Crime in Peterborough: statistics, rates and trends
26,579 crimes were recorded in Peterborough in the 12 months to August 2026, 133.2 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Peterborough at a glance
- Crime trends in Peterborough
- Types of crime in Peterborough
- Peterborough compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Peterborough
- Streets with the most crime in Peterborough
- What happened after crimes were reported in Peterborough
- Demographics of Peterborough
- Questions about crime in Peterborough
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (9,965), anti-social behaviour (4,434) and shoplifting (2,159) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 115th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Peterborough | Peterborough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 26,579 | 28,159 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 133.2 | 125.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 199,485 | 223,655 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Peterborough peaked in the year to August 2023 (26,946 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (24,601). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 26,579 | 133.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 26,262 | 131.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 26,008 | 130.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 26,946 | 135.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 26,107 | 130.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 24,601 | 123.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 24,672 | 123.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 25,181 | 126.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 26,540 | 133.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,590 |
| July 2026 | 2,506 |
| June 2026 | 2,236 |
| May 2026 | 2,301 |
| April 2026 | 2,298 |
| March 2026 | 2,230 |
| February 2026 | 1,934 |
| January 2026 | 2,180 |
| December 2025 | 1,987 |
| November 2025 | 2,082 |
| October 2025 | 2,057 |
| September 2025 | 2,178 |
Compared with England and Wales, Peterborough recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.4 times the national rate), other crime (90% above the national rate) and bicycle theft (87% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (40% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 656 to 1,174 and burglary rose from 699 to 842, while vehicle crime fell from 1,308 to 1,084.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 9,965 | 50.0 | 34.2 | +2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,434 | 22.2 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Shoplifting | 2,159 | 10.8 | 8.5 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 2,004 | 10.0 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Public order | 1,603 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 0% |
| Other theft | 1,307 | 6.6 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Drugs | 1,174 | 5.9 | 3.3 | +79% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,084 | 5.4 | 5.0 | -17% |
| Burglary | 842 | 4.2 | 3.6 | +20% |
| Other crime | 803 | 4.0 | 2.1 | +2% |
| Possession of weapons | 457 | 2.3 | 1.0 | +16% |
| Bicycle theft | 307 | 1.5 | 0.8 | +2% |
| Robbery | 239 | 1.2 | 1.4 | -2% |
| Theft from the person | 201 | 1.0 | 1.7 | -13% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Peterborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaxley (Huntingdonshire) | 713 | 72.0 | -46% |
| Whittlesey | 1,040 | 67.8 | -49% |
| Deeping St James | 251 | 40.7 | -69% |
| Market Deeping | 457 | 62.5 | -53% |
| Crowland | 448 | 79.6 | -40% |
| Sawtry | 438 | 59.8 | -55% |
| Ramsey | 548 | 99.6 | -25% |
| Oundle | 341 | 55.3 | -58% |
Of the 18 areas within Peterborough, Central had the highest crime rate (363.0 per 1,000) and Gunthorpe the lowest (68.6), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 15,136 | 5,495 | 363.0 |
| Ravensthorpe | Neighbourhood | 12,145 | 2,260 | 186.1 |
| East | Neighbourhood | 14,020 | 2,340 | 166.9 |
| Paston and Walton | Neighbourhood | 11,374 | 1,612 | 141.7 |
| Bretton | Neighbourhood | 10,711 | 1,517 | 141.6 |
| North | Neighbourhood | 11,141 | 1,531 | 137.4 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 11,871 | 1,381 | 116.3 |
| Fletton and Woodston | Neighbourhood | 10,474 | 1,112 | 106.2 |
| West | Neighbourhood | 6,411 | 676 | 105.4 |
| Fletton and Stanground | Neighbourhood | 10,981 | 1,082 | 98.5 |
| Dogsthorpe | Neighbourhood | 11,308 | 1,068 | 94.4 |
| Hargate and Hempsted | Neighbourhood | 11,275 | 1,060 | 94.0 |
| Werrington | Neighbourhood | 8,722 | 818 | 93.8 |
| Orton Longueville | Neighbourhood | 11,019 | 1,009 | 91.6 |
| Orton Waterville | Neighbourhood | 9,357 | 850 | 90.8 |
| Hampton Vale | Neighbourhood | 10,812 | 974 | 90.1 |
| Stanground South | Neighbourhood | 12,287 | 1,078 | 87.7 |
| Gunthorpe | Neighbourhood | 10,441 | 716 | 68.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 23% of the crime recorded in Peterborough over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (1,503).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 1,503 |
| On or near Supermarket | 1,199 |
| On or near Parking Area | 1,009 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 669 |
| On or near Sandford | 400 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 296 |
| On or near Peacock Way | 278 |
| On or near Prison | 254 |
| On or near Dean'S Court | 250 |
| On or near Guildhall Walk | 247 |
Of the 22,145 crimes in Peterborough with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,434 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 9,032 | 40.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 6,171 | 27.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,349 | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,779 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 813 | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 744 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 591 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 303 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 261 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 57 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 28 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Peterborough has an estimated population of 199,485 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has a younger population (13%, against 19%), more residents with no qualifications (23%, against 18%) and more children (23%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Peterborough average decile 3.9 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Peterborough | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 23.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 13.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 54.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 16.0% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Peterborough a safe place to live?
Peterborough recorded 133.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 115th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and other crime.
What is the most common crime in Peterborough?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 9,965 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,434).
Is crime in Peterborough going up or down?
Recorded crime in Peterborough was up 1% on the year before: 26,579 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 26,262 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Peterborough?
About 199,485 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 13% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Peterborough?
Peterborough is policed by Cambridgeshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.