Crime and Safety in Matlock Town
Last updated: 07 Jun 2026
Matlock Town is among the top 10 safest small towns in Derbyshire, and is the 70th most dangerous overall out of Derbyshire's 267 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Matlock Town in 2026 is 57 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Derbyshire's overall crime rate, coming in 22% lower than the Derbyshire rate of 73 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Matlock Town is the 333rd most dangerous small town, and the 2,173rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2016, Matlock Town had the worst crime rate in Derbyshire for robbery, with 2 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.16 per 1,000 daytime population. And in February 2026, Matlock Town was the worst small town in Derbyshire for anti-social behaviour, with 17 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.3 per 1,000 daytime population. April 2026 was also a bad month for Matlock Town residents, when it was Derbyshire's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.22 per 1,000 daytime population.
The most common crimes in Matlock Town are violence and sexual offences, with 360 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 3.7% higher than 2025's figure of 347 offences and a difference of 0.93 from 2025's crime rate of 26. Matlock Town's least common crime is robbery, with 0 offences recorded in 2026, a decrease of 0% from 2025's figure of 1 crime.
Matlock Town 2026 Crime Scorecard
Top 10 Safest
Small Towns, Derbyshire
19% lower, regional crime rate
East Midlands
21% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
Local Crime in Context
As of April 2026, the crime rate in Matlock Town is 19% lower than the East Midlands and 21% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
Matlock Town Crime Rate Over Time
| Matlock Town | |
| East Midlands | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Matlock Town Crime Map
Incidents mapped in Matlock Town represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Use Crime Map
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualise the data you need.
See How Matlock Town Compares
You can compare Matlock Town's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.
Introduction to Matlock Town's crime statistics
This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Matlock Town up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Matlock Town's 286 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:
- Within a Five-Minute Walk
- Within a Ten-Minute Walk
- Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk
Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.
CrimeRate Insights
Looking into a specific address in Matlock Town? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.
Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.
That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.
Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.
Crime Risk Scores
Matlock Town • 12 Months Ending April 2026
The typical five-minute walk within Matlock Town has a crime risk score of 495. This is based on analysis of 286 nearby areas within Matlock Town, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.
Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Matlock Town's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.
Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Matlock Town, crime risk scores are typically around 495, while in Derbyshire they are average 564.
Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 504 (576 for Derbyshire), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 515 (Derbyshire 595).
Trends in Crime Risk
Matlock Town
Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.
The 10-year trend indicates an increase of 39% in Matlock Town's crime risk score. This is potentially a strong signal of how the crime risk is evolving. Cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.
Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Matlock Town's crime risk score is up by 7%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis may offer further insight when combined with the checks mentioned above.
The risk score trend over the last year has not shown any statistically meaningful movement up or down.
Crime Rates and Indexes
Matlock Town
The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.
1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.
Highest Crime Rates
Matlock Town • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.
Possession of Weapons offences have a crime rate of 0.81 reports per 1,000 people in Matlock Town, which is 1.84 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 11 crime reports logged by Derbyshire Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.
For the same period, Derbyshire Police recorded 100 reports of Public Order in Matlock Town, resulting in a crime rate of 7.43 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.28.
The crime rate for Drugs is 1.08 times the national average at 3.05 reports per 1,000. This is from 41 crime reports reported to Derbyshire Police.
Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types
Matlock Town
Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.
Shoplifting offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.02 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Shoplifting CrimeRate Index was 0.14 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 629% over this timeframe.
Public Order offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 1.40 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Public Order CrimeRate Index was 0.70 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 100% over this timeframe.
Burglary offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.29 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Burglary CrimeRate Index was 0.23 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 26% over this timeframe.
Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types
Matlock Town
Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.
Theft From the Person offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of - for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Theft From the Person CrimeRate Index was 1.15 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a near-complete decrease over this timeframe.
Vehicle Crime offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.20 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Vehicle Crime CrimeRate Index was 0.34 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 41% over this timeframe.
Criminal Damage and Arson offences are trending downwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.56 for the month of April 2026.
Three years ago, the monthly Criminal Damage and Arson CrimeRate Index was 2.02 times the national average, and the current trend indicates a decrease of 72% over this timeframe.
Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map
Matlock Town • 12 Months Ending April 2026
Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.
Matlock Town | Derbyshire | East Midlands | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Type | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 219 | 16.23 | 1.15 | 14,939 | 12.49 | 0.88 | 82,288 | 14.84 | 1.05 |
| Bicycle Theft | 3 | 0.21 | 1.11 | 412 | 0.34 | 0.47 | 3,605 | 0.66 | 0.90 |
| Burglary | 18 | 1.33 | 0.57 | 3,096 | 2.60 | 0.83 | 16,428 | 2.97 | 0.95 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 67 | 4.97 | 0.79 | 7,253 | 6.08 | 0.97 | 36,709 | 6.63 | 1.06 |
| Drugs | 41 | 3.05 | 1.08 | 3,575 | 3.00 | 0.97 | 14,102 | 2.53 | 0.82 |
| Other Crime | 17 | 1.25 | 1.15 | 2,007 | 1.68 | 0.91 | 11,549 | 2.09 | 1.13 |
| Other Theft | 38 | 2.82 | 0.50 | 5,996 | 5.01 | 0.88 | 28,010 | 5.03 | 0.88 |
| Possession of Weapons | 11 | 0.81 | 1.84 | 1,098 | 0.92 | 1.08 | 5,077 | 0.92 | 1.08 |
| Public Order | 100 | 7.43 | 1.28 | 9,143 | 7.65 | 1.32 | 33,621 | 6.06 | 1.04 |
| Robbery | - | - | - | 826 | 0.71 | 0.60 | 5,222 | 0.95 | 0.81 |
| Shoplifting | 100 | 7.41 | 1.04 | 7,366 | 6.16 | 0.86 | 41,773 | 7.51 | 1.05 |
| Theft From the Person | 3 | 0.21 | 0.55 | 638 | 0.52 | 0.34 | 2,834 | 0.51 | 0.33 |
| Vehicle Crime | 10 | 0.72 | 0.25 | 3,784 | 3.18 | 0.74 | 20,391 | 3.67 | 0.85 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 360 | 26.68 | 0.88 | 42,469 | 35.52 | 1.17 | 169,276 | 30.51 | 1.00 |
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Total Crime by Year
Matlock Town | Derbyshire | East Midlands | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index | Count | Rate | Index |
| 2026 | 768 | 56.89 | 0.87 | 87,663 | 73.37 | 1.02 | 388,597 | 70.04 | 0.97 |
| 2025 | 768 | 57.62 | 0.85 | 87,193 | 73.57 | 0.99 | 391,366 | 71.16 | 0.96 |
| 2024 | 878 | 65.74 | 0.92 | 91,152 | 77.91 | 1.03 | 401,136 | 73.81 | 0.98 |
| 2023 | 824 | 61.49 | 0.84 | 90,471 | 78.25 | 0.99 | 420,118 | 78.15 | 0.99 |
| 2022 | 842 | 63.69 | 0.89 | 90,005 | 78.81 | 1.03 | 404,389 | 76.27 | 0.99 |
| 2021 | 690 | 52.84 | 0.84 | 79,514 | 69.72 | 1.02 | 361,494 | 68.61 | 1.00 |
| 2020 | 752 | 57.83 | 0.83 | 81,619 | 71.93 | 0.97 | 388,888 | 74.15 | 1.00 |
| 2019 | 543 | 42.20 | 0.63 | 63,307 | 56.10 | 0.74 | 375,243 | 71.88 | 0.94 |
| 2018 | 452 | 35.37 | 0.56 | 56,250 | 50.26 | 0.71 | 331,940 | 64.14 | 0.90 |
| 2017 | 384 | 30.08 | 0.55 | 54,775 | 49.41 | 0.77 | 297,381 | 58.03 | 0.91 |
| 2016 | 144 | 11.28 | 0.67 | 17,538 | 15.82 | 0.83 | 87,914 | 17.17 | 0.90 |
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Matlock Town Compared to Nearby Small Towns
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Cross | 994 | 84.04 | 48% more dangerous |
| Buxton | 1,575 | 87.75 | 54% more dangerous |
| Old Bolsover | 1,157 | 84.06 | 48% more dangerous |
| Shirebrook | 929 | 79.92 | 40% more dangerous |
| Ripley | 2,024 | 80.64 | 42% more dangerous |
| Heanor and Loscoe | 1,439 | 80.89 | 42% more dangerous |
| Staveley | 1,529 | 75.10 | 32% more dangerous |
| Clowne | 603 | 68.41 | 20% more dangerous |
| Eckington | 787 | 61.48 | 8% more dangerous |
| Brimington | 473 | 51.15 | 10% safer |
| South Normanton | 694 | 59.80 | 5% more dangerous |
| Ashbourne | 545 | 55.12 | 3.1% safer |
| Matlock Town | 768 | 56.89 | - |
| Sandiacre | 538 | 53.37 | 6% safer |
| New Mills | 464 | 46.70 | 18% safer |
| Killamarsh | 455 | 45.38 | 20% safer |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith | 498 | 46.74 | 18% safer |
| Hadfield | 528 | 42.89 | 25% safer |
| Belper | 1,012 | 42.46 | 25% safer |
| Hilton | 299 | 32.69 | 43% safer |
Comparing Matlock Town to the UK's Major Cities
12 Months Ending Apr 2026
| City Name | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Matlock Town | 56.89 | - |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 40% more dangerous |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 82.69 | 45% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 48% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 72% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 84% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 85% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 87% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 88% more dangerous |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 89% more dangerous |
| Westminster | 125.00 | 120% more dangerous |
CrimeRate Pro
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You can find out more, or get a CrimeRate Insights report that includes further analysis.
Offences In and Around Matlock Town's Parks & Leisure Spaces
Limited to spaces in Matlock Town that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spyder Park | 9 | - | 1 | - | 24 | 7 |
| Public Gardens | 3 | - | 8 | - | 24 | 3 |
| High Tor Recreation Ground | 10 | 2 | 4 | - | 8 | 8 |
| Wellfield Allotments | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 8 | 0 |
| Hall Leys Park | 31 | 6 | 13 | - | 31 | 34 |
| Arc Leisure Matlock | 7 | 1 | 2 | - | 6 | 4 |
Recent Crimes in Matlock Town
The 20 most recent crime reports in Matlock Town.
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Knowleston Place | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Knowleston Place | |
| April 2026 | Anti-social behaviour | On or near Knowleston Place | |
| April 2026 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Drugs | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Knowleston Place | |
| April 2026 | Other theft | On or near Fairholmes | |
| April 2026 | Possession of weapons | On or near Parking Area | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Highfield Drive | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Chesterfield Road | |
| April 2026 | Public order | On or near Nightclub | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Police Station | |
| April 2026 | Shoplifting | On or near Nightclub | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Brook Walk | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Cardinshaw Road | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Upper Greenhill Gardens | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Nightclub | |
| April 2026 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Henry Avenue |
Methodology & Data Sources
Matlock Town Crime Report
Data Sources & Processing
Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.
Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Matlock Town during June 2026 will typically become available in August 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.
Matlock Town Data Points
For Matlock Town, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E04013273.
Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Matlock Town's daytime - or "workday" - population of 12,360 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.
All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.
Calculating Crime Rates
CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.
Crime Risk Score Calculations
CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.
Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.
Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.
The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crime in Matlock Town