where someone intentionally tries to harm another person. There are subcategories within this, including:
   • Assault Police: When someone intentionally attacks a police officer while they’re doing their job.
   • Common Assault: This involves deliberately using force or threats to make someone fear they’ll be hurt. It doesn’t necessarily result in serious injuries.
   • Serious Assault Resulting in Injury: This is when someone intentionally harms another person, causing them significant injuries.
   • Serious Assault Not Resulting in Injury: Even if serious harm doesn’t happen, if someone tries to cause it intentionally, it can still be a crime.
2. Homicide and Related offences: These are categories of crimes related to taking someone’s life:
   • Murder: This is the most serious type of crime where someone intentionally kills another person.
   • Other Homicide and Related offences: This category includes various other crimes connected to causing death. These might involve different levels of intent or circumstances, like manslaughter or offences related to causing death through negligence or recklessness.
3. Robbery and related offences: These are the categories of crimes related to robbery:
   • Non-Aggravated Robbery: This is a type of theft where someone takes property from another person using force or threats, but it doesn’t involve additional serious factors.
   • Blackmail and Extortion: These offences involve forcing someone to give you money or property by using threats or information against them. Blackmail is when you threaten to reveal embarrassing or damaging information, while extortion includes broader threats of harm or force.
   • Aggravated Robbery: This is a more severe form of robbery. It happens when someone uses weapons or inflicts serious harm or injury during the robbery. These factors make the crime even more serious and result in harsher penalties.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

Crimes Against the Person Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Crimes Against the Person: Penfield vs South Australia

Here is a breakdown of the major Crimes against the person

Note:  The data on sexual assault and related crimes is only available for the entire state of South Australia and not broken down by specific suburbs or urban areas. We have provided state-level statistics for your reference.

Penfield Offences Against Property

These are crimes related to stealing or damaging property or deceiving someone for personal gain. Property crimes include:

1. Property damage and environmental offences: These are categories of crimes related to damaging property and environmental violations:
   • Other Property Damage and Environmental: This is a broad category covering various offences related to damaging property or breaking environmental rules. It includes different types of related crimes not mentioned elsewhere.
   • Graffiti: Graffiti involves illegally drawing or writing on buildings or walls without permission, which damages property and is against the law.
   • Property Damage by Fire or Explosion (Arson): Arson is when someone intentionally sets fire to property, causing damage or destruction. This category focuses on property damage caused specifically by fire or explosions, often with criminal intent.
2. Serious criminal trespass: These categories are related to serious criminal trespass, commonly referred to as burglary, and other unlawful entries with different intents:
   • Other Unlawful Entry with Intent: This covers various unauthorized entries into different places where the purpose may not fit into the categories below.
   • Unlawful Entry – Non-Residence: This is when someone breaks into a non-residential place, like a store or office, with the intention to commit a crime, like theft or vandalism. It’s not about homes.
   • Unlawful Entry – Residence: This is about unlawfully entering someone’s home with criminal intent, like to steal or harm. It’s specifically about intrusions into houses.
3. Theft: It can be committed in various forms such as shoplifting, stealing from a person’s home, or taking a vehicle without permission. Other examples include stealing a bicycle, snatching a purse, or taking items from an unattended bag.
   
4.  Fraud, Deception, and Related offences: These are categories of crimes related to fraud and deception in South Australia:
   • Other Fraud, Deception, and Related offences: This covers various types of fraudulent and deceptive activities that don’t fit into specific subcategories. It’s a broad category.
   • Obtain Benefit by Deception: This offence involves deceiving someone to gain an advantage or benefit that you aren’t entitled to. It means obtaining something unfairly through trickery or dishonesty.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of Offences Against Property

Offences Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Against Property offences: Penfield vs South Australia

Here is a breakdown of Penfield crime rate and offences count for the major property and deception offences.

Penfield Crimes per Square KM

How many murders in Penfield in 2022?

According to South Australia Police (SAPOL), there were 0 murders in Penfield in 2022. The number of homicides (which includes murders and other related offences) was 0.

What’s the most common crime in Penfield?

According to the latest available data from South Australia Police (SAPOL), the most common type of crime in Penfield is Theft/Illegal Use of MV.

What is the crime rate in Penfield?

The overall crime rate in Penfield, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 9832 in the year ending December 2022.

However, it’s important to note that this is an aggregate figure that includes all types of crime, and some types of offences are more prevalent than others. Additionally, crime rates can vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher rates of certain types of crime than others.

Is Penfield a safe place to live in?

Penfield is safer than 13% of suburbs across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Compared to South Australia suburbs, Penfield is safer than 12% of other suburbs in the state which are considered low safety scores in South Australia.

Total Crime Stats of Penfield

Note: This article doesn’t have detailed data for family violence, victims, female offenders, reoffending, sexual offences, stalking, and youth crime. For more information about these topics, check our resources page.

References

• South Australia Police (SAPOL)
• South Australia Government Data Directory