# UK Police Crime Data Scraper (`crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper`) Actor Scrapes crime data from the UK Police API (data.police.uk) - 100M+ reported crimes, completely free, no authentication required. Search by location coordinates, police force, list all forces, or list crime categories. - **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community) - **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## UK Police Crime Data Scraper Scrape crime data from the **UK Police API** (data.police.uk) β€” over 100 million reported crimes across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Completely free, no API key or authentication required. ### What data can you get? - **Crime records** near any location (latitude/longitude) - **Force-level crimes** reported to a specific police force - **All 43 UK police forces** with IDs and names - **Crime category types** (16 categories) ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | `mode` | Select | What to fetch: `searchByLocation`, `searchByForce`, `listForces`, `listCategories` | | `lat` | Number | Latitude for location search (default: 51.5074 = central London) | | `lng` | Number | Longitude for location search (default: -0.1278 = central London) | | `force` | Select | Police force ID (43 forces available, e.g. `metropolitan`, `greater-manchester`) | | `date` | String | Month to query in YYYY-MM format (e.g. `2024-10`). Data available from 2013 onwards. | | `category` | Select | Crime category filter (16 types including `all-crime`, `burglary`, `drugs`, etc.) | | `maxItems` | Integer | Maximum records to return (1–5000, default 200) | ### Output Fields Each crime record includes: | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `crimeId` | Unique crime ID | | `persistentId` | Stable persistent identifier | | `category` | Crime category slug (e.g. `burglary`) | | `crimeType` | Human-readable crime type (e.g. `Burglary`) | | `location` | Location description | | `street` | Street name | | `streetId` | Street ID | | `lat` | Latitude of crime location | | `lng` | Longitude of crime location | | `month` | Month of occurrence (YYYY-MM) | | `context` | Additional context (when available) | | `outcomeStatus` | Outcome category (e.g. `Under investigation`) | | `outcomeDate` | Date of outcome update | | `force` | Police force ID (mode=searchByForce only) | | `scrapedAt` | ISO timestamp of when this record was scraped | ### Example Use Cases - **Research crime rates** in specific neighbourhoods or cities - **Compare crime types** across different UK regions - **Track monthly crime trends** over time (data from 2013–present) - **Enrich property or business data** with nearby crime statistics - **Academic and journalism research** on crime patterns ### Modes #### searchByLocation Search for crimes near a specific latitude/longitude coordinate. Returns up to 5,000 crimes. Great for neighbourhood analysis or mapping. **Example:** Crimes within 1 mile of central London in October 2024. #### searchByForce Search for crimes reported to a specific police force with no associated location. Returns force-level crime data by category and month. #### listForces Returns all 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales with their IDs and names. #### listCategories Returns all available crime category types for a given month. ### Frequently Asked Questions **Is this free to use?** Yes. The UK Police API is completely free with no registration, API key, or authentication required. **How current is the data?** Data is typically 2-3 months behind the current date. For example, in June 2024, the most recent available data would be around March 2024. **How far back does the data go?** Data is available from December 2010 onwards. **What geographic area does it cover?** England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a separate police force (Police Scotland) which is not included in this dataset. **How many crimes are in the database?** The UK Police API contains 100M+ reported crimes and is updated monthly. **What is the rate limit?** The API allows 15 requests per second. This actor stays well within those limits. **Can I search by postcode or address?** Not directly. Use a geocoding service to convert postcodes/addresses to latitude/longitude coordinates first. ### Data Source Data comes from the [UK Police Crime Data API](https://data.police.uk/docs/) maintained by the Home Office. This is official UK government open data licensed under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). # Actor input Schema ## `mode` (type: `string`): What to fetch from the UK Police API. ## `lat` (type: `number`): Latitude of the search location (mode=searchByLocation). Default is central London. ## `lng` (type: `number`): Longitude of the search location (mode=searchByLocation). Default is central London. ## `force` (type: `string`): Police force ID (mode=searchByForce). Select from the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales. ## `date` (type: `string`): Month to query in YYYY-MM format. Data is available from 2013 onwards. Default is October 2024. ## `category` (type: `string`): Filter results to a specific crime category type. Default is all crime. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of crime records to return. ## Actor input object example ```json { "mode": "searchByLocation", "lat": 51.5074, "lng": -0.1278, "force": "metropolitan", "date": "2024-10", "category": "all-crime", "maxItems": 200 } ```` # Actor output Schema ## `crimes` (type: `string`): Dataset containing all scraped crime records from the UK Police API. # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "mode": "searchByLocation", "lat": 51.5074, "lng": -0.1278, "force": "metropolitan", "date": "2024-10", "category": "all-crime", "maxItems": 200 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`πŸ’Ύ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "mode": "searchByLocation", "lat": 51.5074, "lng": -0.1278, "force": "metropolitan", "date": "2024-10", "category": "all-crime", "maxItems": 200, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("πŸ’Ύ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "mode": "searchByLocation", "lat": 51.5074, "lng": -0.1278, "force": "metropolitan", "date": "2024-10", "category": "all-crime", "maxItems": 200 }' | apify call crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=crawlerbros/uk-police-crime-data-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "UK Police Crime Data Scraper", "description": "Scrapes crime data from the UK Police API (data.police.uk) - 100M+ reported crimes, completely free, no authentication required. Search by location coordinates, police force, list all forces, or list crime categories.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "fIeUYrGFZstD3Z2jq" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/crawlerbros~uk-police-crime-data-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-crawlerbros-uk-police-crime-data-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~uk-police-crime-data-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-crawlerbros-uk-police-crime-data-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~uk-police-crime-data-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-crawlerbros-uk-police-crime-data-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "mode" ], "properties": { "mode": { "title": "Mode", "enum": [ "searchByLocation", "searchByForce", "listForces", "listCategories" ], "type": "string", "description": "What to fetch from the UK Police API.", "default": "searchByLocation" }, "lat": { "title": "Latitude", "type": "number", "description": "Latitude of the search location (mode=searchByLocation). Default is central London.", "default": 51.5074 }, "lng": { "title": "Longitude", "type": "number", "description": "Longitude of the search location (mode=searchByLocation). Default is central London.", "default": -0.1278 }, "force": { "title": "Police force", "enum": [ "avon-and-somerset", "bedfordshire", "cambridgeshire", "cheshire", "city-of-london", "cleveland", "cumbria", "derbyshire", "devon-and-cornwall", "dorset", "durham", "dyfed-powys", "essex", "gloucestershire", "greater-manchester", "gwent", "hampshire", "hertfordshire", "humberside", "kent", "lancashire", "leicestershire", "lincolnshire", "merseyside", "metropolitan", "norfolk", "north-wales", "north-yorkshire", "northamptonshire", "northumbria", "nottinghamshire", "south-wales", "south-yorkshire", "staffordshire", "suffolk", "surrey", "sussex", "thames-valley", "warwickshire", "west-mercia", "west-midlands", "west-yorkshire", "wiltshire" ], "type": "string", "description": "Police force ID (mode=searchByForce). Select from the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales.", "default": "metropolitan" }, "date": { "title": "Month (YYYY-MM)", "type": "string", "description": "Month to query in YYYY-MM format. Data is available from 2013 onwards. Default is October 2024.", "default": "2024-10" }, "category": { "title": "Crime category", "enum": [ "all-crime", "anti-social-behaviour", "bicycle-theft", "burglary", "criminal-damage-arson", "drugs", "other-crime", "other-theft", "possession-of-weapons", "public-order", "robbery", "shoplifting", "theft-from-the-person", "vehicle-crime", "violent-crime", "violence-and-sexual-offences" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter results to a specific crime category type. Default is all crime.", "default": "all-crime" }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 5000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of crime records to return.", "default": 200 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```