Crime in Darwen
Recorded crime in Darwen is 1.1 times the Blackburn with Darwen average and 1.2 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 11%. 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 Darwen: about 22,110 residents in 20 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −11%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Blackburn with Darwen average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Darwen.
Crime over 5 years
Down 11% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Darwen, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Blackburn with Darwen average (1.2× the England and Wales average). 90 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 67% of the harm here
- Burglary: 18% 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: 42 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Blackburn with Darwen (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Blackburn with Darwen council area, not only Darwen. 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% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 939 | 5.8 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 269 | 1.7 | Down 26% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 3 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in BB3
In BB3, the postcode district at the centre of Darwen, 7% 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) | 1,419 | 8% | 13% | 65% | 9% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 305 | 3% | 8% | 27% | 54% | 8% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 209 | 3% | 0% | 14% | 77% | 6% |
| Public order | 184 | 9% | 9% | 55% | 18% | 9% |
| Other theft | 183 | 2% | 1% | 37% | 52% | 8% |
| Shoplifting | 142 | 11% | 4% | 27% | 49% | 8% |
| Burglary | 116 | 15% | 3% | 15% | 62% | 6% |
| Other crime | 86 | 13% | 13% | 50% | 9% | 15% |
| Drugs | 75 | 9% | 57% | 9% | 4% | 20% |
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.
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 | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 7.0 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 42.0 |
| Drugs | 1.6 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.9 |
| Other crime | 2.0 |
| Other theft | 6.7 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 6.4 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 11.0 |
| Public order | 6.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 4.8 |
Postcode districts in Darwen
Nearby towns
Council: Blackburn with Darwen
Questions about crime in Darwen
- Is Darwen a safe place to live?
- Darwen scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Blackburn with Darwen average.
- Is crime going up or down in Darwen?
- Down 11% over 5 years, from 2,100 recorded crimes a year to 1,860.
- What is the most common crime in Darwen?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 42 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Darwen compare with Blackburn with Darwen?
- Crime severity in Darwen is 1.1 times the Blackburn with Darwen average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Darwen?
- In BB3, the postcode district at the centre of Darwen, 7% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 27% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Darwen?
- Of 116 burglaries reported in BB3, the postcode district at the centre of Darwen between September 2024 and August 2025, 15% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 62% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Darwen?
- In Blackburn with Darwen, the council area Darwen is in, 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 Darwen?
- 939 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Blackburn with Darwen, the council area Darwen is in, 5.8 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Darwen last year?
- 3 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Blackburn with Darwen, the council area Darwen is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.