South Cambridgeshire Crime Rate September 2024 | Monthly Statistics

South Cambridgeshire recorded a crime rate of 4.4 per 1,000 residents in September 2024, placing it 42.9% below the UK average of 7.7 per 1,000. This continued trend of lower-than-average crime reflects the area’s character as a mix of rural and suburban communities with strong local policing and community engagement initiatives. The most prevalent crime types were violence and sexual offences (33.9% of total crimes), followed by anti-social behaviour (21.5%) and criminal damage and arson (8.4%). These patterns align with seasonal factors, as September marks the return of students to local universities and the start of the academic year, which may contribute to increased public order incidents. The relatively low rate of property crimes—particularly vehicle crime (0.3 per 1,000) and shoplifting (0.3 per 1,000)—suggests effective local measures in retail and transport sectors. However, the seasonal context of shorter evenings and back-to-school activities may influence crime patterns, particularly in areas with high student populations. The area’s overall safety, combined with its lower-than-average violent crime rate, indicates a community that may benefit from targeted interventions in public order management and youth engagement during transition periods.

September 2024 saw a 6.7% monthly decrease in South Cambridgeshire’s overall crime rate, from 4.7 to 4.4 per 1,000 residents. Public order offences surged by 46.9% (32 to 47), potentially linked to the influx of university students and the start of the academic term. Vehicle crime also increased by 14.3% (49 to 56), which may reflect heightened traffic in residential areas during the transition from summer to autumn. Conversely, shoplifting fell by 27.7% (65 to 47), due to seasonal retail strategies or increased security measures. Drug-related offences dropped sharply by 57.1% (14 to 6), indicating a possible reduction in illicit activity or improved enforcement. The area’s violent crime rate (1.5 per 1,000) remained 43% below the UK average, highlighting its relative safety compared to other parts of the country. These shifts underscore the dynamic nature of local crime patterns, with seasonal and demographic factors playing a significant role in shaping monthly trends.

South Cambridgeshire’s September 2024 crime rate of 4.4 per 1,000 residents marked a 6.7% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 4.7, reflecting a consistent downward trend in local crime. On a daily basis, the area recorded an average of 25 crimes per day, a figure that contextualises the scale of incidents within the community’s daily life. Over the course of the month, one reported crime occurred for every 230 residents, illustrating the relatively low frequency of crime in a population of 172,544. This monthly exposure rate is significantly lower than the UK average, which aligns with the area’s status as a low-crime region. The reduction in overall crime, combined with the area’s performance in key categories such as violence and sexual offences (43% below UK average) and anti-social behaviour (23% below UK average), positions South Cambridgeshire as a safer environment compared to national benchmarks. These figures, when viewed alongside the population-scaled perspective, suggest that residents experience crime at a much lower frequency than those in more densely populated or high-crime regions of the UK.