Kendal Crime Overview
Kendal is the safest medium-sized town in Cumbria, and the the 28th most dangerous overall out of Cumbria's 283 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Kendal in 2020 was 63 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cumbria's overall crime rate, coming in 3.6% higher than Cumbria's rate of 60 per 1,000 residents. For England and Wales as a whole, Kendal ranks as the the 41st safest medium-sized town, and the the 1,544th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Kendal had the worst crime rate in Cumbria for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.13 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 2 reports of theft from the person during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.07 the worst for theft from the person in Cumbria that month.
The most common crimes in Kendal are violence and sexual offences, with 845 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 28. This is 18% lower than 2019's figure of 994 offences and a difference of 5.02 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.
Kendal Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Kendal This Year
| Kendal | Cumbria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 595 | 20.05 | 9,203 | 17.87 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 23 | 0.78 | 208 | 0.40 | 49% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 135 | 4.55 | 1,542 | 2.99 | 34% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 229 | 7.72 | 4,430 | 8.60 | 11% safer |
| Drugs | 66 | 2.22 | 959 | 1.86 | 16% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 35 | 1.18 | 629 | 1.22 | 3.4% safer |
| Other Theft | 121 | 4.08 | 2,061 | 4.00 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 25 | 0.84 | 241 | 0.47 | 44% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 195 | 6.57 | 3,909 | 7.59 | 16% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.20 | 105 | 0.20 | 0% safer |
| Shoplifting | 98 | 3.30 | 1,472 | 2.86 | 13% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.24 | 78 | 0.15 | 38% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 77 | 2.60 | 740 | 1.44 | 45% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 845 | 28.48 | 14,788 | 28.71 | 0.81% safer |
Kendal Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Towns | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendal | 1,862 | 62.75 | - |
| Workington | 2,815 | 108.75 | 42% more dangerous |
Kendal Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 19 | 15 | 20 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.84 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.0 | 2.9 | 4.9 | 4.6 | Getting worse |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.84 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.37 | 0.54 | 0.57 | 0.84 | 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 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.54 | 0.34 | 0.61 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 27 | 34 | 28 | Getting worse |
Comparing Kendal to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Towns | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Kendal | 62.75 | - |
| Coventry | 71.50 | 12% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 73.99 | 15% more dangerous |
| Kirklees | 74.23 | 15% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 77.18 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 79.19 | 21% more dangerous |
| London | 80.70 | 22% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 89.02 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 91.57 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 91.90 | 32% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 102.51 | 39% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 105.94 | 41% more dangerous |
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. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Kendal's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -2% | +93% | +196% | +165% | +20% | +11% | +2% | +30% | +90% |
| Bicycle Theft | -33% | - | - | +50% | - | -50% | -17% | -80% | - |
| Burglary | +36% | -77% | -31% | -11% | +50% | -53% | -8% | +33% | -80% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -10% | -24% | -10% | +133% | +63% | +26% | -53% | -23% | -61% |
| 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% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | - | +33% | - | +300% | -50% | +200% | - |
| Public Order | +50% | +144% | -29% | +40% | -36% | +86% | -48% | +67% | -11% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | -79% | -81% | -11% | -25% | -72% | -43% | -45% | -34% | -69% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | -67% | +100% |
| Vehicle Crime | +200% | -57% | +200% | -40% | -42% | -67% | -33% | -40% | -90% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -9% | -40% | +13% | -33% | +6% | -27% | +9% | -7% | -39% |
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: 01 Mar 2021