Penrith Crime Overview

Penrith is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Cumbria, and is the 32nd most dangerous overall out of Cumbria's 287 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Penrith in 2020 was 67 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cumbria's overall crime rate, coming in 0.29% higher than the Cumbria rate of 66 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Penrith is the 238th most dangerous small town, and the 1,639th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.

In May 2017, Penrith had the worst crime rate in Cumbria for possession of weapons, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.19 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2016 was also a bad month for Penrith residents, when it was Cumbria's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 4 crimes at a rate of 0.25 per 1,000 residents.

The most common crimes in Penrith are violence and sexual offences, with 503 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 32. This is 0.40% lower than 2019's figure of 505 offences and a difference of 0.12 from 2019's crime rate of 32. Penrith's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 150% from 2019's figure of 5 crimes.

Compare Penrith to other towns and cities

See how Penrith shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Penrith and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.

Penrith Crime Map

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Crime in Penrith Compared To Cumbria

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Summary of Crimes in Penrith This Year

 PenrithCumbria 
CrimeCountRateCountRateRate Difference
Anti-Social Behaviour34821.919,79919.6011% more dangerous
Bicycle Theft80.502070.4118% more dangerous
Burglary432.711,6453.2921% safer
Criminal Damage and Arson1267.934,7279.4519% safer
Drugs311.951,0222.044.6% safer
Other Crime181.136551.3116% safer
Other Theft654.092,2014.408% safer
Possession of Weapons80.502560.512.0% safer
Public Order1207.564,1438.2910% safer
Robbery20.131100.2269% safer
Shoplifting986.171,6083.2248% more dangerous
Theft From the Person20.13880.1838% safer
Vehicle Crime342.148081.6224% more dangerous
Violence and Sexual Offences50331.6815,74731.490.60% more dangerous

Penrith Compared to Nearby Small Towns

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Ulverston47440.4765% safer
Cockermouth37941.5660% safer
Dalton Town with Newton36747.4940% safer
Windermere47558.6914% safer
Penrith1,05866.62-
Maryport90079.7116% more dangerous
Whitehaven1,89782.0219% more dangerous
Egremont65384.0621% more dangerous

Crime Over Time in Penrith

View crime percentage over time for

Recent Crimes in Penrith

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Parking AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Parking AreaInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Castle Hill RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near StricklandgateInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near StricklandgateInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Brougham StreetUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Carleton RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Carleton RoadUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Cromwell RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Cromwell RoadInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Macadam WayLocal resolution
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Petrol StationInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021BurglaryOn or near Raiselands CroftUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Vehicle crimeOn or near Duke StreetInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Carleton FieldsUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Market SquareInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Roper StreetUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021ShopliftingOn or near Nichol HillUnable to prosecute suspect
November 2021Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Petrol StationInvestigation complete; no suspect identified
November 2021Public orderOn or near Petrol StationUnable to prosecute suspect

Penrith Crime Trends

 Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents 
Crime2017201820192020Trend
Anti-Social Behaviour21221722Getting worse
Bicycle Theft0.310.380.190.50Getting worse
Burglary4.52.64.72.7Safer
Criminal Damage and Arson813108Safer
Drugs2.22.71.92.0Safer
Other Crime0.881.61.31.1Safer
Other Theft4.4784.1Safer
Possession of Weapons0.630.570.570.50Safer
Public Order2.3678Getting worse
Robbery (inc. mugging)0.130.190.310.13Safer
Shoplifting77116Safer
Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing)0.690.760.630.13Safer
Vehicle Crime3.72.31.82.1Safer
Violence and Sexual Offences16273232Getting worse

Changes In Penrith's Crime Rates Over Time

Comparing Penrith to the UK's Major Cities

Small TownCrime RateRate Difference
Penrith66.62-
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 Penrith's Neighbourhoods

NeighbourhoodCrime CountCrime RateDanger Rank
Penrith Central & West798106First

Crime in Penrith During Coronavirus Lockdowns

Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Penrith change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in March, when Penrith saw a 233% increase in public order. Penrith saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 96% compared to June in 2019.

CrimeMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Anti-Social Behaviour+14%+178%+188%-48%+4%+21%-24%+74%+50%-6%
Burglary+25%---29%+150%-80%--50%-71%-44%
Criminal Damage and Arson+38%-22%-65%-11%-23%-24%+10%-40%-50%-30%
Drugs---+67%-67%-33%--+50%-50%
Other Crime+100%+150%+100%--+100%-50%---
Other Theft-30%-80%-64%-75%-40%-47%+13%-44%-75%+25%
Possession of Weapons------67%-50%---
Public Order+233%+60%-29%-27%+64%+25%-33%-45%-35%+57%
Shoplifting-50%-81%-29%-96%-77%-17%-64%+90%-44%+129%
Theft From the Person---------50%-
Vehicle Crime-92%+200%---67%-50%-+133%--
Violence and Sexual Offences-14%-25%-10%+11%+30%+19%-3%+8%+24%-66%

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Penrith

What police force serves Penrith?
Penrith's local territorial police force is the Cumbria Constabulary.
How dangerous is Penrith?
Penrith is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Cumbria.
What is Penrith's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Penrith are violence and sexual offences.
What is the least common crime in Penrith?
Penrith's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).

Last updated: 31 Dec 2021