Crime in Kursaal: statistics, rates and trends
2,835 crimes were recorded in Kursaal in the 12 months to August 2026, 225.4 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,253), anti-social behaviour (397) and criminal damage and arson (194) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 150th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Kursaal | Southend-on-Sea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,835 | 21,255 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 225.4 | 114.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +6% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 12,578 | 185,256 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Kursaal peaked in the year to August 2019 (3,417 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (2,526). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,835 | 225.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,679 | 213.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,526 | 200.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,649 | 210.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,212 | 255.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,233 | 257.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,219 | 255.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,417 | 271.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,140 | 249.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 293 |
| July 2026 | 315 |
| June 2026 | 288 |
| May 2026 | 290 |
| April 2026 | 230 |
| March 2026 | 246 |
| February 2026 | 170 |
| January 2026 | 177 |
| December 2025 | 227 |
| November 2025 | 197 |
| October 2025 | 184 |
| September 2025 | 218 |
Compared with England and Wales, Kursaal recorded notably more drugs (3.7 times the national rate), robbery (3.0 times the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (2.9 times the national rate). On the year before, robbery rose from 35 to 52 and anti-social behaviour rose from 287 to 397, while possession of weapons fell from 47 to 32 and public order fell from 184 to 146.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,253 | 99.6 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 397 | 31.6 | 15.4 | +38% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 194 | 15.4 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 172 | 13.7 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 162 | 12.9 | 8.5 | +26% |
| Drugs | 151 | 12.0 | 3.3 | +1% |
| Public order | 146 | 11.6 | 6.7 | -21% |
| Vehicle crime | 111 | 8.8 | 5.0 | +8% |
| Burglary | 74 | 5.9 | 3.6 | +30% |
| Other crime | 56 | 4.5 | 2.1 | +19% |
| Robbery | 52 | 4.1 | 1.4 | +49% |
| Possession of weapons | 32 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -32% |
| Bicycle theft | 20 | 1.6 | 0.8 | -17% |
| Theft from the person | 15 | 1.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Kursaal; the highest is Milton, Southend-on-Sea (295.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Westborough, Southend-on-Sea (56.6).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Kursaal |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Luke's | 1,087 | 95.2 | -58% |
| Victoria | 3,629 | 257.3 | +14% |
| Milton | 3,642 | 295.5 | +31% |
| Thorpe | 567 | 62.1 | -72% |
| Southchurch | 1,003 | 96.9 | -57% |
| Westborough | 656 | 56.6 | -75% |
| Prittlewell | 1,228 | 109.3 | -51% |
| Chalkwell | 1,391 | 136.9 | -39% |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Kursaal over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “York Road” (237).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near York Road | 237 |
| On or near Old Southend Road | 147 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 136 |
| On or near Parking Area | 133 |
| On or near Glen Mews | 130 |
| On or near Marine Parade | 108 |
| On or near Ferndown Close | 92 |
| On or near Southchurch Avenue | 81 |
| On or near Swanage Road | 78 |
| On or near Supermarket | 76 |
Of the 2,438 crimes in Kursaal with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 397 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,017 | 41.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 643 | 26.4% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 213 | 8.7% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 189 | 7.8% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 137 | 5.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 82 | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 71 | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 38 | 1.6% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 30 | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Kursaal has an estimated population of 12,578 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more private renting (42%, against 20%), more households without a car (40%, against 23%) and more unemployed residents (5.8%, against 3.4%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Kursaal average decile 1.7 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Kursaal | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 5.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 22.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 39.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 34.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 41.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 1.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 55.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Kursaal a safe place to live?
Kursaal recorded 225.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 150th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Kursaal?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,253 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (397).
Is crime in Kursaal going up or down?
Recorded crime in Kursaal was up 6% on the year before: 2,835 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,679 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Kursaal?
About 12,578 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Kursaal?
Kursaal is policed by Essex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.