Crime in Ely
Recorded crime in Ely is 1.1 times the East Cambridgeshire average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has risen 9%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 3 km of the centre of Ely: about 19,997 residents in 16 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 5.2/10Fair
- 5-year change
- +9%more crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the East Cambridgeshire average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Ely.
Crime over 5 years
Up 9% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Ely, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the East Cambridgeshire average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 54 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 61% of the harm here
- Burglary: 19% of the harm here
- Other theft: 6% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 61% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 16 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in East Cambridgeshire (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole East Cambridgeshire council area, not only Ely. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 115 | 1.2 | Up 83% |
| Cars broken into | 119 | 1.3 | Up 8% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 235 | 2.5 | Down 11% |
| Burglary of homes | 124 | 1.3 | Up 29% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in CB7
In CB7, the postcode district at the centre of Ely, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 722 | 4% | 6% | 69% | 15% | 6% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 176 | 4% | 7% | 27% | 57% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 171 | 15% | 6% | 10% | 65% | 3% |
| Other theft | 146 | 1% | 1% | 27% | 64% | 8% |
| Public order | 108 | 7% | 3% | 49% | 32% | 8% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 92 | 8% | 0% | 16% | 76% | 0% |
| Burglary | 71 | 7% | 1% | 18% | 72% | 1% |
| Other crime | 53 | 15% | 8% | 55% | 15% | 8% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 6% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 3.8 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 19.6 |
| Drugs | 1.2 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.2 |
| Other theft | 5.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.9 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 3.5 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.6 |
| Public order | 5.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.4 |
| Shoplifting | 4.9 |
Postcode districts in Ely
Nearby towns
Council: East Cambridgeshire
Questions about crime in Ely
- Is Ely a safe place to live?
- Ely scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the East Cambridgeshire average.
- Is crime going up or down in Ely?
- Up 9% over 5 years, from 1,026 recorded crimes a year to 1,119.
- What is the most common crime in Ely?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 20 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Ely compare with East Cambridgeshire?
- Crime severity in Ely is 1.1 times the East Cambridgeshire average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Ely?
- In CB7, the postcode district at the centre of Ely, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 37% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Ely?
- Of 71 burglaries reported in CB7, the postcode district at the centre of Ely between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 72% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Ely?
- In East Cambridgeshire, the council area Ely is in, the police recorded 115 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.2 per 1,000 residents, up 83% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Ely?
- 235 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in East Cambridgeshire, the council area Ely is in, 2.5 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Ely last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in East Cambridgeshire, the council area Ely is in, against 0 the year before.