Crime in Peterborough
Recorded crime in Peterborough is 1.3 times the Peterborough council average and 1.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 5%. 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 Peterborough: about 92,145 residents in 63 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 2/10High crime
- Living
- 7.3/10Good
- 5-year change
- −5%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.3×the Peterborough council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 3 km of the centre of Peterborough.
Crime over 5 years
Down 5% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 3 km of Peterborough, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.3× the Peterborough council average (1.6× the England and Wales average). 128 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 62% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 8% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 62% 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: 29 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Peterborough (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Peterborough council area, not only the city of Peterborough. 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 | 469 | 2.1 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 623 | 2.8 | Down 20% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,411 | 6.3 | Down 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 464 | 2.1 | Up 27% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 4 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in PE1
In PE1, the postcode district at the centre of Peterborough, 10% 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) | 4,115 | 7% | 5% | 67% | 16% | 5% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 849 | 8% | 4% | 32% | 53% | 3% |
| Public order | 791 | 15% | 3% | 51% | 26% | 5% |
| Shoplifting | 740 | 26% | 2% | 21% | 50% | 1% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 671 | 4% | 0% | 12% | 82% | 2% |
| Other theft | 605 | 2% | 1% | 26% | 69% | 2% |
| Drugs | 360 | 23% | 29% | 32% | 7% | 9% |
| Burglary | 319 | 17% | 0% | 18% | 61% | 3% |
| Other crime | 305 | 11% | 8% | 54% | 19% | 8% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 215 | 24% | 11% | 49% | 10% | 7% |
| Bicycle theft | 160 | 3% | 0% | 11% | 86% | 0% |
| Robbery | 157 | 13% | 1% | 46% | 38% | 3% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 137 | 1% | 1% | 29% | 69% | 0% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% 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 | 2.0 |
| Burglary | 6.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.8 |
| Drugs | 4.7 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 2.0 |
| Other crime | 3.5 |
| Other theft | 10.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 1.8 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 10.0 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 12.9 |
| Public order | 11.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 4.1 |
| Shoplifting | 8.6 |
Postcode districts in Peterborough
Nearby towns
Council: Peterborough
Questions about crime in Peterborough
- Is Peterborough a safe place to live?
- Peterborough scores 2 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.3 times the Peterborough council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Peterborough?
- Down 5% over 5 years, from 12,759 recorded crimes a year to 12,178.
- What is the most common crime in Peterborough?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 51 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Peterborough compare with Peterborough council?
- Crime severity in Peterborough is 1.3 times the Peterborough council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Peterborough?
- In PE1, the postcode district at the centre of Peterborough, 10% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 34% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Peterborough?
- Of 319 burglaries reported in PE1, the postcode district at the centre of Peterborough between September 2024 and August 2025, 17% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 61% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Peterborough?
- In the Peterborough council area, the police recorded 469 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 2.1 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Peterborough?
- 1,411 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Peterborough council area, 6.3 per 1,000 residents, 1.3 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Peterborough last year?
- 4 homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in the Peterborough council area, against 4 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.