Crime in Rochford: statistics, rates and trends
1,226 crimes were recorded in Rochford in the 12 months to August 2026, 85.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Rochford at a glance
- Crime trends in Rochford
- Types of crime in Rochford
- Rochford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Rochford
- Streets with the most crime in Rochford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Rochford
- Demographics of Rochford
- Questions about crime in Rochford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (581), anti-social behaviour (134) and criminal damage and arson (89) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 527th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Rochford | Rochford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,226 | 4,605 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 85.7 | 51.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +10% | +7% | -1% |
| Population | 14,304 | 89,815 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Rochford peaked in the year to August 2019 (1,642 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,119). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,226 | 85.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,119 | 78.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,291 | 90.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,262 | 88.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,538 | 107.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,599 | 111.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,458 | 101.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,642 | 114.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,629 | 113.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 104 |
| July 2026 | 137 |
| June 2026 | 126 |
| May 2026 | 122 |
| April 2026 | 104 |
| March 2026 | 108 |
| February 2026 | 86 |
| January 2026 | 74 |
| December 2025 | 79 |
| November 2025 | 113 |
| October 2025 | 88 |
| September 2025 | 85 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (42% below) and burglary (41% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 30 to 70 and other theft rose from 66 to 84.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 581 | 40.6 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 134 | 9.4 | 15.4 | +18% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 89 | 6.2 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 84 | 5.9 | 6.4 | +27% |
| Public order | 78 | 5.5 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Shoplifting | 70 | 4.9 | 8.5 | +133% |
| Vehicle crime | 54 | 3.8 | 5.0 | +20% |
| Drugs | 53 | 3.7 | 3.3 | +26% |
| Burglary | 30 | 2.1 | 3.6 | +7% |
| Other crime | 28 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Robbery | 12 | 0.8 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 11 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Rochford; the highest is Southend-on-Sea (114.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Ashingdon (24.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rochford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashingdon | 160 | 24.9 | -71% |
| Hockley and Hawkwell | 512 | 32.1 | -63% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 21,255 | 114.7 | +34% |
| Rayleigh | 1,822 | 54.6 | -36% |
| Hullbridge | 253 | 46.5 | -46% |
| Great Wakering | 365 | 51.2 | -40% |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 804 | 50.7 | -41% |
| Thundersley and South Benfleet | 2,391 | 49.0 | -43% |
Of the 3 areas within Rochford, Roche South had the highest crime rate (95.5 per 1,000) and Hawkwell East the lowest (30.2), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roche South | Neighbourhood | 6,453 | 616 | 95.5 |
| Roche North and Rural | Neighbourhood | 7,556 | 590 | 78.1 |
| Hawkwell East | Neighbourhood | 5,771 | 174 | 30.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 43% of the crime recorded in Rochford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Station View” (102).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Station View | 102 |
| On or near Parking Area | 98 |
| On or near St Clare Meadow | 95 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 56 |
| On or near Ormonde Avenue | 45 |
| On or near Union Lane | 33 |
| On or near Alice Gardens | 27 |
| On or near Old Ship Lane | 26 |
| On or near Pollards Court | 25 |
| On or near Elizabeth Gardens | 20 |
Of the 1,092 crimes in Rochford with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 134 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 476 | 43.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 286 | 26.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 94 | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 63 | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 53 | 4.9% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 37 | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 32 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 17 | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Rochford has an estimated population of 14,304 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.5%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (22%, against 34%) and less private renting (15%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rochford average decile 5.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Rochford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 9.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Rochford a safe place to live?
Rochford recorded 85.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 527th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Rochford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 581 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (134).
Is crime in Rochford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rochford was up 10% on the year before: 1,226 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,119 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rochford?
About 14,304 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rochford?
Rochford 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.