The riskiest places to park your car around Cambridge, according to
police stats
Vehicle crime hot spots around the
city
The riskiest places to park your car in the Cambridge area have been
revealed - and you may be surprised to find out where the safest spot is.
Cllr John Hipkin, who represents Castle ward on Cambridge City Council,
said: “What these statistics reveal is that no part of the city or, indeed,
county is immune from this sort of opportunistic crime.
“I would call upon residents to be extremely vigilant in not leaving
articles of value visible in their unattended cars, especially at night.”
These were the worst hit policing areas in 2016:
1. Cambridge South
This was the worst area for vehicle crime with a total of 448 recorded
incidents. The worst month was October with 57. With a population of 62,000,
the area includes Cherry Hinton, Coleridge, Teversham, Romsey and edges of the
southern part of the city centre.
2. Cambridge North
Second on the list with 374 vehicle crimes reported. November was the
worst month at 49. The area has a population of about 60,000.
3. Huntingdon
A total of 370 vehicle crimes were reported here, with September the
worst month at 44. The area has a population of almost 68,000.
4. Histon area
The Histon policing team covers a wide area and a population of almost
56,000. It suffered 315 vehicle crimes with the worst month August, with 40
reports.
5. St Neots
There were 243 vehicle crime reports with 36 in the worst month, July. It
has a population of 45,000.
6. Cambourne
The policing district covers a wide area and 218 reports of vehicle
crime were reported across the villages, with April the worst month with 42
reports. The policing area has a population of 50,000.
7. Sawston area
With a population of 42,000 this area had 177 vehicle crimes reported to
police. The worst month was April with 24 incidents reported.
8. St Ives and Ramsey
This area suffered 168 incidents of car crime. With a population of
55,000, the worst months were October and August with 20 each.
9. Ely south
With a population of 36,600, a total of 96 car crimes were recorded. The
worst month was June with 12 of the crimes reported.
10. Ely north
A total of 46 car crimes were reported here with thieves more prolific
in February with 21 vehicles attacked. It has a population of 27,000.
11. Ely city centre
A total of 41 vehicle crimes were reported in the city centre. The worst
month was April with 9. The population is 20,000.
12. Cambridge city centre
The city centre had the fewest vehicle crime reports at just 34. The
worst months were December and November at five each. The population is about
7,000.
Comments (1):
This table might be useful:| Crimes | Population | |
| 1. Cambridge South | 448 | 62000 |
| 2. Cambridge North | 374 | 60000 |
| 3. Huntingdon | 370 | 68000 |
| 4. Histon area | 315 | 56000 |
| 5. St Neots | 243 | 45000 |
| 6. Cambourne | 218 | 50000 |
| 7. Sawston area | 177 | 42000 |
| 8. St Ives and Ramsey | 168 | 55000 |
| 9. Ely south | 96 | 36600 |
| 10. Ely north | 46 | 27000 |
| 11. Ely city centre | 41 | 20000 |
| 12. Cambridge city centre | 34 | 7000 |
Comments (2):
Making a spreadsheet to show the number of crimes per 1000 residents would seem to be reasonable and sensible. If you do this the area that jumps out as being out of place is Cambridge City Centre. Why might this be (cars might be damaged where they are parked for the day/evening, rather than just outside someone's home, and Cambridge will have lots of visitors)?
The pmcc is 0.89, indicating a strong correlation between the number of crimes and the population of the area.
