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 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 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

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Crime in Kendal Compared To Cumbria

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Summary of Crimes in Kendal This Year

 KendalCumbria 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour63921.549,79919.609% more dangerous
Bicycle Theft230.782070.4147% more dangerous
Burglary1404.721,6453.2930% more dangerous
Criminal Damage and Arson2518.464,7279.4512% safer
Drugs712.391,0222.0415% more dangerous
Other Crime351.186551.3111% safer
Other Theft1254.212,2014.404.5% safer
Possession of Weapons280.942560.5146% more dangerous
Public Order2107.084,1438.2917% safer
Robbery60.201100.2210% safer
Shoplifting1053.541,6083.229% more dangerous
Theft From the Person90.30880.1840% more dangerous
Vehicle Crime802.708081.6240% more dangerous
Violence and Sexual Offences89430.1315,74731.494.5% safer

Kendal Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns

Medium-Sized TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Kendal1,97766.63-
Barrow-in-Furness5,18793.8629% more dangerous
Workington3,027116.9443% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Kendal

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Recent Crimes in Kendal

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
October 2021BurglaryOn or near Kent LeaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Ruskin CloseInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021ShopliftingOn or near Petrol StationInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021ShopliftingOn or near Petrol StationInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021BurglaryOn or near Buttery Well RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021DrugsOn or near Ann StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Public orderOn or near LongpoolUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Blackthorn CloseUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Other theftOn or near Sports/Recreation AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Public orderOn or near Sports/Recreation AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Sports/Recreation AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near South View LaneInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near South View LaneInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Archers MeadowInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near Longlands ViewInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Romney GardensInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Theft from the personOn or near Parking AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Parking AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Parking AreaUnable to prosecute suspect
October 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near StockgateInvestigation complete; no suspect identified

Kendal Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour22191522Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.841.11.20.78Safer
Burglary2.02.94.94.7Getting worse
Criminal Damage and Arson10998Safer
Drugs1.72.72.12.4Getting worse
Other Crime0.841.61.31.2Safer
Other Theft4.34.664.2Safer
Possession of Weapons0.370.540.570.94Getting worse
Public Order3.3667Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.270.270.240.20Safer
Shoplifting7683.5Safer
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)0.540.340.610.30Safer
Vehicle Crime1.72.42.82.7Getting worse
Violence and Sexual Offences18273430Getting 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.

NameASBDrugsPublic OrderRobberyVSOAll OthersCrimes per Hectare
Abbot Hall Recreation Ground101517218

Comparing Kendal to the UK's Major Cities

Medium-Sized TownCrime RateRate Difference
Kendal66.63-
Barnet67.711.6% more dangerous
Coventry77.4114% more dangerous
Croydon83.2220% more dangerous
Sheffield85.8122% more dangerous
Bristol86.2123% more dangerous
Leicester97.4432% more dangerous
Birmingham102.8735% more dangerous
Liverpool107.2838% more dangerous
Bradford133.0250% more dangerous
Leeds137.1051% more dangerous

Crime in Kendal's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Kendal South34940Second
Kendal Town & Greenside944112First

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.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
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: 26 Nov 2021