Darling Crime Statistics
West Coast|1 suburb
How much crime was reported in Darling?
The Darling SAPS precinct recorded 893 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Low volume for Western CapeModerate nationally
Whole-precinct figures, reported crime only, raw counts. Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics (saps.gov.za), Apr 2025–Mar 2026.
What this data can't tell you
- Exactly where in the precinct crimes happened. SAPS reports crime per police precinct. These figures cover the whole Darling precinct area.
- Crime that was never reported. SAPS counts crimes reported to the police. Not all crime is reported, so actual incidence is higher. Reporting rates also vary by area and crime type, so there is no reliable way to correct for it. How we handle this →
- How crime compares per resident. These are raw counts with no population adjustment. Precincts serving more people naturally record more crimes. The trend over time, which compares this precinct against its own history, is the more reliable signal.
See how Darling compares to other Western Cape precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in West Coast →
Crime volume
Low
in Western Cape · Moderate nationally
Reported crimes
893
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
↑ 11.6%
more crimes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↓ 24.6%
below 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Darling rose 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Residential burglary dropped significantly (-40) while Drug-related crime increased (+115).
Drug-related crime+115
Residential burglary-40
Commercial crime+18
Stock-theft+12
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 235 |
| Common assault | 133 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 115 |
| Commercial crime | 96 |
| Serious assault | 78 |
| Malicious damage | 60 |
| Residential burglary | 58 |
| Crimen injuria | 27 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 235 | 120 | +115 |
| Common assault | 133 | 127 | +6 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 115 | 108 | +7 |
| Commercial crime | 96 | 78 | +18 |
| Serious assault | 78 | 69 | +9 |
| Malicious damage | 60 | 57 | +3 |
| Residential burglary | 58 | 98 | -40 |
| Crimen injuria | 27 | 23 | +4 |
| Stock-theft | 16 | 4 | +12 |
| Aggravated robbery | 15 | 19 | -4 |
| Carjacking | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Truck hijacking | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 3 | 10 | -7 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. SAPS reports these both individually and within the aggravated-robbery figure. | |||
| Theft from vehicle | 13 | 23 | -10 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 10 | 14 | -4 |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 6 | +3 |
| Common robbery | 5 | 10 | -5 |
| Rape | 5 | 11 | -6 |
| Business burglary | 3 | 12 | -9 |
| Contact sexual offences | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Murder | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Public violence | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Sexual assault | 2 | 7 | -5 |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Attempted murder | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Culpable homicide | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Vehicle theft | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Abduction | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kidnapping | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in West Coast
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Darling on the national crime map
View this precinct's boundary in context, with a year-by-year timeline back to 2013/14 and every other Western Cape precinct around it.
Open Darling on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Darling
The Darling SAPS precinct recorded 893 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Drug-related crime (235), Common assault (133), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (115). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Darling SAPS precinct recorded 893 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — up 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 2 murders were reported. It sits in the "Low" crime-volume tier for Western Cape precincts. SafeSuburb presents SAPS figures as published — we do not rate precincts safe or unsafe. SAPS reports crime at precinct level, not per suburb, so every suburb in this precinct shares the same data.
The Darling SAPS precinct reported 893 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is up 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Darling SAPS precinct has increased 11.6% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 893 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Darling SAPS precinct is Drug-related crime.
The Darling SAPS precinct covers: Darling. All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level, not per suburb.
Check another area
Data Sources & Notes
- Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics
- SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Crime reporting rates vary by area. How much crime goes unreported? →
- This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
- Full methodology →