Cambridge Crime Rate October 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Cambridge’s crime profile in October 2024 reveals a distinct balance of crime types that reflects both local characteristics and seasonal influences. The overall crime rate of 7.5 per 1,000 residents, 7.4% below the UK average, underscores the area’s generally lower-than-average exposure to crime. The most prevalent category was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 28% of all incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour (16.2%) and shoplifting (14.5%). This distribution highlights the dual pressures of a university city—where interpersonal conflict and public disorder can be more common—and a retail hub, where shoplifting remains a persistent challenge. The sharp contrast between Cambridge’s bicycle theft rate (0.4 per 1,000) and the UK average (0.1 per 1,000) illustrates the unique impact of student populations and cycling infrastructure, which may contribute to higher rates of such offences. Seasonal factors also played a role, with October’s darker evenings and Halloween likely influencing spikes in anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. Meanwhile, the relatively low rates of burglary (0.2 per 1,000) and vehicle crime (0.1 per 1,000) suggest that Cambridge’s built-up area benefits from a combination of urban design, surveillance, and community policing that deters certain types of crime. These patterns collectively illustrate a city where crime is shaped by its academic, commercial, and social ecosystems, with both challenges and strengths emerging in specific categories.

October 2024 saw a 70.4% increase in drug-related crimes, rising from 27 to 46, a shift that may reflect seasonal patterns or changes in local activity. Anti-social behaviour also climbed by 26%, with incidents rising from 181 to 228, potentially linked to Halloween and darker evenings. Conversely, vehicle crime fell by 69.7%, from 89 to 27, a stark decline that could indicate improved security measures or reduced opportunities for such offences. Bicycle theft remained a striking outlier, with rates 400% above the UK average at 0.4 per 1,000, a figure that may be partly explained by Cambridge’s dense student population and high bicycle usage. Theft from the person increased by 50%, from 26 to 39, a rise that could be connected to seasonal foot traffic or retail activity. These shifts highlight a combination of local dynamics and broader trends, with some categories moving sharply against the UK average while others align more closely.

Cambridge's crime rate in October 2024 stood at 7.5 per 1,000 residents, a 2.1% decrease from the previous month's 7.7 per 1,000. This decline aligns with a broader trend of reduced vehicle crime, which dropped by 69.7% compared to September, potentially reflecting seasonal shifts in activity or changes in enforcement patterns. On a daily basis, 46 crimes were reported each day in October, a figure that contextualises the pace of incidents within the built-up area. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for roughly every 133 residents, a monthly exposure rate that underscores the relatively low frequency of crime in relation to the population. When scaled to the city’s 187,642 residents, this suggests that most residents are unlikely to experience a crime directly, though specific areas or crime types may deviate from this average. The population context also highlights that Cambridge’s crime profile remains distinct from the UK average, with certain categories—such as bicycle theft—showing marked disparities that warrant closer examination.