Crime in Southend-on-Sea: statistics, rates and trends
21,255 crimes were recorded in Southend-on-Sea 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 at a glance
- Crime trends in Southend-on-Sea
- Types of crime in Southend-on-Sea
- Southend-on-Sea compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Southend-on-Sea
- Streets with the most crime in Southend-on-Sea
- What happened after crimes were reported in Southend-on-Sea
- Demographics of Southend-on-Sea
- Questions about crime in Southend-on-Sea
- 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 217th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Southend-on-Sea | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 21,255 | 21,255 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 114.7 | 114.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +9% | -1% |
| Population | 185,256 | 185,256 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea 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 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.
Southend-on-Sea has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Southend-on-Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochford | 1,226 | 85.7 | -25% |
| Ashingdon | 160 | 24.9 | -78% |
| Great Wakering | 365 | 51.2 | -55% |
| Hockley and Hawkwell | 512 | 32.1 | -72% |
| Rayleigh | 1,822 | 54.6 | -52% |
| Canvey Island | 3,165 | 82.1 | -28% |
| Thundersley and South Benfleet | 2,391 | 49.0 | -57% |
| Hullbridge | 253 | 46.5 | -59% |
Of the 17 areas within Southend-on-Sea, 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 |
| 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 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 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 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 average decile 5.2 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | 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) |
Is Southend-on-Sea a safe place to live?
Southend-on-Sea 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 217th of the 1,390 towns 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?
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 going up or down?
Recorded crime in Southend-on-Sea 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?
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?
Southend-on-Sea 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.