Rural Pendle Crime Rate

Rural Pendle stands out as an exceptionally safe area, with an overall crime rate of 41.8 per 1,000 people per year. This is significantly lower than the UK national average of 93.1, earning the area a superior safety score of 90/100. When compared to the UK average safety score of 78, Rural Pendle offers a high degree of security and peace of mind for its residents. Furthermore, the crime trend in Rural Pendle is moving in a positive direction, with a 7.5% decrease in reported offences year-over-year. This downward trend makes Rural Pendle an increasingly attractive place for those seeking a safe, rural lifestyle. The following sections provide a detailed analysis of specific crime types, monthly variations, and time-based insights for the area.

Crime Breakdown in Rural Pendle

In Rural Pendle, the crime landscape is led by violence and sexual offences (32.6%) and anti-social behaviour (27.2%), with burglary being the third most common type at 8.8%. For residents in this rural setting, property crime is a significant consideration. The overall property crime rate in Rural Pendle—which includes burglary, vehicle crime, and various forms of theft—is 11.9 per 1,000 people. This is remarkably low compared to the UK average of 32.9, suggesting that rural properties in the area are generally well-protected. Burglary specifically accounts for 8.8% of total crime, while vehicle crime stands at 7.5%. These percentages are higher than in some urban areas, indicating that while overall crime is low, property-related offences are a key concern for the rural community. Residents should maintain robust security measures to protect their homes and vehicles.

Crime Trends in Rural Pendle

The crime rate in Rural Pendle has shown a 7.5% decrease over the past year. Monthly data reveals a somewhat irregular pattern with some notable peaks. The highest crime rate was recorded in March 2025 at 4.8 per 1,000 residents, with December 2024 and May 2025 also seeing high rates of 4.6 and 4.3 respectively. The lowest rate occurred in October 2025 at 1.7. This pattern suggests that crime in Rural Pendle was higher in the winter and spring months, with a notable decline as the year progressed towards the following autumn. The overall downward trend reinforces the area's status as a very safe and improving community.

How To Keep Safe in Rural Pendle

Violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour are the most common crime types in Rural Pendle, followed by burglary. Staying safe in this rural environment requires a combination of community awareness and proactive property security.

1. Secure Your Property: With burglary being a top three crime type, ensure all doors and windows are fitted with high-quality locks and are kept secure even when you are at home.
2. Rural Watch Participation: Join a local Rural Watch or Neighbourhood Watch scheme to stay informed about incidents affecting the wider rural community and share safety information with neighbours.
3. Boundary Security: Use motion-activated lighting around the perimeter of your property to deter anti-social behaviour and ensure that any visitors are clearly visible after dark.
4. Vehicle Vigilance: With vehicle crime accounting for 44% of night-time incidents, always park in secure, well-lit areas and ensure no valuables are left on display.
5. Community Connectivity: Stay in touch with neighbours and participate in local social media groups to stay informed about any unusual activity or recent incidents in the Rural Pendle area.

Crime in Rural Pendle follows a distinct temporal pattern. Theft-related offences are most common during the day, accounting for 37% of morning crimes and 39% of afternoon incidents. As the day transitions into evening and night, the nature of crime shifts. Anti-social behaviour and other offences become more prominent in the evening, while the relative percentage of burglary and vehicle crime peaks during the night-time hours (12am - 6am). Burglary is particularly high in the afternoon (41%) and evening (38%), while vehicle crime reaches its highest frequency at night, accounting for 44% of incidents. These patterns indicate that while daytime requires vigilance against theft and burglary, the night-time hours are when vehicles are most at risk.

In the context of the wider Pendle region, the rural areas are a haven of safety. The crime rate of 41.8 per 1,000 is a fraction of that found in the major urban centres of Colne (147.2) and Nelson (125.7). It is also safer than the residential areas of Brierfield (96.2) and Barrowford (67.9). For those looking for a secure place to live within the district, Rural Pendle offers the best balance of safety and scenic rural living, providing a low-crime environment that is significantly detached from the higher incident rates seen in the nearby towns.

With a property crime rate of 11.9 per 1,000, Rural Pendle is a very secure environment, but the presence of burglary as a top three crime type suggests that residents should remain proactive about their home security. Traditional security systems, such as basic alarms or standard CCTV, are often reactive—they only provide footage of a crime after it has occurred. scOS offers a proactive AI-powered operating system that focuses on preventing the crime entirely. By monitoring all your camera feeds simultaneously, scOS uses advanced AI to detect genuine threats at the property boundary. Most burglars decide whether to target a home in under 60 seconds; scOS destroys this opportunity by activating autonomous responses like lights and audio alerts the moment an intruder is detected. For rural homeowners, moving from reactive recording to proactive prevention is the most effective way to protect their homes and assets against opportunistic crime.