Ely Crime Overview
Ely is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Cambridgeshire, and is the 55th most dangerous overall out of Cambridgeshire's 265 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ely in 2020 was 59 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Cambridgeshire's overall crime rate, coming in 21% lower than the Cambridgeshire rate of 71 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ely is the 327th most dangerous small town, and the 2,160th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Ely was the worst small town in Cambridgeshire for burglary, with 12 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.55 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2020 was also a bad month for Ely residents, when it was Cambridgeshire's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.14 per 1,000 residents. Ely recorded 2 reports of bicycle theft during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.09 the worst small town for bicycle theft in Cambridgeshire that month.
The most common crimes in Ely are violence and sexual offences, with 461 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 21. This is 16% higher than 2019's figure of 388 offences and a difference of 3.38 from 2019's crime rate of 18. Ely's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 9 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 33% from 2019's figure of 12 crimes.
Compare Ely to other towns and cities
See how Ely shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Ely and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Ely Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Ely This Year
| Ely | Cambridgeshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 357 | 16.49 | 15,574 | 18.21 | 10% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 56 | 2.59 | 3,077 | 3.60 | 39% safer |
| Burglary | 85 | 3.93 | 3,817 | 4.46 | 13% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 126 | 5.82 | 6,970 | 8.15 | 40% safer |
| Drugs | 37 | 1.71 | 2,021 | 2.36 | 38% safer |
| Other Crime | 27 | 1.25 | 1,414 | 1.65 | 32% safer |
| Other Theft | 122 | 5.64 | 4,815 | 5.63 | 0.18% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 9 | 0.42 | 615 | 0.72 | 71% safer |
| Public Order | 143 | 6.61 | 6,032 | 7.05 | 7% safer |
| Robbery | 12 | 0.55 | 541 | 0.63 | 15% safer |
| Shoplifting | 80 | 3.70 | 2,652 | 3.10 | 16% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 30 | 1.39 | 524 | 0.61 | 56% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 94 | 4.34 | 4,244 | 4.96 | 14% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 461 | 21.30 | 24,340 | 28.45 | 34% safer |
Crime in Ely Compared To Cambridgeshire
Ely Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambourne | 544 | 51.87 | 14% safer |
| Whittlesey | 913 | 54.39 | 9% safer |
| Bretton | 736 | 56.67 | 4.5% safer |
| Orton Waterville | 576 | 56.72 | 4.4% safer |
| Chatteris | 641 | 57.48 | 3.0% safer |
| Ely | 1,282 | 59.23 | - |
| St. Ives | 1,045 | 61.41 | 3.5% more dangerous |
| Soham | 807 | 61.70 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Ramsey | 504 | 61.87 | 4.3% more dangerous |
| Littleport | 735 | 74.33 | 20% more dangerous |
| March | 1,755 | 76.12 | 22% more dangerous |
Ely Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 22 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 6 | 6 | 4.2 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.0 | 0.74 | 1.2 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.74 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.55 | 0.42 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 7 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.23 | 0.55 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 8 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 0.92 | 1.7 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Vehicle Crime | 2.4 | 5 | 3.5 | 4.3 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 13 | 15 | 18 | 21 | Getting worse |
Changes In Ely's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Ely to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Ely | 59.23 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 13% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 29% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 31% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 31% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 39% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 42% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 45% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 55% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 57% more dangerous |
Crime in Ely's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Ely | 518 | 42 | Second |
| South Ely | 764 | 82 | First |
Crime in Ely During Coronavirus Lockdowns
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% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ely
What police force serves Ely?
Ely's local territorial police force is the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Ely?
Ely is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Cambridgeshire.What is Ely's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Ely are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Ely?
Ely's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021