South Yorkshire Police
Yorkshire and the Humber · Territorial force · 3,050 officers
Key Statistics
Officers
3,050
Staff
1,350
Area (sq miles)
600
Population served
1,410,000
About South Yorkshire Police
Covering Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster. A force undergoing significant improvement and modernisation, offering development opportunities in a lower cost-of-living area.
South Yorkshire Police is a territorial police force located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, primarily covering urban areas including Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Doncaster. This force benefits from significant transport links, including major roads and rail networks, which facilitate swift responses across its jurisdiction. Notably, South Yorkshire Police operates in proximity to the borders of other forces, enhancing collaborative efforts in policing across regions. The region also features important historical and cultural landmarks, which can present unique challenges and opportunities for community engagement.
In terms of operational capabilities, South Yorkshire Police boasts several specialist units aimed at addressing various facets of law enforcement. These include a dedicated armed response unit, which ensures public safety and swift action in high-risk situations, and a robust cybercrime unit, addressing the growing threats in digital crime. Additionally, the force includes a dog unit that effectively supports various operations from search and rescue to crowd control in public events.
Currently, South Yorkshire Police focuses on key priority areas, including tackling serious violence, promoting road safety, reducing anti-social behavior, and enhancing community engagement. These priorities reflect the force's commitment to improving safety and security in the diverse communities it serves, while also providing opportunities for career development in a dynamic and evolving policing environment.
Current priorities
- Tackling serious violence
- Promoting road safety
- Reducing anti-social behaviour
- Enhancing community engagement
Notable specialisms
Source: About South Yorkshire Police. Summary fetched 2026-07-05.
Public-data snapshot
Workforce
Officers
3,050
Staff
1,350
Total headcount
4,400
Source: Home Office Police Workforce Statistics as of 31 March 2025 · OGL v3
HMICFRS PEEL rating
good
Inspection cycle: 2023-2025
Source: HMICFRS PEEL assessments · Open Government Licence v3.0
In recent oversight reports
South Yorkshire Police is named in 2 recent IOPC investigation outcomes or HMICFRS thematic reports.
New Hillsborough report: summary of findings of IOPC and Operation Resolve investigations published
2025-12-02 · IOPC
Terms of reference: Home Secretary’s commission for a thematic inspection of the handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services
2023-07-19 · HMICFRS
From data.police.uk
data.police.uk covers England, Wales & Northern Ireland; not Police Scotland.
Stop and search
Latest available month: 2026-08. 832 recorded stop-and-search records that month. Officer-defined ethnicity was recorded on 84.4% of records.
By object of search (2026-08)
| Controlled drugs | 417 |
| Offensive weapons | 112 |
| (not recorded) | 110 |
| Stolen goods | 102 |
| Article for use in theft | 66 |
| Firearms | 21 |
| Articles for use in criminal damage | 4 |
By outcome (2026-08)
| A no further action disposal | 579 |
| Arrest | 119 |
| Community resolution | 97 |
| Summons / charged by post | 33 |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 2 |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 2 |
Source: data.police.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0
Recorded crime by category
15,784 crimes recorded by South Yorkshire Police in 2026-08 (latest published month), by category. Counted from the published street-level archive; England, Wales & Northern Ireland only.
| Crime type (2026-08) | Recorded |
|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,226 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,712 |
| Shoplifting | 1,738 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,300 |
| Public order | 1,125 |
| Vehicle crime | 894 |
| Other theft | 878 |
| Burglary | 625 |
| Other crime | 390 |
| Drugs | 335 |
| Robbery | 232 |
| Possession of weapons | 160 |
| Bicycle theft | 90 |
| Theft from the person | 79 |
| Total | 15,784 |
Source: data.police.uk street-level archive · Open Government Licence v3.0
Deaths during or following police contact
IOPC-recorded fatalities involving South Yorkshire Police over 2004/05 to 2024/25 (2024/25 in brackets). These use the IOPC’s five categories, which have different definitions and are not additive. Figures count incidents the IOPC attributed to South Yorkshire Police; see the national page for how multi-force incidents are handled.
Recruitment
How to join South Yorkshire Police
Application stages, entry routes, fitness and vetting requirements.