Burnley Crime Rate January 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Burnley's January 2025 crime rate of 10.3 per 1,000 residents places it 45.1% above the UK average, highlighting a stark imbalance between violent and property crimes. Violence and sexual offences dominate the crime picture, accounting for 33% of all reported incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour (25.4%) and criminal damage (8.6%). This concentration of violent crime contrasts with the UK average, where violent offences make up a smaller share of total crimes. The seasonal context of January—a post-holiday period with shorter days and reduced retail footfall—may partly explain the lower proportion of shoplifting and vehicle crime compared to busier months. However, the dominance of violent crime suggests underlying social or environmental factors, such as community tensions or patterns of alcohol-related incidents in public spaces. Anti-social behaviour, which is 165% above the UK average, could reflect the impact of colder weather driving more indoor gatherings or disputes. While property crimes remain a concern, their lower prevalence compared to violent crime raises questions about the area's broader safety dynamics. The data underscores a need for targeted interventions addressing both immediate safety risks and long-term community cohesion.

January 2025 saw a notable 13.8% decrease in violent crimes compared to December, with the category falling from 392 to 338 incidents. This decline, however, was offset by sharp increases in theft from the person (+100%) and possession of weapons (+85.7%), indicating shifting patterns in criminal activity. Theft from the person rose from two to four incidents, a jump that could reflect increased opportunistic behaviour during the post-holiday period. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour remained the second most common crime, far exceeding the UK average by 165%, a figure that may be linked to the area's demographic profile or seasonal factors. In contrast, bicycle theft fell by 25%, influenced by reduced outdoor activity in colder weather. The crime mix reveals a paradox: while violent crime rates dropped, the proportion of property crimes (300 incidents) remained lower than violent crimes (338), suggesting that community safety efforts may be more effective in curbing property-related offences. Residents might find the 33% increase in drug-related crimes (from 28 to 38) particularly concerning, as this category is 54% above the UK average and could indicate evolving challenges in local law enforcement priorities.

Burnley's January 2025 crime rate of 10.3 per 1,000 residents represents a modest 2.1% decrease from the previous month's rate of 10.5, indicating some short-term stability in overall crime levels. Translating this into daily context, the area experienced an average of 33 crimes per day in January—a figure that, while consistent with recent months, remains significantly higher than the UK average. On a population-scaled basis, the monthly exposure of one crime for every 97 residents highlights the persistent risk faced by Burnley's population, a ratio that is higher than the UK average. This local perspective is critical for residents assessing their personal safety: while the overall rate has slightly declined, the concentration of violent crime and anti-social behaviour means that the risk of encountering such incidents remains elevated compared to other areas. The daily crime count, though not directly comparable to UK-wide figures, provides a tangible sense of the frequency of incidents in Burnley's streets. This data also underscores the need for community-specific strategies, as the UK average masks the area's unique challenges, such as the high rates of anti-social behaviour and drug-related crimes. The 1-in-97 resident figure, when considered alongside the breakdown of crime types, illustrates how the local profile diverges from national trends, requiring tailored approaches to crime prevention.