Crime in Durham
Recorded crime in Durham is 0.9 times the County Durham average and about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 7%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Durham: about 44,812 residents in 32 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- +7%more crimes
- vs the council
- 0.9×the County Durham average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Durham.
Crime over 5 years
Up 7% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Durham, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.9× the County Durham average (about the England and Wales average). 93 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 66% of the harm here
- Burglary: 14% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 66% 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: 24 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in County Durham (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole County Durham council area, not only Durham. 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 | 974 | 1.8 | Up 6% |
| Cars broken into | 547 | 1.0 | Down 28% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 5,276 | 9.8 | Down 2% |
| Burglary of homes | 1,267 | 2.4 | Down 8% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 7 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in DH1
In DH1, the postcode district at the centre of Durham, 17% 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) | 2,019 | 15% | 8% | 54% | 20% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 972 | 27% | 3% | 16% | 52% | 2% |
| Public order | 527 | 23% | 4% | 41% | 30% | 2% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 436 | 8% | 6% | 21% | 63% | 1% |
| Other theft | 306 | 4% | 4% | 18% | 74% | 1% |
| Burglary | 230 | 20% | 2% | 13% | 62% | 3% |
| Other crime | 163 | 17% | 11% | 52% | 17% | 3% |
| Drugs | 152 | 22% | 26% | 41% | 7% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 106 | 6% | 1% | 21% | 72% | 1% |
| Bicycle theft | 59 | 0% | 0% | 3% | 97% | 0% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 51 | 47% | 8% | 41% | 2% | 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 | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 4.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 35.1 |
| Drugs | 3.0 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 2.7 |
| Other theft | 7.4 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 9.8 |
| Public order | 10.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.9 |
| Shoplifting | 13.0 |
Postcode districts in Durham
Nearby towns
Council: County Durham
Questions about crime in Durham
- Is Durham a safe place to live?
- Durham scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.9 times the County Durham average.
- Is crime going up or down in Durham?
- Up 7% over 5 years, from 4,258 recorded crimes a year to 4,567.
- What is the most common crime in Durham?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 35 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Durham compare with County Durham?
- Crime severity in Durham is 0.9 times the County Durham average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Durham?
- In DH1, the postcode district at the centre of Durham, 17% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 38% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Durham?
- Of 230 burglaries reported in DH1, the postcode district at the centre of Durham between September 2024 and August 2025, 20% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 62% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Durham?
- In County Durham, the council area Durham is in, the police recorded 974 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.8 per 1,000 residents, up 6% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Durham?
- 5,276 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in County Durham, the council area Durham is in, 9.8 per 1,000 residents, 2.0 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Durham last year?
- 7 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in County Durham, the council area Durham is in, against 1 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.