Crime in Crook: statistics, rates and trends
1,197 crimes were recorded in Crook in the 12 months to August 2026, 134.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (417), anti-social behaviour (258) and criminal damage and arson (183) made up 72% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 109th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Crook | County Durham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,197 | 64,837 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 134.3 | 120.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 8,910 | 538,011 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Crook peaked in the year to August 2023 (1,279 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (925). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,197 | 134.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,125 | 126.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,232 | 138.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,279 | 143.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,245 | 139.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 991 | 111.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,226 | 137.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 925 | 103.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 964 | 108.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 122 |
| July 2026 | 87 |
| June 2026 | 114 |
| May 2026 | 111 |
| April 2026 | 111 |
| March 2026 | 102 |
| February 2026 | 82 |
| January 2026 | 64 |
| December 2025 | 70 |
| November 2025 | 101 |
| October 2025 | 132 |
| September 2025 | 101 |
Compared with England and Wales, Crook recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (3.0 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (88% above the national rate) and other crime (86% above the national rate). On the year before, burglary rose from 30 to 44 and other theft rose from 41 to 51.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 417 | 46.8 | 34.2 | +15% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 258 | 29.0 | 15.4 | -14% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 183 | 20.5 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Public order | 95 | 10.7 | 6.7 | +20% |
| Shoplifting | 61 | 6.8 | 8.5 | +7% |
| Other theft | 51 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +24% |
| Burglary | 44 | 4.9 | 3.6 | +47% |
| Other crime | 35 | 3.9 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Drugs | 15 | 1.7 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 14 | 1.6 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 11 | 1.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Crook; the highest is Bishop Auckland (203.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Esh Winning (99.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Crook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willington (County Durham) | 967 | 151.1 | +13% |
| Esh Winning | 527 | 99.4 | -26% |
| Bishop Auckland | 4,394 | 203.7 | +52% |
| Brandon (County Durham) | 1,047 | 113.8 | -15% |
| Spennymoor | 2,879 | 160.5 | +19% |
| Ushaw Moor and Bearpark | 755 | 117.1 | -13% |
| Shildon | 1,823 | 169.9 | +26% |
| Ferryhill | 1,489 | 177.0 | +32% |
Crook is the one area listed within Crook, with 111.8 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crook | Neighbourhood | 14,283 | 1,597 | 111.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in Crook over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (105).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 105 |
| On or near Parking Area | 84 |
| On or near Victoria Street | 50 |
| On or near Blencathra Crescent | 48 |
| On or near Maple Crescent | 45 |
| On or near Hope Street | 40 |
| On or near Patterdale Close | 36 |
| On or near Emmerson Street | 28 |
| On or near Laurel Gardens | 28 |
| On or near Bladeside | 23 |
Of the 939 crimes in Crook with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 258 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 414 | 44.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 260 | 27.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 118 | 12.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 50 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 25 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 18 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 14 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 10 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 9 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Crook has an estimated population of 8,910 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (26%, against 17%), fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Crook average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Crook | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 22.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 24.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 26.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 17.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Crook a safe place to live?
Crook recorded 134.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 109th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Crook?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 417 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (258).
Is crime in Crook going up or down?
Recorded crime in Crook was up 6% on the year before: 1,197 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,125 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Crook?
About 8,910 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Crook?
Crook is policed by Durham.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.