Crime in Darlington
Recorded crime in Darlington is 1.4 times the Darlington council average and 1.8 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 7%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Darlington: about 30,409 residents in 28 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 7.8/10Good
- 5-year change
- −7%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Darlington council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Darlington.
Crime over 5 years
Down 7% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Darlington, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Darlington council average (1.8× the England and Wales average). 149 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 65% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 65% 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: 41 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Darlington (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Darlington council area, not only the town of Darlington. 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 | 172 | 1.5 | Down 8% |
| Cars broken into | 242 | 2.2 | Down 28% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,016 | 9.0 | About the same |
| Burglary of homes | 256 | 2.3 | Up 17% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in DL1
In DL1, the postcode district at the centre of Darlington, 12% 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) | 2,470 | 10% | 9% | 66% | 13% | 3% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 819 | 6% | 5% | 26% | 63% | 1% |
| Shoplifting | 646 | 34% | 4% | 21% | 40% | 0% |
| Public order | 470 | 10% | 4% | 57% | 26% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 333 | 7% | 0% | 17% | 76% | 0% |
| Other theft | 332 | 3% | 2% | 27% | 66% | 3% |
| Burglary | 245 | 18% | 1% | 22% | 58% | 1% |
| Drugs | 201 | 19% | 21% | 40% | 13% | 7% |
| Other crime | 164 | 14% | 2% | 61% | 17% | 5% |
| Bicycle theft | 71 | 1% | 0% | 18% | 79% | 1% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 64 | 42% | 8% | 45% | 3% | 2% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 2% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
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 | 0.9 |
| Burglary | 8.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 59.9 |
| Drugs | 4.9 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.2 |
| Other crime | 3.7 |
| Other theft | 11.1 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.2 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 19.4 |
| Public order | 15.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 2.1 |
| Shoplifting | 12.2 |
Postcode districts in Darlington
Nearby towns
Council: Darlington
Questions about crime in Darlington
- Is Darlington a safe place to live?
- Darlington scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Darlington council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Darlington?
- Down 7% over 5 years, from 4,333 recorded crimes a year to 4,014.
- What is the most common crime in Darlington?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 60 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Darlington compare with Darlington council?
- Crime severity in Darlington is 1.4 times the Darlington council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Darlington?
- In DL1, the postcode district at the centre of Darlington, 12% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 33% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Darlington?
- Of 245 burglaries reported in DL1, the postcode district at the centre of Darlington between September 2024 and August 2025, 18% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 58% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Darlington?
- In the Darlington council area, the police recorded 172 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.5 per 1,000 residents, down 8% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Darlington?
- 1,016 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Darlington council area, 9.0 per 1,000 residents, 1.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Darlington last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Darlington council area, against 1 the year before.