Ely Crime Overview
Ely is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in South Glamorgan, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of South Glamorgan's 60 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Ely in 2020 was 48 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to South Glamorgan's overall crime rate, coming in 76% lower than the South Glamorgan rate of 84 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Ely is the 375th safest small town, and the 3,289th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Ely was the worst small town in South Glamorgan for violence and sexual offences, with 38 crimes reported and a crime rate of 2.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2019 was also a bad month for Ely residents, when it was South Glamorgan's most dangerous small town for robbery, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents. Ely recorded 10 reports of burglary during January 2019, making its crime rate of 0.66 the worst small town for burglary in South Glamorgan that month.
The most common crimes in Ely are violence and sexual offences, with 357 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 24. This is 3.9% higher than 2019's figure of 343 offences and a difference of 0.92 from 2019's crime rate of 23. Ely's least common crime is robbery, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 150% from 2019's figure of 5 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 | South Glamorgan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 330 | 21.79 | 19,617 | 39.21 | 80% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 0.40 | 1,163 | 2.32 | 480% safer |
| Burglary | 17 | 1.12 | 2,322 | 4.64 | 314% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 89 | 5.88 | 4,612 | 9.22 | 57% safer |
| Drugs | 27 | 1.78 | 2,264 | 4.53 | 154% safer |
| Other Crime | 15 | 0.99 | 783 | 1.57 | 59% safer |
| Other Theft | 45 | 2.97 | 3,311 | 6.62 | 123% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 4 | 0.26 | 321 | 0.64 | 146% safer |
| Public Order | 123 | 8.12 | 5,203 | 10.40 | 28% safer |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.13 | 284 | 0.57 | 338% safer |
| Shoplifting | 13 | 0.86 | 3,387 | 6.77 | 687% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.26 | 516 | 1.03 | 296% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 24 | 1.58 | 3,507 | 7.01 | 344% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 357 | 23.57 | 14,556 | 29.10 | 23% safer |
Crime in Ely Compared To South Glamorgan
Ely Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | 601 | 39.46 | 21% safer |
| Llandaff North | 349 | 40.17 | 19% safer |
| Pentwyn | 681 | 42.77 | 12% safer |
| Splott | 625 | 45.76 | 4.8% safer |
| Penarth | 1,090 | 46.91 | 2.2% safer |
| Ely | 726 | 47.94 | - |
| Llanrumney | 578 | 49.36 | 2.9% more dangerous |
| Trowbridge | 858 | 50.54 | 5% more dangerous |
| Fairwater | 672 | 51.40 | 7% more dangerous |
| Grangetown | 1,230 | 55.50 | 14% more dangerous |
| Riverside | 844 | 59.87 | 20% more dangerous |
Ely Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24 | 18 | 12 | 22 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.20 | 0.40 | Safer |
| Burglary | 3.3 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 0.99 | 1.1 | 0.99 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.46 | 0.13 | 0.20 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Public Order | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.33 | 0.07 | 0.33 | 0.13 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.86 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.26 | 0.33 | 0.40 | 0.26 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 19 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 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 | 47.94 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 29% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 38% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 42% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 44% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 44% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 51% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 53% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 55% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 64% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 65% more dangerous |
Crime in Ely's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely East | 869 | 112 | First |
| Ely West | 522 | 85 | Second |
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 October, when Ely saw a 300% increase in vehicle crime. Ely saw a large fall in other theft during May, when it fell by 82% compared to May in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -56% | +213% | +282% | +100% | +38% | - | +150% | +163% | +60% | +60% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -75% | -67% | -25% | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | +200% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | - | -67% | +40% | +117% | +40% | +120% | -38% | -44% | +40% | +14% |
| Drugs | - | - | +67% | - | +50% | +100% | -50% | -50% | +33% | - |
| Other Crime | - | - | - | -33% | +100% | - | +100% | -75% | - | -50% |
| Other Theft | - | -63% | -82% | -33% | -14% | -50% | -40% | -50% | +50% | +20% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | +29% | +40% | +160% | -40% | -13% | +75% | +57% | +133% | +100% | +43% |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | -75% | - | -80% | -50% | -80% | -50% | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | - | +100% | - | - | - | -67% | - | +300% | -33% | - |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +12% | -30% | -36% | +22% | - | +42% | +30% | -4% | +28% | +58% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ely
What police force serves Ely?
Ely's local territorial police force is the South Wales Police.How dangerous is Ely?
Ely is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in South Glamorgan.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 crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021