Burwell Crime Rate

Burwell stands out as an exceptionally safe and peaceful community within East Cambridgeshire. With an overall crime rate of just 38.6 per 1,000 people, it is significantly more secure than the UK national average of 93.1. The village boasts an impressive safety score of 91/100, reflecting its status as a low-risk residential area. Crime trends in Burwell are currently stable, showing a minor year-over-year decrease of 0.4%, which indicates a consistently safe environment. Property crime is particularly low, recorded at just 10.8 per 1,000 residents, nearly a third of the national average. This data paints a picture of a secure, family-friendly village where criminal activity is the exception rather than the rule.

Crime in Burwell

Burwell is a remarkably safe village, with the vast majority of incidents falling under violence and sexual offences (40.4%) and anti-social behaviour (22.0%). While these percentages may seem high, they occur within a very low total crime volume. The third most common category is other theft, which accounts for 6.0% of reports.

Property crime in Burwell is exceptionally low, with a rate of 10.8 per 1,000 people, compared to the UK average of 32.9. This category includes burglary (5.6%), criminal damage and arson (6.0%), and vehicle crime (3.6%). For residents, this means the statistical likelihood of experiencing a break-in or theft is significantly lower than in most other parts of the country. However, the data shows that when property crimes do occur, they are often concentrated during specific times, such as night-time for vehicle crime and afternoons for burglary. Homeowners should maintain standard security protocols to preserve the area's high safety standards.

Burwell's crime trend is exceptionally stable, with a negligible change of -0.4% over the last year. Monthly data shows that for most of the year, the crime rate remains very low, typically between 2.0 and 3.7 per 1,000 people. There was a notable but brief spike in June 2025, where the rate reached 5.6, and another in October 2025 at 4.9. These minor fluctuations are common in small communities and do not indicate a long-term decline in safety. Overall, the consistent data confirms that Burwell remains a secure environment with no significant emerging threats or increases in criminal activity.

How To Keep Safe in Burwell

The most common crime type in Burwell is violence and sexual offences, which often involves personal disputes. Given the low-crime nature of the village, staying safe is largely about maintaining awareness and community vigilance.

1. When walking through the village at night, stick to the main, well-lit roads and avoid cut-throughs that are poorly illuminated.
2. Join or support the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme to stay informed about any unusual activity in the area.
3. Ensure that your home's exterior lighting is in good working order, particularly around entry points and driveways, to deter opportunistic night-time activity.
4. If you are away from home, use smart plugs to turn lights on and off, creating the appearance of occupancy during the peak afternoon burglary window.
5. Report any instances of anti-social behaviour to the local authorities to ensure that Burwell remains the peaceful and safe community it is known to be.

In Burwell, crime patterns are highly specific to the time of day. Morning and afternoon periods are dominated by theft-related offences, which account for 42% and 44% of incidents respectively. This suggests that opportunistic theft is more likely when the village is active and shops are open. As the evening approaches, 'other' crimes, including anti-social behaviour, become more prevalent (42%). However, the most critical shift occurs at night (12am - 6am), where vehicle crime (34%) and burglary (32%) reach their highest intensity. This indicates that while the village is very safe during the day, residential properties and cars are most vulnerable during the early hours when the streets are quiet.

In a regional context, Burwell is one of the safest significant settlements. Its crime rate of 38.6 per 1,000 is considerably lower than that of nearby Exning, which experiences a much higher rate of 105.2. It also compares favourably to Swaffham Prior, which has a rate of 48.6. While the very small hamlets of Landwade and Snailwell report zero crimes, Burwell offers the best balance of safety and village amenities for those looking to live in the area. For residents and prospective buyers, Burwell represents a high-security pocket within the Cambridgeshire countryside, offering a level of safety that is difficult to match in larger surrounding towns.

With an exceptionally low property crime rate of 10.8 per 1,000, Burwell is a very safe place to own a home. However, the data shows that when burglaries do occur, they are most frequent during the night (32%) and afternoon (29%). Traditional security systems like Ring or Nest are reactive; they record the person who broke into your home, but they don't stop them.

For Burwell residents who want to maintain their high safety standards, scOS offers a proactive alternative. scOS uses AI to monitor your property boundaries, identifying potential threats before they reach your door. By using multi-camera intelligence and autonomous responses—such as activating bright lights or audio warnings—scOS destroys the element of surprise that intruders rely on. Moving from reactive recording to proactive prevention ensures that your home remains secure, even during the peak night-time and afternoon risk periods identified in the local crime data.