Cambridge Crime Rate December 2023 | Monthly Statistics

Cambridge’s December 2023 crime rate of 8.9 per 1,000 residents placed it 23.6% above the UK average, a figure that underscores the city’s unique position as a university town with a combination of transient and permanent populations. The breakdown of crimes revealed a clear dominance of property-related offences, which accounted for 46.6% of the total (620 incidents), compared to 29.0% for violent crimes. This imbalance may be partly explained by the city’s retail presence, particularly in the historic centre, where shoplifting (173 incidents) and anti-social behaviour (146 incidents) formed the two most common categories. The UK average for shoplifting stands at 0.5 per 1,000, but Cambridge’s rate of 1.2 per 1,000 highlights the challenges faced by local businesses during the Christmas shopping season. Seasonal factors also played a role: the month’s dark evenings, empty homes over the holidays, and the peak of festive consumer activity likely contributed to the sharp rise in criminal damage and arson (114 incidents), which was 43% above the UK average. While violent crime rates, particularly for violence and sexual offences (385 incidents), were slightly below the UK average (2.6 per 1,000), the proportion of violent crimes in the total tally remains a concern for local authorities. This pattern may reflect the city’s demographic mix, where the presence of students and a relatively young population could influence both property and violent crime trends. Cambridge’s data also highlights the disproportionate impact of certain crimes: bicycle theft, for instance, was 567% above the UK average at 0.4 per 1,000, a statistic that aligns with the city’s status as a major cycling hub. These findings suggest that while Cambridge’s crime rate is higher than the national average, the nature of its crime reflects the specific characteristics of a university city, where academic cycles, retail activity, and seasonal changes all contribute to the local crime profile.

December 2023 saw significant shifts in Cambridge’s crime mix, with property crimes (620) outpacing violent crimes (385), a trend that may reflect the city’s retail and academic landscape. Among the most notable changes was a 55.0% drop in bicycle theft, likely linked to holiday-related reductions in cycling or increased security measures. Conversely, criminal damage and arson surged by 40.7%, a rise that could be attributed to festive decorations or increased alcohol-related incidents during the season. Other crime also rose sharply by 58.8%, tied to the proliferation of temporary events or gatherings in the area. Meanwhile, shoplifting remained 145% above the UK average at 1.2 per 1,000, highlighting the persistent challenge faced by retail outlets in the city centre, a hub for both students and tourists.

Cambridge's December 2023 crime rate of 8.9 per 1,000 residents marked a 6.7% decrease from the previous month’s 9.6 per 1,000, reflecting a slight but notable shift in local crime dynamics. This monthly decline aligns with seasonal patterns typical of December, when holiday-related activities may temporarily reduce certain types of crime. On a daily basis, the city recorded an average of 43 crimes per day, a figure that contextualises the pace at which incidents occur in a densely populated academic and commercial hub. Over the course of the month, 1 in every 112 residents experienced a reported crime, a metric that provides a tangible sense of the monthly exposure for Cambridge’s population. This rate, while higher than the UK average, remains consistent with the city’s profile as a university town with a mix of transient and long-term residents, where crime patterns are shaped by both academic cycles and seasonal fluctuations.