South Cambridgeshire Crime Rate October 2023 | Monthly Statistics

South Cambridgeshire's crime rate in October 2023 stood at 5.0 per 1,000 residents, placing it 37.5% below the UK average of 8.0 per 1,000. This figure underscores the area's consistently lower crime profile compared to national trends, a pattern observed across multiple categories. Violence and sexual offences constituted the largest single category (32.4% of total crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (14.4%) and vehicle crime (11.4%). These figures align with the district's character as a largely rural and suburban area with a strong emphasis on community policing and low population density. The seasonal context of October—marked by darker evenings, the clocks going back, and the approach of Halloween—may have influenced patterns of anti-social behaviour and vehicle-related incidents, though the overall rate remains well below the UK average. Property crimes accounted for 41.7% of all reported incidents, reflecting the persistent challenge of burglary and vehicle crime in residential areas. The comparatively low rates of theft from the person (0.1 per 1,000) and shoplifting (0.1 per 1,000) suggest that the area's retail and public spaces are generally secure, possibly due to effective local policing strategies and the absence of high-density urban environments that often drive such crimes. This month's data reinforces South Cambridgeshire's position as a safer-than-average region, though the rise in burglary and vehicle crime highlights specific vulnerabilities that require targeted attention.

October 2023 saw significant fluctuations in specific crime categories. Burglary increased by 102.8% compared to the previous month, rising from 36 to 73 incidents—a sharp jump that may be linked to seasonal factors such as increased home occupancy during the autumn period. Vehicle crime also rose by 30.7%, likely influenced by the transition to darker evenings, which may deter natural surveillance and create opportunities for opportunistic theft. Conversely, theft from the person fell by 66.7% (from 3 to 1), a decline consistent with the area's low rates of such crimes and the absence of high-footfall tourist or nightlife areas. Anti-social behaviour, though still below the UK average, decreased by 23.0% (74 to 57), reflecting the impact of local community initiatives or increased enforcement during the month. The UK average for vehicle crime (0.5 per 1,000) was exceeded by South Cambridgeshire's rate (0.6 per 1,000), indicating a specific challenge in this category. Meanwhile, drug-related offences rose by 50.0%, suggesting a potential shift in local patterns that warrants further monitoring. These changes highlight the dynamic nature of crime trends, even in areas with generally low overall rates.

In October 2023, South Cambridgeshire's crime rate rose by 9.2% compared to the previous month, moving from 4.6 to 5.0 per 1,000 residents. This increase, while notable, still leaves the area significantly below the UK average. On a daily basis, the district experienced approximately 28 crimes per day, a figure that translates to a local monthly exposure of one reported crime for every 200 residents. This ratio provides a tangible sense of the scale of criminal activity relative to the population: for a typical household of four, the likelihood of experiencing a crime in October was roughly 1 in 500. The rise in burglary and vehicle crime contrasts with the UK's broader trends, where these categories are generally more stable. However, the area's performance in categories like violence and sexual offences (1.6 per 1,000, 41% below the UK average) and anti-social behaviour (0.7 per 1,000, 45% below the UK average) demonstrates the effectiveness of local policing and community engagement strategies. The population-scaled perspective—highlighting that the district's crime rate is nearly half the national average—reinforces its status as a relatively safe area, despite the month-on-month increases in specific categories. These comparisons offer residents a clear benchmark for understanding their local crime environment in the context of national trends.