Crime in Blackburn with Darwen
Recorded crime in Blackburn with Darwen is 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 6%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
162,540 residents in 91 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Safety in the world
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- −6%fewer crimes
Crime over 5 years
Down 6% in 5 years Recorded crimes in Blackburn with Darwen, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the England and Wales average. 89 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 67% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 67% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 40 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.7 |
| Burglary | 5.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 39.1 |
| Drugs | 2.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.8 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 7.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.3 |
| Public order | 6.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 6.3 |
What crimes are recorded in Blackburn with Darwen
84.2 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded in Blackburn with Darwen in 2025/26 (England and Wales: 83.2).
Our total for April 2025 to March 2026: 13,759. Home Office recorded crime: 13,688 (1% apart).
Crimes recorded by the police, April 2025 to March 2026. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 330 | 2.0 | Up 17% |
| Cars broken into | 504 | 3.1 | Down 15% |
| Vehicle tampering | 152 | 0.94 | Down 38% |
| Vandalism to homes | 418 | 2.6 | Up 6% |
| Vandalism to other buildings | 123 | 0.76 | Down 23% |
| Vandalism to vehicles | 398 | 2.4 | About the same |
| Arson | 70 | 0.43 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 269 | 1.7 | Down 26% |
| Burglary of businesses | 123 | 0.76 | Down 41% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
| Carrying a knife or blade | 111 | 0.68 | Down 10% |
| Carrying other weapons (including guns) | 60 | 0.37 | About the same |
| Robbery of people | 102 | 0.63 | Up 6% |
| Robbery of businesses | 52 | 0.32 | Up 11% |
| Violence with injury | 1,665 | 10.2 | Down 6% |
| Violence without injury | 2,398 | 14.8 | About the same |
| Stalking and harassment | 1,879 | 11.6 | Up 9% |
| Sexual offences | 556 | 3.4 | Up 6% |
| Shoplifting | 995 | 6.1 | Down 16% |
| Bicycle theft | 62 | 0.38 | Up 55% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 68 | 0.42 | Up 6% |
| Drug dealing | 108 | 0.66 | Down 8% |
| Drug possession | 406 | 2.5 | Up 38% |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare. These are council-area figures: police.uk street-level data, used for the map and the Safety score, only has the broad categories, and no source publishes murders or stabbings by street.
Lancashire Police area: 1,124 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2025/26 (1,305 the year before). This covers the whole police force area, not only Blackburn with Darwen.
Source: Home Office, police recorded knife crime by police force.
How often crimes lead to a charge
In Blackburn with Darwen, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 6,575 | 7% | 12% | 65% | 11% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 1,344 | 4% | 7% | 30% | 53% | 6% |
| Shoplifting | 1,181 | 13% | 7% | 23% | 44% | 12% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1,114 | 6% | 1% | 11% | 78% | 4% |
| Other theft | 980 | 2% | 3% | 34% | 56% | 6% |
| Public order | 962 | 10% | 10% | 49% | 21% | 10% |
| Burglary | 505 | 14% | 2% | 17% | 62% | 5% |
| Other crime | 459 | 13% | 10% | 54% | 11% | 13% |
| Drugs | 440 | 20% | 49% | 10% | 1% | 20% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 179 | 22% | 16% | 39% | 12% | 11% |
| Robbery | 146 | 10% | 1% | 47% | 35% | 8% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 67 | 3% | 1% | 30% | 60% | 6% |
| Bicycle theft | 54 | 2% | 0% | 19% | 76% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 7% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Towns and cities in Blackburn with Darwen
Postcode districts in Blackburn with Darwen
Questions about crime in Blackburn with Darwen
- Is Blackburn with Darwen a safe place to live?
- Blackburn with Darwen scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Is crime going up or down in Blackburn with Darwen?
- Down 6% over 5 years, from 15,225 recorded crimes a year to 14,273.
- What is the most common crime in Blackburn with Darwen?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 39 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Blackburn with Darwen?
- In Blackburn with Darwen, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 29% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Blackburn with Darwen?
- Of 505 burglaries reported in Blackburn with Darwen between September 2024 and August 2025, 14% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 62% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Blackburn with Darwen?
- In Blackburn with Darwen, the police recorded 330 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.0 per 1,000 residents, up 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Blackburn with Darwen?
- 939 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in Blackburn with Darwen in 2025/26, 5.8 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Blackburn with Darwen last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in Blackburn with Darwen in 2025/26, against 2 the year before.