Crime in Southend-on-Sea district: statistics, rates and trends
21,255 crimes were recorded in Southend-on-Sea district in the 12 months to August 2026, 114.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Southend-on-Sea district at a glance
- Crime trends in Southend-on-Sea district
- Types of crime in Southend-on-Sea district
- Home Office recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea district
- Southend-on-Sea district compared with nearby districts
- Areas within Southend-on-Sea district
- Streets with the most crime in Southend-on-Sea district
- What happened after crimes were reported in Southend-on-Sea district
- Demographics of Southend-on-Sea district
- Fly-tipping in Southend-on-Sea
- Questions about crime in Southend-on-Sea district
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (8,888), anti-social behaviour (2,576) and shoplifting (1,944) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 57th of the 302 districts covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea district | East of England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 21,255 | 530,364 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 114.7 | 80.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 185,256 | 6,576,306 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea district peaked in the year to August 2019 (26,963 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (19,249). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 21,255 | 114.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 19,502 | 105.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 19,249 | 103.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 21,139 | 114.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 24,756 | 133.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 26,213 | 141.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 25,989 | 140.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 26,963 | 145.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 24,456 | 132.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,089 |
| July 2026 | 2,216 |
| June 2026 | 2,061 |
| May 2026 | 1,978 |
| April 2026 | 1,822 |
| March 2026 | 1,781 |
| February 2026 | 1,474 |
| January 2026 | 1,474 |
| December 2025 | 1,595 |
| November 2025 | 1,641 |
| October 2025 | 1,579 |
| September 2025 | 1,545 |
Compared with England and Wales, Southend-on-Sea district recorded notably more drugs (67% above the national rate), possession of weapons (41% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (40% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (56% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 1,846 to 2,576 and drugs rose from 835 to 1,013.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,888 | 48.0 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,576 | 13.9 | 15.4 | +40% |
| Shoplifting | 1,944 | 10.5 | 8.5 | +4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,343 | 7.2 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Public order | 1,329 | 7.2 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 1,248 | 6.7 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,055 | 5.7 | 5.0 | -12% |
| Drugs | 1,013 | 5.5 | 3.3 | +21% |
| Burglary | 634 | 3.4 | 3.6 | +17% |
| Other crime | 370 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Possession of weapons | 254 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +2% |
| Robbery | 253 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +18% |
| Bicycle theft | 211 | 1.1 | 0.8 | -1% |
| Theft from the person | 137 | 0.7 | 1.7 | -5% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
17,869 crimes, excluding fraud, were recorded by the police in Southend-on-Sea district in the year ending March 2026, according to the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics. That is 96.5 per 1,000 residents, higher than the England and Wales rate of 83.2. The total was up 5% on the year ending March 2025 (17,053), against a fall of 2% across England and Wales. Among the 272 districts of England and Wales with a figure for that year, Southend-on-Sea district had the 56th highest rate (the street-level ranking above is among the 302 districts with street-level pages on this site, over the 12 months to August 2026).
Of the crimes recorded in the Essex Police area in the year ending March 2026, 1.9% were not assigned to a district. Those crimes are counted in the force and England and Wales totals but in no district, so the figure for Southend-on-Sea district is a slight undercount.
Offences recorded in Southend-on-Sea district, the year ending March 2026
The largest category was violence without injury, with 3,704 offences (21% of the total). Relative to England and Wales, rates were highest for bicycle theft (1.5 times the national rate), violence without injury (1.5 times the national rate) and shoplifting (1.4 times the national rate). Rates were lowest relative to the national rate for theft from the person (0.41 times) and robbery of business property (0.72 times).
The largest rises on the year were in bicycle theft (+45%) and non-residential burglary (+26%). The largest falls were in theft from the person (−13%) and public order offences (−11%). Robbery of business property and shoplifting are not compared with the year ending March 2025: from April 2025 the Home Office Counting Rules were clarified so that a theft from a shop in which violence is used or threatened against staff or anyone else is recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting (ONS).
| Offence | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence without injury | 3,704 | 20.0 | 13.2 | 1.51 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 2,166 | 11.7 | 8.1 | 1.44 | – |
| Stalking and harassment | 2,151 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 1.15 | +14% |
| Violence with injury | 1,659 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 1.10 | −8% |
| Public order offences | 1,251 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 0.97 | −11% |
| Criminal damage | 1,201 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 0.95 | −10% |
| Other theft offences | 1,116 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 0.92 | −5% |
| Vehicle offences | 995 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 1.07 | −8% |
| Possession of drugs | 657 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.42 | +5% |
| Other sexual offences | 478 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 1.13 | +13% |
| Residential burglary | 442 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 0.96 | +1% |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society | 360 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.93 | −9% |
| Rape | 315 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.41 | +23% |
| Trafficking of drugs | 248 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.13 | −4% |
| Possession of weapons | 246 | 1.3 | 1.00 | 1.33 | +20% |
| Bicycle theft | 240 | 1.3 | 0.85 | 1.52 | +45% |
| Robbery of personal property | 177 | 0.96 | 0.91 | 1.05 | −3% |
| Non-residential burglary | 167 | 0.90 | 1.1 | 0.81 | +26% |
| Theft from the person | 133 | 0.72 | 1.8 | 0.41 | −13% |
| Arson | 95 | 0.51 | 0.38 | 1.35 | +20% |
| Robbery of business property | 63 | 0.34 | 0.47 | 0.72 | – |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving | 5 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.77 | −29% |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −100% |
Recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea district since the year ending March 2013
The chart shows police recorded crime per 1,000 residents in each year ending March from 2013 to 2026. Southend-on-Sea district's rate was above the England and Wales rate in every one of those 14 years. Changes in how forces record crime move these figures as well as changes in crime (methodology).
| Year ending March | Offences | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17,869 | 96.5 | 83.2 |
| 2025 | 17,053 | 92.1 | 84.5 |
| 2024 | 18,480 | 99.8 | 86.2 |
| 2023 | 20,413 | 110.2 | 89.2 |
| 2022 | 20,944 | 113.1 | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 18,081 | 97.6 | 74.1 |
| 2020 | 20,437 | 110.3 | 84.7 |
| 2019 | 19,818 | 107.0 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 15,757 | 85.1 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 15,008 | 81.0 | 69.1 |
| 2016 | 14,271 | 77.0 | 62.3 |
| 2015 | 12,893 | 69.6 | 57.1 |
| 2014 | 13,084 | 70.6 | 55.9 |
| 2013 | 12,455 | 67.2 | 56.7 |
Districts in the Essex Police area, the year ending March 2026
Of the 14 districts in the Essex Police area with a figure for the year ending March 2026, Southend-on-Sea district had the highest rate.
| District | Offences | Per 1,000 | Index (E&W = 1.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southend-on-Sea | 17,869 | 96.5 | 1.16 |
| Harlow | 9,072 | 92.3 | 1.11 |
| Thurrock | 15,501 | 85.6 | 1.03 |
| Basildon | 16,426 | 84.8 | 1.02 |
| Colchester | 16,534 | 82.6 | 0.99 |
| Tendring | 12,498 | 79.7 | 0.96 |
| Chelmsford | 13,293 | 70.4 | 0.85 |
| Brentwood | 5,079 | 64.0 | 0.77 |
| Epping Forest | 8,703 | 63.3 | 0.76 |
| Braintree | 8,750 | 53.3 | 0.64 |
| Castle Point | 4,718 | 52.1 | 0.63 |
| Uttlesford | 4,866 | 51.2 | 0.61 |
| Maldon | 3,096 | 44.8 | 0.54 |
| Rochford | 3,903 | 43.5 | 0.52 |
Source: Home Office police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables (released 23 July 2026), gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Financial years, excluding fraud; how they differ from the street-level figures: methodology.
Southend-on-Sea district has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest districts.
| District | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Southend-on-Sea district |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochford | 4,605 | 51.3 | -55% |
| Castle Point | 5,644 | 62.3 | -46% |
| Basildon | 19,026 | 98.3 | -14% |
| Maldon | 3,535 | 51.1 | -55% |
| Swale | 15,704 | 99.2 | -14% |
| Medway | 29,963 | 102.4 | -11% |
| Chelmsford | 15,908 | 84.3 | -27% |
| Thurrock | 18,319 | 101.2 | -12% |
Of the 18 areas within Southend-on-Sea district, Milton had the highest crime rate (295.5 per 1,000) and West Leigh the lowest (34.2), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton | Neighbourhood | 12,323 | 3,642 | 295.5 |
| Victoria | Neighbourhood | 14,102 | 3,629 | 257.3 |
| Kursaal | Neighbourhood | 12,578 | 2,835 | 225.4 |
| Chalkwell | Neighbourhood | 10,160 | 1,391 | 136.9 |
| Southend-on-Sea | Town | 185,256 | 21,255 | 114.7 |
| Prittlewell | Neighbourhood | 11,231 | 1,228 | 109.3 |
| Southchurch | Neighbourhood | 10,356 | 1,003 | 96.9 |
| St. Luke's | Neighbourhood | 11,422 | 1,087 | 95.2 |
| Shoeburyness | Neighbourhood | 11,724 | 1,042 | 88.9 |
| West Shoebury | Neighbourhood | 10,029 | 861 | 85.9 |
| St Laurence | Neighbourhood | 10,730 | 754 | 70.3 |
| Leigh | Neighbourhood | 10,088 | 669 | 66.3 |
| Blenheim Park | Neighbourhood | 11,260 | 734 | 65.2 |
| Thorpe | Neighbourhood | 9,126 | 567 | 62.1 |
| Westborough | Neighbourhood | 11,593 | 656 | 56.6 |
| Belfairs | Neighbourhood | 9,293 | 428 | 46.1 |
| Eastwood Park | Neighbourhood | 9,726 | 404 | 41.5 |
| West Leigh | Neighbourhood | 9,515 | 325 | 34.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Southend-on-Sea district over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,169).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,169 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 976 |
| On or near Supermarket | 777 |
| On or near Great Eastern Avenue | 610 |
| On or near Nightclub | 535 |
| On or near Deeping | 278 |
| On or near Weston Road | 264 |
| On or near York Road | 237 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 218 |
| On or near High Street | 206 |
Of the 18,679 crimes in Southend-on-Sea district with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,576 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 6,913 | 37.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,621 | 30.1% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,640 | 8.8% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 1,397 | 7.5% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 851 | 4.6% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 754 | 4.0% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 660 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 360 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 276 | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 143 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 52 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Southend-on-Sea district has an estimated population of 185,256 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (12%, against 17%), more private renting (26%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Southend-on-Sea district average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea district | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 26.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.2 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 12.4% | 10.1% (England) |
2,214 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Southend-on-Sea in 2024/25 (12.0 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 across the councils in England that count all incidents), according to the council's return to Defra. Fly-tipping is not in the police figures on this page: fly-tipping in Southend-on-Sea has the council's figures by place, type of waste and size, and its enforcement actions and fines.
Is Southend-on-Sea district a safe place to live?
Southend-on-Sea district recorded 114.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 57th of the 302 districts on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in Southend-on-Sea district?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 8,888 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,576).
Is crime in Southend-on-Sea district going up or down?
Recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea district was up 9% on the year before: 21,255 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 19,502 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Southend-on-Sea district?
About 185,256 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Southend-on-Sea district?
Southend-on-Sea district is policed by Essex.
How many crimes did the police record in Southend-on-Sea district in the year ending March 2026?
17,869 crimes, excluding fraud, in the Home Office's police recorded crime statistics: 96.5 per 1,000 residents, against 83.2 across England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025 the figure was 17,053.
Which offences are more common in Southend-on-Sea district than across England and Wales?
Relative to the national rate, the most over-represented categories in the year ending March 2026 were bicycle theft (240 offences, 1.5 times the England and Wales rate), violence without injury (3,704 offences, 1.5 times the England and Wales rate) and shoplifting (2,166 offences, 1.4 times the England and Wales rate).
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.