Crime in the Cumbria Police area: statistics, rates and trends
39,623 crimes were recorded in the Cumbria Police area in the 12 months to August 2026, 77.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in the Cumbria Police area at a glance
- Crime trends in the Cumbria Police area
- Types of crime in the Cumbria Police area
- Home Office recorded crime in the Cumbria Police area
- The Cumbria Police area compared with nearby police force areas
- Areas within the Cumbria Police area
- What happened after crimes were reported in the Cumbria Police area
- Demographics of the Cumbria Police area
- Questions about crime in the Cumbria Police area
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (18,721), public order (4,100) and criminal damage and arson (3,831) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 31st of the 41 police force areas covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | the Cumbria Police area | England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 39,623 | 5,311,106 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 77.6 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 510,680 | 54,941,057 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in the Cumbria Police area of any year here (39,623 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 39,623 | 77.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 39,648 | 77.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 40,332 | 79.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 41,633 | 81.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 44,728 | 87.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 41,565 | 81.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 44,796 | 87.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 45,843 | 89.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 42,905 | 84.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3,563 |
| July 2026 | 3,852 |
| June 2026 | 3,582 |
| May 2026 | 3,550 |
| April 2026 | 3,307 |
| March 2026 | 3,261 |
| February 2026 | 2,877 |
| January 2026 | 3,066 |
| December 2025 | 3,163 |
| November 2025 | 3,057 |
| October 2025 | 3,256 |
| September 2025 | 3,089 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (85% below) and robbery (79% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 128 to 149 and vehicle crime rose from 741 to 855, while anti-social behaviour fell from 2,943 to 2,043 and theft from the person fell from 155 to 125.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 18,721 | 36.7 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Public order | 4,100 | 8.0 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,831 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 2,506 | 4.9 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Other theft | 2,364 | 4.6 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,043 | 4.0 | 15.4 | -31% |
| Drugs | 1,881 | 3.7 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Other crime | 1,135 | 2.2 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Burglary | 1,112 | 2.2 | 3.6 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 855 | 1.7 | 5.0 | +15% |
| Possession of weapons | 541 | 1.1 | 1.0 | -2% |
| Bicycle theft | 260 | 0.5 | 0.8 | +1% |
| Robbery | 149 | 0.3 | 1.4 | +16% |
| Theft from the person | 125 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -19% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
36,258 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in the Cumbria Police area in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 71.0 per 1,000 residents, lower than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was down 2% on the year ending March 2025 (37,028), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 43 territorial police force areas of England and Wales, the Cumbria Police area had the 18th lowest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 41 force areas with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Offences recorded in the Cumbria Police area, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 6,597 offences (18% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (4.4 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for robbery of business property (0.12 times), theft from the person (0.17 times) and robbery of personal property (0.24 times).
The largest rises on the year were in theft from the person (+21%). The largest falls were in possession of drugs (−12%) and vehicle offences (−12%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 6,597 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 0.98 | −2% |
| Stalking and harassment | 5,173 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 1.00 | +0% |
| Violence with injury | 4,368 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 1.05 | −5% |
| Public order offences | 3,930 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 1.11 | +3% |
| Criminal damage | 3,699 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 1.06 | −0% |
| Shoplifting | 2,466 | 4.8 | 8.1 | 0.59 | – |
| Other theft offences | 2,263 | 4.4 | 6.5 | 0.68 | −7% |
| Possession of drugs | 1,513 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.19 | −12% |
| Other sexual offences | 1,308 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.13 | −2% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 1,104 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.03 | −4% |
| Vehicle offences | 737 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 0.29 | −12% |
| Residential burglary | 603 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.47 | −9% |
| Possession of weapons | 551 | 1.1 | 1.00 | 1.08 | +2% |
| Rape | 500 | 0.98 | 1.2 | 0.81 | +4% |
| Non-residential burglary | 408 | 0.80 | 1.1 | 0.71 | +2% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 280 | 0.55 | 1.2 | 0.46 | +4% |
| Bicycle theft | 237 | 0.46 | 0.85 | 0.54 | +3% |
| Theft from the person | 155 | 0.30 | 1.8 | 0.17 | +21% |
| Arson | 145 | 0.28 | 0.38 | 0.75 | +7% |
| Robbery of personal property | 111 | 0.22 | 0.91 | 0.24 | −2% |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 79 | 0.15 | 0.03 | 4.44 | +7% |
| Robbery of business property | 30 | 0.06 | 0.47 | 0.12 | – |
| Homicide | 1 | <0.01 | 0.01 | 0.24 | −80% |
Recorded crime in the Cumbria Police area since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. The Cumbria Police area's rate was below the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36,258 | 71.0 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 37,028 | 72.5 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 35,561 | 69.6 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 38,877 | 76.1 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 37,145 | 72.7 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 30,919 | 60.5 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 38,201 | 74.8 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 36,763 | 72.0 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 28,461 | 55.7 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 25,375 | 49.7 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 25,977 | 50.9 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 24,842 | 48.6 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 23,998 | 47.0 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 22,955 | 44.9 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Cumbria Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 2 districts in the Cumbria Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Cumberland had the highest rate (74.3 per 1,000) and Westmorland and Furness the lowest (66.0).
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 20,837 | 74.3 | 0.89 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 15,202 | 66.0 | 0.79 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
6 of the 8 nearest police force areas have a higher crime rate than the Cumbria Police area; the highest is the Cleveland Police area (156.6 per 1,000) and the lowest the North Yorkshire Police area (72.3).
| Police force area | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs the Cumbria Police area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 163,902 | 102.3 | +32% |
| Durham | 79,033 | 121.5 | +57% |
| Northumbria | 146,228 | 96.9 | +25% |
| Cleveland | 94,028 | 156.6 | +102% |
| Merseyside | 152,610 | 103.4 | +33% |
| West Yorkshire | 289,490 | 118.9 | +53% |
| North Yorkshire | 61,097 | 72.3 | -7% |
| Cheshire | 83,476 | 73.2 | -6% |
Of the 2 areas within the Cumbria Police area, Cumberland had the highest crime rate (82.2 per 1,000) and Westmorland and Furness the lowest (72.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | District | 280,495 | 23,055 | 82.2 |
| Westmorland and Furness | District | 230,185 | 16,568 | 72.0 |
Of the 37,580 crimes in the Cumbria Police area with a recorded outcome, 20% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,043 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 14,698 | 39.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 7,644 | 20.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 5,554 | 14.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 2,633 | 7.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 1,985 | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 1,916 | 5.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 1,135 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 692 | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 444 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 379 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 273 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 226 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
The Cumbria Police area has an estimated population of 510,680 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%), an older population (25%, against 19%) and more retired residents (28%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up the Cumbria Police area average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | the Cumbria Police area | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 30.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 70.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is the Cumbria Police area a safe place to live?
The Cumbria Police area recorded 77.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 31st of the 41 police force areas on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in the Cumbria Police area?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 18,721 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (4,100).
Is crime in the Cumbria Police area going up or down?
Recorded crime in the Cumbria Police area was almost unchanged on the year before: 39,623 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 39,648 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of the Cumbria Police area?
About 510,680 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 25% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
How many crimes did the police record in the Cumbria Police area in the year ending March 2026?
36,258 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 71.0 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 37,028.
Which offences are more common in the Cumbria Police area than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving (79 offences, 4.4 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.