Darlington Crime Overview
Darlington is the safest major town in Durham, and is the 27th most dangerous overall out of Durham's 185 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Darlington in 2020 was 109 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Durham's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Durham rate of 89 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Darlington is among the top 20 most dangerous major towns, and the 375th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Darlington had the worst crime rate in Durham for bicycle theft, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.05 per 1,000 inhabitants. April 2020 was also a bad month for Darlington residents, when it was Durham's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 78 crimes at a rate of 0.84 per 1,000 residents. Darlington recorded 27 reports of other crime during November 2020, making its crime rate of 0.29 the worst for other crime in Durham that month.
The most common crimes in Darlington are violence and sexual offences, with 4,529 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 49. This is 8% lower than 2019's figure of 4,880 offences and a difference of 3.76 from 2019's crime rate of 52. Darlington's least common crime is robbery, with 38 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 66% from 2019's figure of 63 crimes.
Compare Darlington to other towns and cities
See how Darlington shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Darlington and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Darlington Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Darlington This Year
| Darlington | Durham | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 3,541 | 37.95 | 31,724 | 36.54 | 3.7% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 103 | 1.10 | 471 | 0.54 | 51% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 607 | 6.51 | 4,493 | 5.18 | 20% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,209 | 12.96 | 11,041 | 12.72 | 1.9% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 312 | 3.34 | 2,278 | 2.62 | 22% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 268 | 2.87 | 2,349 | 2.71 | 6% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 692 | 7.42 | 5,298 | 6.10 | 18% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 71 | 0.76 | 551 | 0.63 | 17% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 1,026 | 11.00 | 7,237 | 8.34 | 24% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 38 | 0.41 | 369 | 0.43 | 4.9% safer |
| Shoplifting | 677 | 7.26 | 4,917 | 5.66 | 22% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 66 | 0.71 | 418 | 0.48 | 32% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 542 | 5.81 | 3,288 | 3.79 | 35% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 4,529 | 48.54 | 34,322 | 39.54 | 19% more dangerous |
Crime in Darlington Compared To Durham
Darlington Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 10,140 | 108.68 | - |
| Hartlepool | 10,817 | 120.09 | 10% more dangerous |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 10,570 | 125.10 | 13% more dangerous |
Darlington Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 42 | 38 | 36 | 38 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.1 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.54 | 0.70 | 0.79 | 0.76 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.63 | 0.65 | 0.68 | 0.41 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.80 | 0.71 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 43 | 48 | 52 | 49 | Getting worse |
Changes In Darlington's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Darlington to the UK's Major Cities
Crime in Darlington's Neighbourhoods
Central Darlington is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Darlington, followed by Rise Carr in second place, and Albert Hill & Red Hall as the third most dangerous area. Darlington's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, College & Park West, Hummersknott, and Whinfield.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Hill & Red Hall | 1,198 | 137 | Third |
| Bank Top | 959 | 123 | Fourth |
| Central Darlington | 2,533 | 365 | First |
| Cockerton & Hopetown | 683 | 70 | Ninth |
| College & Park West | 319 | 53 | 11th |
| Firthmoor | 493 | 76 | Sixth |
| Harrowgate Hill | 435 | 71 | Eighth |
| Haughton Le Skerne | 404 | 74 | Seventh |
| Hummersknott | 245 | 27 | 12th |
| Pierremont | 473 | 93 | Fifth |
| Rise Carr | 957 | 164 | Second |
| Whinfield | 308 | 58 | Tenth |
Darlington Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Darlington for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Hummersknott (140) | Central Darlington (775) |
| Bicycle Theft | Harrowgate Hill (1) | Central Darlington (32) |
| Burglary | Hummersknott (24) | Central Darlington (131) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Hummersknott (32) | Central Darlington (280) |
| Drugs | Hummersknott (2) | Central Darlington (132) |
| Other Crime | Hummersknott (5) | Central Darlington (59) |
| Other Theft | Haughton Le Skerne (13) | Central Darlington (195) |
| Possession of Weapons | Firthmoor (1) | Central Darlington (23) |
| Public Order | Hummersknott (14) | Central Darlington (334) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Albert Hill & Red Hall (1) | Central Darlington (18) |
| Shoplifting | Haughton Le Skerne (1) | Central Darlington (288) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Whinfield (1) | Central Darlington (28) |
| Vehicle Crime | Whinfield (10) | Albert Hill & Red Hall (110) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Hummersknott (93) | Central Darlington (954) |
Crime in Darlington During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Darlington change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in June, when Darlington saw a 400% increase in robbery. Darlington saw a large fall in theft from the person during November, when it fell by 86% compared to November in 2019. Bicycle Theft saw a fall in every month of Darlington's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +13% | +38% | +36% | +15% | -8% | +1% | -22% | +1% | -12% | -25% |
| Bicycle Theft | -79% | -33% | -29% | -14% | +33% | -40% | -27% | -13% | -10% | -50% |
| Burglary | +22% | +44% | -23% | -2% | -19% | -38% | +3% | +26% | -22% | -72% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +1% | -47% | -39% | -33% | +15% | -21% | -12% | -6% | +1% | -1% |
| Drugs | -39% | -51% | -25% | -8% | +124% | -19% | +44% | -13% | -30% | -53% |
| Other Crime | -39% | -5% | +27% | -23% | +80% | +142% | -31% | +43% | +8% | -14% |
| Other Theft | -29% | -48% | -11% | -19% | -8% | -36% | -27% | -25% | -24% | -19% |
| Possession of Weapons | +50% | +50% | -45% | - | -33% | -29% | +71% | -25% | +100% | - |
| Public Order | +32% | +3% | +33% | -24% | +53% | +17% | -18% | -28% | -28% | -7% |
| Robbery | -60% | -40% | - | +400% | -80% | +200% | -44% | -50% | -80% | - |
| Shoplifting | +35% | -66% | -66% | -64% | -38% | -29% | +21% | -48% | -52% | -20% |
| Theft From the Person | -50% | -60% | -44% | +17% | -46% | +133% | +167% | -20% | -86% | +125% |
| Vehicle Crime | -23% | -5% | -34% | -22% | -52% | -62% | +10% | -27% | - | +17% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +3% | -20% | -8% | -23% | +3% | -14% | -4% | -2% | -15% | -27% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Darlington
What police force serves Darlington?
Darlington's local territorial police force is the Durham Constabulary.How dangerous is Darlington?
Darlington is the safest major town in Durham.What is Darlington's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Darlington are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Darlington?
Darlington's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021