Crime in Kendal
Recorded crime in Kendal is 1.3 times the Westmorland and Furness average and about the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 2%. 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 Kendal: about 18,084 residents in 13 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 4/10Above average crime
- Living
- 6.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −2%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.3×the Westmorland and Furness average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Kendal.
Crime over 5 years
Down 2% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Kendal, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the Westmorland and Furness average (about the England and Wales average). 80 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 72% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Drugs: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 72% 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: 17 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Westmorland and Furness (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Westmorland and Furness partnership area, not only Kendal. Figures for the Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland community safety partnerships, which together cover Westmorland and Furness. 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 | 104 | 0.45 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 115 | 0.50 | Down 28% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 950 | 4.1 | Down 9% |
| Burglary of homes | 215 | 0.93 | Up 26% |
| 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 LA9
In LA9, the postcode district at the centre of Kendal, 10% 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) | 1,092 | 8% | 5% | 62% | 9% | 15% |
| Public order | 242 | 10% | 5% | 54% | 20% | 11% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 212 | 8% | 5% | 32% | 42% | 13% |
| Shoplifting | 197 | 24% | 3% | 15% | 41% | 18% |
| Other theft | 127 | 5% | 1% | 31% | 46% | 17% |
| Drugs | 116 | 22% | 48% | 15% | 4% | 10% |
| Burglary | 72 | 1% | 1% | 26% | 56% | 15% |
| Other crime | 59 | 14% | 3% | 46% | 19% | 19% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 15% 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 | 3.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 36.6 |
| Drugs | 3.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.9 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 5.5 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.1 |
| Public order | 7.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.1 |
| Shoplifting | 6.8 |
Postcode districts in Kendal
Nearby towns
Council: Westmorland and Furness
Questions about crime in Kendal
- Is Kendal a safe place to live?
- Kendal scores 4 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.3 times the Westmorland and Furness average.
- Is crime going up or down in Kendal?
- Down 2% over 5 years, from 1,655 recorded crimes a year to 1,616.
- What is the most common crime in Kendal?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 37 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Kendal compare with Westmorland and Furness?
- Crime severity in Kendal is 1.3 times the Westmorland and Furness average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Kendal?
- In LA9, the postcode district at the centre of Kendal, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 22% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Kendal?
- Of 72 burglaries reported in LA9, the postcode district at the centre of Kendal between September 2024 and August 2025, 1% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 56% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Kendal?
- In 2025/26, in the Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland partnership area, which includes Kendal, the police recorded 104 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.5 per 1,000 residents, down 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Kendal?
- 950 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland partnership area, which includes Kendal, 4.1 per 1,000 residents, 0.9 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Kendal last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland partnership area, which includes Kendal, against 5 the year before.