St Ives (Huntingdonshire) Crime Rate July 2024 | Monthly Statistics

For a town of 16,924 residents, St Ives recorded 131 crimes in July 2024, translating to 7.7 crimes per 1,000 people — 8.3% below the UK average of 8.4. This rate reflects a combination of local factors, including the area's seasonal rhythms and demographic composition. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 41.2% of all reported crimes, with 54 incidents recorded, while anti-social behaviour followed closely at 24.4% (32 cases). These figures are consistent with patterns observed in small built-up areas with a mix of residential and commercial activity. The summer months often see spikes in public disorder due to increased foot traffic from tourism and local festivals, which may contribute to the elevated levels of violence and anti-social behaviour. Conversely, property crimes such as burglary and vehicle crime were lower than UK averages, likely due to the town’s compact size and potentially stronger community policing efforts. The overall crime rate remains relatively stable compared to larger urban centres, but the concentration of violent crimes highlights the need for targeted interventions during peak seasonal periods.

July 2024 saw dramatic shifts in specific crime categories, with shoplifting surging by 450% (from 2 to 11 incidents) — a stark contrast to the UK average of 0.7 per 1,000. This increase may be linked to the town’s summer festivals and tourist activity, which typically draw larger crowds to retail areas. Drug-related offences also rose sharply, jumping 250% (from 2 to 7 cases), a figure 82% above the UK average. This could reflect heightened social interactions during the summer months or challenges in monitoring illicit activity in transient populations. Burglary fell by 75% (from 4 to 1 case), the most significant decrease of any category, due to increased visibility of properties during the day or improved security measures. Vehicle crime also rose by 200% (from 1 to 3 cases), though it remained 57% below the UK average. These fluctuations underscore the dynamic nature of crime in small towns, where local events and seasonal trends can drive sharp variations in specific offence types.

The crime rate in July 2024 (7.7 per 1,000) marked a 14.8% increase from June’s 6.7 per 1,000, a rise that may be attributed to the town’s summer tourism season. Locally, this translates to roughly 4 crimes reported each day — a figure that, while modest, reflects the concentrated nature of incidents in a built-up area. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for every 129 residents, a monthly exposure rate that is lower than the UK average when scaled to population size. This suggests that, despite the rise in violent crimes, the town’s overall crime burden remains relatively light compared to larger urban centres. The daily crime count, however, provides a tangible measure for residents: in a town of 17,000 people, four crimes per day equate to one incident every 1.5 days — a statistic that highlights the importance of community vigilance during peak activity periods. The contrast between the UK average and local figures underscores the value of contextualising crime data to the specific characteristics of St Ives, where demographic and geographic factors shape the crime profile differently than in more densely populated regions.