Crime in Brentwood: statistics, rates and trends
4,820 crimes were recorded in Brentwood in the 12 months to August 2026, 82.0 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 4% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Brentwood at a glance
- Crime trends in Brentwood
- Types of crime in Brentwood
- Brentwood compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Brentwood
- Streets with the most crime in Brentwood
- What happened after crimes were reported in Brentwood
- Demographics of Brentwood
- Questions about crime in Brentwood
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,604), shoplifting (694) and vehicle crime (495) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 576th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Brentwood | Brentwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,820 | 5,879 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 82.0 | 74.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +4% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 58,762 | 79,326 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Brentwood peaked in the year to August 2020 (6,356 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (4,619). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,820 | 82.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,653 | 79.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,619 | 78.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,192 | 88.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,304 | 90.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,190 | 105.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,356 | 108.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,926 | 100.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,281 | 89.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 435 |
| July 2026 | 413 |
| June 2026 | 405 |
| May 2026 | 450 |
| April 2026 | 354 |
| March 2026 | 402 |
| February 2026 | 378 |
| January 2026 | 381 |
| December 2025 | 407 |
| November 2025 | 422 |
| October 2025 | 363 |
| September 2025 | 410 |
Compared with England and Wales, Brentwood recorded notably more vehicle crime (69% above the national rate), shoplifting (40% above the national rate) and drugs (33% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (76% below) and robbery (60% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 402 to 475 and violence and sexual offences rose from 1,394 to 1,604, while theft from the person fell from 45 to 24 and burglary fell from 209 to 157.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,604 | 27.3 | 34.2 | +15% |
| Shoplifting | 694 | 11.8 | 8.5 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 495 | 8.4 | 5.0 | -1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 475 | 8.1 | 15.4 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 321 | 5.5 | 6.7 | +13% |
| Other theft | 317 | 5.4 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Public order | 278 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Drugs | 255 | 4.3 | 3.3 | -9% |
| Burglary | 157 | 2.7 | 3.6 | -25% |
| Other crime | 92 | 1.6 | 2.1 | +6% |
| Possession of weapons | 50 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +11% |
| Robbery | 32 | 0.5 | 1.4 | -20% |
| Bicycle theft | 26 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -47% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Brentwood; the highest is Basildon (120.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Billericay (46.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Brentwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billericay | 1,588 | 46.9 | -43% |
| Havering | 24,158 | 88.5 | +8% |
| Basildon | 14,622 | 120.6 | +47% |
| South Ockendon | 1,969 | 84.2 | +3% |
| Galleywood | 474 | 66.2 | -19% |
| Writtle | 332 | 62.0 | -24% |
| Aveley | 760 | 78.2 | -5% |
| Stanford-le-Hope | 2,014 | 65.4 | -20% |
Of the 10 areas within Brentwood, Brentwood North had the highest crime rate (130.3 per 1,000) and Hutton South the lowest (44.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood North | Neighbourhood | 7,543 | 983 | 130.3 |
| Warley | Neighbourhood | 5,110 | 502 | 98.2 |
| Brentwood West | Neighbourhood | 6,580 | 629 | 95.6 |
| Brentwood South | Neighbourhood | 5,980 | 570 | 95.3 |
| Brizes, Stondon Massey & South Weald | Neighbourhood | 6,505 | 594 | 91.3 |
| Pilgrims Hatch | Neighbourhood | 6,395 | 578 | 90.4 |
| Shenfield | Neighbourhood | 5,569 | 387 | 69.5 |
| Hutton North | Neighbourhood | 5,892 | 344 | 58.4 |
| Hutton East | Neighbourhood | 6,221 | 283 | 45.5 |
| Hutton South | Neighbourhood | 7,383 | 326 | 44.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Brentwood over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (288).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 288 |
| On or near Parking Area | 264 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 177 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 143 |
| On or near William Hunter Way | 135 |
| On or near Osborne Road | 115 |
| On or near Moores Place | 83 |
| On or near Fairfield Road | 67 |
| On or near The Mount | 64 |
| On or near Wingrave Crescent | 55 |
Of the 4,345 crimes in Brentwood with a recorded outcome, 40% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 475 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,724 | 39.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,155 | 26.6% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 388 | 8.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 300 | 6.9% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 242 | 5.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 214 | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 133 | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 91 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 43 | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 40 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Brentwood has an estimated population of 58,762 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.2%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%) and less social housing (12%, against 17%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Brentwood average decile 7.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Brentwood | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Brentwood a safe place to live?
Brentwood recorded 82.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 576th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were vehicle crime and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Brentwood?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,604 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (694).
Is crime in Brentwood going up or down?
Recorded crime in Brentwood was up 4% on the year before: 4,820 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,653 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Brentwood?
About 58,762 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Brentwood?
Brentwood 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.