Crime in Whitehaven
Recorded crime in Whitehaven is 1.5 times the Cumberland average and 1.4 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 12%. 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 Whitehaven: about 9,620 residents in 12 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 5.7/10Fair
- 5-year change
- −12%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.5×the Cumberland average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Whitehaven.
Crime over 5 years
Down 12% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Whitehaven, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.5× the Cumberland average (1.4× the England and Wales average). 114 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 75% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 75% 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: 28 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Cumberland (the whole partnership area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Cumberland partnership area, not only Whitehaven. Figures for the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland community safety partnerships, which together cover Cumberland. 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 | 201 | 0.72 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 162 | 0.58 | Down 17% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,561 | 5.6 | Down 8% |
| Burglary of homes | 229 | 0.82 | Down 23% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in CA28
In CA28, the postcode district at the centre of Whitehaven, 13% 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) | 1,256 | 10% | 5% | 62% | 9% | 13% |
| Public order | 316 | 18% | 4% | 49% | 19% | 10% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 245 | 7% | 5% | 35% | 42% | 11% |
| Other theft | 124 | 6% | 4% | 40% | 36% | 13% |
| Drugs | 119 | 31% | 37% | 13% | 1% | 18% |
| Shoplifting | 96 | 32% | 2% | 20% | 34% | 11% |
| Other crime | 84 | 14% | 4% | 46% | 12% | 24% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 13% 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 | 4.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 53.7 |
| Drugs | 4.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.1 |
| Other crime | 1.7 |
| Other theft | 6.9 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.7 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 14.5 |
| Public order | 12.9 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.3 |
| Shoplifting | 11.4 |
Postcode districts in Whitehaven
Nearby towns
Council: Cumberland
Questions about crime in Whitehaven
- Is Whitehaven a safe place to live?
- Whitehaven scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.5 times the Cumberland average.
- Is crime going up or down in Whitehaven?
- Down 12% over 5 years, from 1,210 recorded crimes a year to 1,070.
- What is the most common crime in Whitehaven?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 54 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Whitehaven compare with Cumberland?
- Crime severity in Whitehaven is 1.5 times the Cumberland average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Whitehaven?
- In CA28, the postcode district at the centre of Whitehaven, 13% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 17% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Whitehaven?
- In 2025/26, in the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland partnership area, which includes Whitehaven, the police recorded 201 cars stolen (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.7 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Whitehaven?
- 1,561 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland partnership area, which includes Whitehaven, 5.6 per 1,000 residents, 1.2 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Whitehaven last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland partnership area, which includes Whitehaven, against 0 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.