Ely is among the top 5 safest small towns in Cambridgeshire, and is the 47th most dangerous overall out of Cambridgeshire's 262 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ely in 2021 was 59 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Cambridgeshire's overall crime rate, coming in 24% lower than the Cambridgeshire rate of 73 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ely is the 381st most dangerous small town, and the 2,338th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In September 2021, Ely was the worst small town in Cambridgeshire for bicycle theft, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.18 per 1,000 inhabitants. November 2021 was also a bad month for Ely residents, when it was Cambridgeshire's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 9 crimes at a rate of 0.42 per 1,000 residents. Ely recorded 6 reports of drugs during November 2021, making its crime rate of 0.28 the worst small town for drugs in Cambridgeshire that month.
The most common crimes in Ely are violence and sexual offences, with 450 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 2.4% lower than 2020's figure of 461 offences and a difference of 0.51 from 2020's crime rate of 21. Ely's least common crime is robbery, with 6 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 100% from 2020's figure of 12 crimes.
Top 5 Safest
Small Towns, Cambridgeshire
20% lower, regional crime rate
East of England
30% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Ely is 20% lower than the East of England and 30% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Ely | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Ely represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59 | 1,275 |
| 2020 | 59 | 1,282 |
| 2019 | 55 | 1,186 |
| 2018 | 52 | 1,129 |
| 2017 | 54 | 1,175 |
| 2016 | 43 | 921 |
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| Ely | Cambridgeshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 347 | 16.03 | 14,130 | 16.52 | 3.1% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 32 | 1.48 | 2,670 | 3.12 | 111% safer |
| Burglary | 86 | 3.97 | 2,960 | 3.46 | 13% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 117 | 5.41 | 6,502 | 7.60 | 40% safer |
| Drugs | 29 | 1.34 | 1,927 | 2.25 | 68% safer |
| Other Crime | 23 | 1.06 | 1,587 | 1.86 | 75% safer |
| Other Theft | 152 | 7.02 | 4,916 | 5.75 | 18% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.42 | 667 | 0.78 | 86% safer |
| Public Order | 154 | 7.11 | 6,992 | 8.17 | 15% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.28 | 589 | 0.69 | 146% safer |
| Shoplifting | 84 | 3.88 | 2,793 | 3.26 | 16% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 21 | 0.97 | 567 | 0.66 | 32% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 112 | 5.17 | 3,910 | 4.57 | 12% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 450 | 20.79 | 26,213 | 30.64 | 47% safer |
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soham | 598 | 45.72 | 29% safer |
| Whittlesey | 897 | 53.44 | 10% safer |
| Cambourne | 589 | 56.16 | 4.9% safer |
| Ely | 1,275 | 58.90 | - |
| Yaxley | 571 | 60.07 | 1.9% more dangerous |
| Ramsey | 497 | 61.01 | 3.5% more dangerous |
| St. Ives | 1,068 | 62.76 | 6% more dangerous |
| Chatteris | 735 | 65.91 | 11% more dangerous |
| Littleport | 662 | 66.95 | 12% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Witchford Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Nene Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near The Vineyards | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Little Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Burglary | On or near Old Bank | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Cresswells Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Merivale Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Wensum Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Witchford Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St Mary'S Street | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Merivale Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Stirling Way | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Public order | On or near Shopping Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Quayside | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near High Barns | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Bohemond Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Minster Place | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near High Barns | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Althorpe Court | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.74 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.32 | 0.55 | 0.42 | 0.42 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 3.6 | 4.1 | 7 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.18 | 0.23 | 0.55 | 0.28 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.92 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.97 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 18 | 21 | 21 | Getting worse |
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Ely | 58.90 | - |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 12% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 35% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 35% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 42% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 47% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 52% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 55% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 61% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Ely | 477 | 39 | Second |
| South Ely | 798 | 86 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Ely change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Ely saw a 1,200% increase in bicycle theft. Ely saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 91% compared to June in 2019. Other Theft saw a fall in every month of Ely's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -23% | -52% | +4% | +4% | -3% | +17% | +39% | +184% | +43% | +93% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | -67% | +150% | - | +133% | +29% | +300% | +1,200% | - |
| Burglary | - | - | -78% | -27% | +22% | +50% | +22% | -50% | +50% | -55% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +15% | -47% | - | -20% | +83% | -44% | -63% | +27% | +167% | +31% |
| Drugs | +200% | - | +300% | -33% | - | +50% | -50% | +200% | +50% | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | +33% | -25% | -50% | -50% | +400% | -50% | +50% | -50% |
| Other Theft | -56% | -42% | -54% | -32% | -8% | +150% | -59% | -8% | -46% | -14% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | -67% | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Public Order | +100% | - | +27% | +33% | +100% | +180% | +550% | -21% | +13% | +30% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | +100% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | +17% | +70% | -30% | -91% | +500% | -40% | -71% | +13% | +200% | -67% |
| Theft From the Person | +300% | -67% | -40% | +100% | -67% | +400% | -67% | -20% | -50% | -75% |
| Vehicle Crime | +100% | -67% | - | +150% | -43% | +188% | - | -86% | +33% | +100% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +18% | +50% | +26% | -11% | +39% | +48% | +80% | +17% | -17% | -33% |
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