County Durham Crime Overview
County Durham is the safest city in the North East, and among the top 20 safest overall out of the UK's cities. The overall crime rate in County Durham in 2020 was 14 crimes per 1,000 people.
The most common crimes in County Durham are violence and sexual offences, with 3,810 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 7. This is 5% lower than 2019's figure of 4,004 offences and a difference of 0.36 from 2019's crime rate of 8. County Durham's least common crime is robbery, with 11 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 109% from 2019's figure of 23 crimes.
County Durham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in County Durham This Year
| County Durham | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,775 | 5.23 |
| Bicycle Theft | 39 | 0.07 |
| Burglary | 361 | 0.68 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 984 | 1.86 |
| Drugs | 187 | 0.35 |
| Other Crime | 200 | 0.38 |
| Other Theft | 398 | 0.75 |
| Possession of Weapons | 23 | 0.04 |
| Public Order | 710 | 1.34 |
| Robbery | 11 | 0.02 |
| Shoplifting | 404 | 0.76 |
| Theft From the Person | 39 | 0.07 |
| Vehicle Crime | 270 | 0.51 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,810 | 7.19 |
County Durham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Burglary | 0.93 | 0.91 | 1.1 | 0.68 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.26 | 0.32 | 0.35 | 0.35 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.38 | 0.45 | 0.39 | 0.38 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.75 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.04 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.02 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 0.97 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.76 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.07 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 0.74 | 0.66 | 0.74 | 0.51 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
Comparing County Durham to the UK's Major Cities
| Cities | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| County Durham | 14.03 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 80% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 81% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 81% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 82% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 82% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 83% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 84% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 85% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 85% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 86% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 87% more dangerous |
Crime in County Durham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in County Durham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when County Durham saw a 500% increase in bicycle theft. County Durham saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 86% compared to April in 2019. Rates of criminal damage and arson and shoplifting both fell year-on-year for every month during County Durham's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +31% | +73% | +68% | +63% | +35% | -1% | -1% | +12% | +3% |
| Bicycle Theft | -40% | +100% | - | -33% | - | -50% | +500% | - | +300% |
| Burglary | -60% | -55% | -56% | +9% | -25% | -31% | +14% | -41% | +4% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -6% | -39% | -22% | -6% | -15% | -23% | -7% | -32% | -16% |
| Drugs | - | -22% | +23% | +53% | +143% | -6% | +300% | +8% | -8% |
| Other Crime | -38% | -35% | +127% | -19% | -5% | +14% | +140% | +21% | - |
| Other Theft | -30% | -61% | -35% | -17% | +3% | -5% | -46% | -69% | -56% |
| Possession of Weapons | -50% | -67% | -33% | -67% | - | +33% | - | -50% | -33% |
| Public Order | +5% | +20% | +76% | +28% | +9% | +12% | +17% | +15% | +2% |
| Robbery | -67% | - | -50% | - | - | -50% | - | - | -33% |
| Shoplifting | -47% | -60% | -43% | -32% | -24% | -43% | -21% | -56% | -40% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -86% | -60% | - | +100% | - | -50% | +200% | +25% |
| Vehicle Crime | -58% | -33% | +30% | -17% | -35% | -27% | -62% | -5% | +42% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -13% | -26% | +15% | +9% | +43% | +9% | -4% | +2% | -18% |
County Durham's Population Centres
| Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from County Durham | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 640 | 70 | 80% more dangerous |
| Bishop Auckland | 2,393 | 146 | 90% more dangerous |
| Brandon and Byshottles | 1,521 | 77 | 82% more dangerous |
| Ferryhill | 1,263 | 134 | 90% more dangerous |
| Great Aycliffe | 2,268 | 85 | 83% more dangerous |
| Murton | 849 | 109 | 87% more dangerous |
| Peterlee | 2,468 | 125 | 89% more dangerous |
| Seaham | 1,549 | 75 | 81% more dangerous |
| Shildon | 1,302 | 131 | 89% more dangerous |
| Spennymoor | 1,818 | 84 | 83% more dangerous |
| Stanley | 3,377 | 100 | 86% more dangerous |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in County Durham
What police force serves County Durham?
County Durham's local territorial police force is the Durham Constabulary.How dangerous is County Durham?
County Durham is the safest city in the North East.What is County Durham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in County Durham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in County Durham?
County Durham's least common crime is robbery.Last updated: 01 Mar 2021