Cambridge Crime Rate January 2025 | Monthly Statistics

Cambridge's January 2025 crime rate of 9.0 per 1,000 residents places it 26.8% above the UK average of 7.1 per 1,000, a discrepancy that underscores the city's unique challenges in maintaining public safety. The most prevalent crime type was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 25.8% of all incidents (345 cases), followed by shoplifting (18.7%, 250 cases) and anti-social behaviour (12.8%, 171 cases). This distribution contrasts sharply with the UK average for violence and sexual offences, which sits at 2.5 per 1,000—Cambridge's rate of 2.3 per 1,000 is 8% below, suggesting a nuanced balance between local factors and national trends. The surge in shoplifting, however, is striking: Cambridge's rate of 1.7 per 1,000 is 174% above the UK's 0.6 per 1,000, a figure that may be partly explained by the city's retail presence and the transient nature of its student population. Meanwhile, bicycle theft—0.7 per 1,000—far exceeds the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000 by 1300%, a statistic that likely reflects the city's heavy reliance on cycling infrastructure and the vulnerability of bikes in densely populated areas. These patterns align with January's seasonal context: a post-holiday period marked by shorter days and reduced retail activity, which may have shifted criminal focus toward easier targets like unsecured bicycles and high-traffic retail zones.

January 2025 saw a notable 38.8% increase in bicycle theft, rising from 80 to 111 incidents—a stark departure from the UK average of 0.1 per 1,000, which Cambridge's rate of 0.7 per 1,000 eclipses by 1300%. This spike may be linked to the city's high concentration of university students, who frequently rely on bicycles for transport. Conversely, theft from the person plummeted by 64.7%, from 34 to 12 incidents, a reduction that could reflect heightened awareness or improved security measures during the post-holiday period. The breakdown of crime types also reveals a 174% increase in shoplifting compared to the UK average, with 250 incidents recorded—a figure that suggests retail areas may require targeted interventions. These shifts highlight the combination of seasonal factors, local demographics, and crime patterns, offering valuable insights for community safety planning.

Cambridge's January 2025 crime rate of 9.0 per 1,000 residents marks a 4.5% increase from December 2024's 8.6, reflecting a continued upward trend. On a daily basis, the area recorded approximately 43 crimes per day, a figure that, while local to Cambridge, underscores the persistent presence of criminal activity in the district. When scaled to the population of 149,352 residents, this translates to one reported crime occurring for roughly every 111 residents over the course of the month—a statistic that, while contextually significant, does not directly compare to UK-wide figures as no equivalent national data is available. The shift from December to January also aligns with seasonal patterns typical of the post-holiday period, where reduced retail footfall and shorter daylight hours may influence crime dynamics. However, the local population's density and the area's status as a major academic and commuter hub likely play a more direct role in shaping these statistics.