Kendal Crime Overview
Kendal is the safest medium-sized town in Cumbria, and is the 31st most dangerous overall out of Cumbria's 287 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Kendal in 2020 was 67 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cumbria's overall crime rate, coming in 0.30% higher than the Cumbria rate of 66 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Kendal is the 85th safest medium-sized town, and the 1,638th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Kendal had the worst crime rate in Cumbria for theft from the person, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.07 per 1,000 inhabitants. February 2020 was also a bad month for Kendal residents, when it was Cumbria's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 26 crimes at a rate of 0.88 per 1,000 residents. Kendal recorded 6 reports of bicycle theft during September 2019, making its crime rate of 0.20 the worst for bicycle theft in Cumbria that month.
The most common crimes in Kendal are violence and sexual offences, with 894 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 11% lower than 2019's figure of 994 offences and a difference of 3.37 from 2019's crime rate of 34. Kendal's least common crime is robbery, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 17% from 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Kendal to other towns and cities
See how Kendal shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Kendal and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Kendal Crime Map
Crime in Kendal Compared To Cumbria
Summary of Crimes in Kendal This Year
| Kendal | Cumbria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 639 | 21.54 | 9,799 | 19.60 | 9% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 23 | 0.78 | 207 | 0.41 | 47% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 140 | 4.72 | 1,645 | 3.29 | 30% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 251 | 8.46 | 4,727 | 9.45 | 12% safer |
| Drugs | 71 | 2.39 | 1,022 | 2.04 | 15% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 35 | 1.18 | 655 | 1.31 | 11% safer |
| Other Theft | 125 | 4.21 | 2,201 | 4.40 | 4.5% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 28 | 0.94 | 256 | 0.51 | 46% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 210 | 7.08 | 4,143 | 8.29 | 17% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.20 | 110 | 0.22 | 10% safer |
| Shoplifting | 105 | 3.54 | 1,608 | 3.22 | 9% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 9 | 0.30 | 88 | 0.18 | 40% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 80 | 2.70 | 808 | 1.62 | 40% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 894 | 30.13 | 15,747 | 31.49 | 4.5% safer |
Kendal Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendal | 1,977 | 66.63 | - |
| Barrow-in-Furness | 5,187 | 93.86 | 29% more dangerous |
| Workington | 3,027 | 116.94 | 43% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Kendal
View crime percentage over time forKendal Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 19 | 15 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.0 | 2.9 | 4.9 | 4.7 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.84 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.37 | 0.54 | 0.57 | 0.94 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.24 | 0.20 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 8 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.54 | 0.34 | 0.61 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 27 | 34 | 30 | Getting worse |
Changes In Kendal's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Kendal's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Kendal that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbot Hall Recreation Ground | 10 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 18 |
Comparing Kendal to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Kendal | 66.63 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.6% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 14% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 22% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 32% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 35% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 51% more dangerous |
Crime in Kendal's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendal South | 349 | 40 | Second |
| Kendal Town & Greenside | 944 | 112 | First |
Crime in Kendal During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Kendal change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Kendal saw a 800% increase in drugs. Kendal saw a large fall in vehicle crime during November, when it fell by 90% compared to November in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -2% | +93% | +196% | +165% | +20% | +11% | +2% | +30% | +90% | +2% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | - | - | +50% | - | -50% | -17% | -80% | - | - |
| Burglary | +36% | -77% | -31% | -11% | +50% | -53% | -8% | +33% | -80% | -62% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -10% | -24% | -10% | +133% | +63% | +26% | -53% | -23% | -61% | -27% |
| Drugs | - | +33% | +800% | +67% | +50% | -78% | -75% | +150% | -33% | - |
| Other Crime | -25% | -75% | +300% | - | +50% | +200% | -67% | +150% | +75% | - |
| Other Theft | -39% | -61% | -33% | +56% | -10% | -19% | -8% | -50% | -63% | +33% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | - | +33% | - | +300% | -50% | +200% | - | +200% |
| Public Order | +50% | +144% | -29% | +40% | -36% | +86% | -48% | +67% | -11% | +150% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -79% | -81% | -11% | -25% | -72% | -43% | -45% | -34% | -69% | -56% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | -67% | +100% | +100% |
| Vehicle Crime | +200% | -57% | +200% | -40% | -42% | -67% | -33% | -40% | -90% | -25% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -9% | -40% | +13% | -33% | +6% | -27% | +9% | -7% | -39% | -35% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Kendal
What police force serves Kendal?
Kendal's local territorial police force is the Cumbria Constabulary.How dangerous is Kendal?
Kendal is the safest medium-sized town in Cumbria.What is Kendal's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Kendal are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Kendal?
Kendal's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 07 May 2021