Whitehaven Crime Overview
Whitehaven is the second most dangerous small town in Cumbria, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Cumbria's 287 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Whitehaven in 2020 was 82 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Cumbria's overall crime rate, coming in 19% higher than the Cumbria rate of 66 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Whitehaven is the 116th most dangerous small town, and the 919th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2020, Whitehaven had the worst crime rate in Cumbria for robbery, with 3 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.13 per 1,000 inhabitants. May 2020 was also a bad month for Whitehaven residents, when it was Cumbria's most dangerous area for theft from the person, recording 1 crime at a rate of 0.04 per 1,000 residents. Whitehaven recorded 4 reports of bicycle theft during August 2020, making its crime rate of 0.17 the worst for bicycle theft in Cumbria that month.
The most common crimes in Whitehaven are violence and sexual offences, with 940 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 41. This is 26% lower than 2019's figure of 1,187 offences and a difference of 10.68 from 2019's crime rate of 51. Whitehaven's least common crime is theft from the person, with 7 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 7 crimes.
Compare Whitehaven to other towns and cities
See how Whitehaven shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Whitehaven and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Whitehaven Crime Map
Crime in Whitehaven Compared To Cumbria
Summary of Crimes in Whitehaven This Year
| Whitehaven | Cumbria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 533 | 23.04 | 9,799 | 19.60 | 15% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 8 | 0.35 | 207 | 0.41 | 17% safer |
| Burglary | 76 | 3.29 | 1,645 | 3.29 | 0% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 276 | 11.93 | 4,727 | 9.45 | 21% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 64 | 2.77 | 1,022 | 2.04 | 26% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 14 | 0.61 | 655 | 1.31 | 115% safer |
| Other Theft | 105 | 4.54 | 2,201 | 4.40 | 3.1% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 8 | 0.35 | 256 | 0.51 | 46% safer |
| Public Order | 248 | 10.72 | 4,143 | 8.29 | 23% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 12 | 0.52 | 110 | 0.22 | 58% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 102 | 4.41 | 1,608 | 3.22 | 27% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.30 | 88 | 0.18 | 40% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 37 | 1.60 | 808 | 1.62 | 1.2% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 940 | 40.64 | 15,747 | 31.49 | 23% more dangerous |
Whitehaven Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockermouth | 379 | 41.56 | 97% safer |
| Dalton Town with Newton | 367 | 47.49 | 73% safer |
| Windermere | 475 | 58.69 | 40% safer |
| Penrith | 1,058 | 66.62 | 23% safer |
| Maryport | 900 | 79.71 | 2.9% safer |
| Whitehaven | 1,897 | 82.02 | - |
| Egremont | 653 | 84.06 | 2.4% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Whitehaven
View crime percentage over time forWhitehaven Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 34 | 30 | 20 | 23 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.22 | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.35 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 3.7 | 5 | 3.9 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.99 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.61 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.52 | 0.82 | 0.78 | 0.35 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.04 | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.52 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 12 | 6 | 4.4 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.39 | 0.95 | 0.30 | 0.30 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 29 | 48 | 51 | 41 | Safer |
Changes In Whitehaven's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Whitehaven to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 21% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 6% safer |
| Whitehaven | 82.02 | - |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 1.4% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 4.9% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 16% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 20% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 38% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 40% more dangerous |
Crime in Whitehaven's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hensingham, Hillcrest & Aikbank | 507 | 51 | Second |
| Whitehaven Harbour & Corkickle | 794 | 150 | First |
Crime in Whitehaven During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Whitehaven change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Whitehaven saw a 600% increase in vehicle crime. Whitehaven saw a large fall in shoplifting during May, when it fell by 89% compared to May in 2019. Violence and Sexual Offences saw a fall in every month of Whitehaven's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -9% | +83% | +85% | -27% | +65% | +28% | +47% | +15% | -14% | +18% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | -50% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -50% | -78% | - | +14% | +167% | +13% | +40% | -50% | -29% | -50% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -20% | -25% | -54% | +15% | -4% | -12% | -36% | -23% | -45% | +50% |
| Drugs | -75% | - | +167% | - | -40% | +400% | - | +25% | - | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | - | +200% | -33% | -50% | - | -75% | -67% |
| Other Theft | +30% | -67% | -82% | -44% | -25% | -20% | +50% | -35% | -71% | +29% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | -50% | - | - |
| Public Order | +19% | -29% | -33% | -28% | +41% | +84% | -29% | -45% | -52% | -58% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +50% | - | -89% | -43% | -50% | +71% | -40% | -24% | -58% | -21% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | -50% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | - | - | +200% | +400% | - | +600% | -75% | +200% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -33% | -41% | -11% | -17% | +29% | -5% | -29% | -22% | -48% | -50% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Whitehaven
What police force serves Whitehaven?
Whitehaven's local territorial police force is the Cumbria Constabulary.How dangerous is Whitehaven?
Whitehaven is the second most dangerous small town in Cumbria.What is Whitehaven's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Whitehaven are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Whitehaven?
Whitehaven's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021