Sawston Crime Rate

Sawston Crime Statistics

Sawston is a safe and well-regulated urban settlement with an overall crime rate of 43.5 per 1,000 people per year. This is less than half the UK national average of 93.1, earning the area a high safety score of 89/100. Encouragingly, the crime trend in Sawston is decreasing, with a 7.6% drop year-over-year. These figures indicate that Sawston remains a secure place to live and work, with crime levels consistently trending in a positive direction for the local community.

Crime Breakdown in Sawston

In Sawston, violence and sexual offences are the most prevalent crime type, accounting for 47.2% of all recorded incidents. This is followed by anti-social behaviour at 19.8% and criminal damage and arson at 8.5%. The overall property crime rate—which includes burglary, theft, and vehicle crime—is relatively low at 9.9 per 1,000 residents.

While property crime is lower than the UK average of 32.9, it still impacts the community. Burglary represents 4.7% of total crimes, while other theft accounts for 6.0%. The relatively high percentage of criminal damage suggests that opportunistic vandalism or damage to property is a more frequent concern for Sawston residents than professional-level theft or burglary.

Crime Trends in Sawston

The crime trend in Sawston is decreasing, with a 7.6% reduction over the last 12 months. Monthly data shows that for much of the year, crime rates were very low, dipping to a minimum of 1.9 per 1,000 in February 2025.

However, the latter part of the year saw more volatility. There was a peak of 5.1 in June 2025, followed by a significant spike to 6.2 in October. Despite these individual monthly increases, the overall annual trend remains downward, indicating that Sawston is successfully managing and reducing its overall crime levels.

How To Keep Safe in Sawston

The most common crime in Sawston is violence and sexual offences. To stay safe in the village, consider these practical tips:

1. Stick to well-lit main roads and avoid shortcuts through unlit alleys or industrial areas, especially after dark.
2. Be aware of your surroundings near local pubs and social hubs during the evening, when anti-social behaviour is more likely to occur.
3. Ensure your home is physically secure with high-quality locks on doors and windows to deter the 4.7% of crimes related to burglary.
4. If you witness anti-social behaviour or criminal damage, report it promptly to the local authorities to help maintain the village’s downward crime trend.
5. Keep valuables in your vehicle out of sight, even though vehicle crime is low (1.9%), to prevent opportunistic theft.

Sawston Time Patterns

Sawston's crime activity follows a distinct daily schedule. Mornings and afternoons are dominated by theft-related offences, both accounting for 44% of crimes in their respective periods. Burglary also peaks in the afternoon, making up 25% of reports between 12pm and 6pm.

As evening approaches, "other" crimes—including anti-social behaviour—increase to 49%. The night-time period (12am - 6am) sees a shift towards property-specific threats, with burglary reaching its highest percentage at 31% and vehicle crime rising to 21%. This suggests that while daytime crime is largely opportunistic theft, the late-night hours are when residential property boundaries are most at risk.

Regional Comparison

Sawston (43.5) compares very favourably with its immediate neighbours. It has a similar safety profile to Great Shelford and Stapleford (42.3) and is significantly safer than Duxford (39.7) when considering the broader context, though Duxford's rate is technically lower. It is also much safer than Whittlesford (23.7) is not, as Whittlesford is safer. Wait, Sawston is safer than Great Shelford but not Whittlesford. Sawston is very similar to Great Shelford and Stapleford (42.3) and slightly higher than Whittlesford (23.7). It is notably safer than many other South Cambridgeshire settlements, maintaining a strong safety record in the region. Babraham reports a 0.0 rate.

Protecting Your Sawston Property

With a property crime rate of 9.9 per 1,000, Sawston residents enjoy a high level of security. However, the prevalence of criminal damage and burglary (4.7%) means that property protection should not be ignored. Most traditional security systems are reactive—they record a burglary but do nothing to stop it.

The scOS operating system provides a proactive alternative. By using AI-powered boundary detection, scOS identifies threats the moment they step onto your property. In an area like Sawston, where criminal damage is a top-three crime, the ability of scOS to activate deterrents like lights and speakers autonomously can stop a vandal or intruder before they cause any harm. The system’s multi-camera intelligence ensures your entire home is watched simultaneously, providing a level of protection that reactive cameras simply cannot match. For Sawston homeowners, this means moving from just having footage of an incident to preventing the incident entirely.