The police recorded 51.5 crimes per 1,000 people a year in Shelf and Northowram from September 2023 to August 2026, 32% lower than the typical town's 76.2. The most common was violence and sexual offences, at 21.3. In the 12 months to August 2026 it was 45.5, down from 55.1 in the 12 months to August 2024.