Whittlesey Crime Overview
Whittlesey is among the top 5 safest small towns in Cambridgeshire, and is the 69th most dangerous overall out of Cambridgeshire's 265 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Whittlesey in 2020 was 54 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Cambridgeshire's overall crime rate, coming in 31% lower than the Cambridgeshire rate of 71 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Whittlesey is the 389th most dangerous small town, and the 2,579th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In June 2020, Whittlesey was the worst small town in Cambridgeshire for criminal damage and arson, with 14 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.83 per 1,000 inhabitants. October 2020 was also a bad month for Whittlesey residents, when it was Cambridgeshire's most dangerous small town for drugs, recording 5 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Whittlesey recorded 10 reports of vehicle crime during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.60 the worst small town for vehicle crime in Cambridgeshire that month.
The most common crimes in Whittlesey are violence and sexual offences, with 449 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 17% higher than 2019's figure of 372 offences and a difference of 4.59 from 2019's crime rate of 22. Whittlesey's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 3 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 33% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Whittlesey to other towns and cities
See how Whittlesey shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Whittlesey and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Whittlesey Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Whittlesey This Year
| Whittlesey | Cambridgeshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 257 | 15.31 | 15,574 | 18.21 | 19% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4 | 0.24 | 3,077 | 3.60 | 1400% safer |
| Burglary | 54 | 3.22 | 3,817 | 4.46 | 39% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 105 | 6.26 | 6,970 | 8.15 | 30% safer |
| Drugs | 21 | 1.25 | 2,021 | 2.36 | 89% safer |
| Other Crime | 30 | 1.79 | 1,414 | 1.65 | 8% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 70 | 4.17 | 4,815 | 5.63 | 35% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 3 | 0.18 | 615 | 0.72 | 300% safer |
| Public Order | 103 | 6.14 | 6,032 | 7.05 | 15% safer |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 0.83 | 2,652 | 3.10 | 273% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 5 | 0.30 | 524 | 0.61 | 103% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 55 | 3.28 | 4,244 | 4.96 | 51% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 449 | 26.75 | 24,340 | 28.45 | 6% safer |
Crime in Whittlesey Compared To Cambridgeshire
Whittlesey Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Hargate and Vale | 428 | 30.46 | 79% safer |
| Orton Longueville | 410 | 38.04 | 43% safer |
| Yaxley | 479 | 50.39 | 8% safer |
| Cambourne | 544 | 51.87 | 4.9% safer |
| Whittlesey | 913 | 54.39 | - |
| Bretton | 736 | 56.67 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Orton Waterville | 576 | 56.72 | 4.1% more dangerous |
| Chatteris | 641 | 57.48 | 5% more dangerous |
| Ely | 1,282 | 59.23 | 8% more dangerous |
| St. Ives | 1,045 | 61.41 | 11% more dangerous |
Whittlesey Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 20 | 10 | 13 | 15 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.77 | 1.1 | 0.60 | 0.24 | Safer |
| Burglary | 4.1 | 5 | 4.5 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 10 | 5 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.83 | 0.42 | 0.60 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.89 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.24 | 0.12 | 0.24 | 0.18 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.3 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.95 | 0.83 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.18 | 0.42 | 0.30 | 0.30 | No change |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 13 | 18 | 22 | 27 | Getting worse |
Changes In Whittlesey's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Whittlesey to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Whittlesey | 54.39 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 20% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 30% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 35% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 37% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 44% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 47% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 49% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 59% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 60% more dangerous |
Crime in Whittlesey's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coates, Benwick & Pondersbridge | 300 | 50 | Second |
| Whittlesey | 666 | 56 | First |
Crime in Whittlesey During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Whittlesey change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Whittlesey saw a 400% increase in drugs. Whittlesey saw a large fall in vehicle crime during April, when it fell by 89% compared to April in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -5% | +100% | +14% | +64% | +53% | -5% | +18% | +110% | -20% | - |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +75% | -60% | +40% | -75% | -67% | -17% | -33% | -50% | -33% | -33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +233% | -69% | +50% | +100% | +117% | +14% | -62% | - | -63% | +80% |
| Drugs | - | - | +100% | +200% | - | - | +200% | +400% | -50% | - |
| Other Crime | +150% | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | +100% | -75% | -50% |
| Other Theft | -43% | -60% | - | -50% | -13% | -14% | +200% | +20% | +25% | -38% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +25% | +50% | +325% | -60% | -10% | -21% | +140% | - | -29% | -40% |
| Shoplifting | - | - | +100% | -50% | - | +100% | -50% | - | - | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | +33% | -89% | -71% | - | +100% | -25% | - | -67% | +125% | +67% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +8% | +15% | +36% | +100% | +85% | +29% | -39% | -11% | +24% | -26% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Whittlesey
What police force serves Whittlesey?
Whittlesey's local territorial police force is the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.How dangerous is Whittlesey?
Whittlesey is among the top 5 safest small towns in Cambridgeshire.What is Whittlesey's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Whittlesey are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Whittlesey?
Whittlesey's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021