Crime in Wickford: statistics, rates and trends
1,897 crimes were recorded in Wickford in the 12 months to August 2026, 67.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Wickford at a glance
- Crime trends in Wickford
- Types of crime in Wickford
- Wickford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Wickford
- Streets with the most crime in Wickford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Wickford
- Demographics of Wickford
- Questions about crime in Wickford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (556), anti-social behaviour (494) and criminal damage and arson (207) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 815th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Wickford | Basildon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,897 | 19,026 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 67.7 | 98.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +5% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 28,014 | 193,632 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wickford peaked in the year to August 2021 (2,265 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (1,678). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 7%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,897 | 67.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,810 | 64.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,678 | 59.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,904 | 68.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,223 | 79.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,265 | 80.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,225 | 79.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,175 | 77.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,041 | 72.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 187 |
| July 2026 | 170 |
| June 2026 | 175 |
| May 2026 | 172 |
| April 2026 | 170 |
| March 2026 | 197 |
| February 2026 | 109 |
| January 2026 | 157 |
| December 2025 | 157 |
| November 2025 | 127 |
| October 2025 | 147 |
| September 2025 | 129 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (50% below) and burglary (48% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 317 to 494 and other theft rose from 91 to 115, while burglary fell from 78 to 52 and vehicle crime fell from 151 to 102.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 556 | 19.8 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 494 | 17.6 | 15.4 | +56% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 207 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 4.8 | 8.5 | -5% |
| Other theft | 115 | 4.1 | 6.4 | +26% |
| Vehicle crime | 102 | 3.6 | 5.0 | -32% |
| Public order | 94 | 3.4 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Burglary | 52 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -33% |
| Drugs | 49 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -4% |
| Other crime | 39 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Possession of weapons | 23 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 14 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wickford; the highest is Basildon (120.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Hockley and Hawkwell (32.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wickford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runwell | 796 | 81.7 | +21% |
| Rayleigh | 1,822 | 54.6 | -19% |
| Basildon | 14,622 | 120.6 | +78% |
| Thundersley and South Benfleet | 2,391 | 49.0 | -28% |
| Hullbridge | 253 | 46.5 | -31% |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 804 | 50.7 | -25% |
| Billericay | 1,588 | 46.9 | -31% |
| Hockley and Hawkwell | 512 | 32.1 | -53% |
Of the 3 areas within Wickford, Wickford Park had the highest crime rate (94.5 per 1,000) and Castledon & Crouch the lowest (57.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wickford Park | Neighbourhood | 12,121 | 1,146 | 94.5 |
| Wickford North | Neighbourhood | 13,506 | 826 | 61.2 |
| Castledon & Crouch | Neighbourhood | 12,881 | 734 | 57.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 38% of the crime recorded in Wickford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Petrol Station” (224).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 224 |
| On or near A129 | 116 |
| On or near High Street | 95 |
| On or near Market Road | 63 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 53 |
| On or near Supermarket | 48 |
| On or near Parking Area | 45 |
| On or near Hovefields Avenue | 36 |
| On or near Rose Close | 28 |
| On or near Nevendon Road | 22 |
Of the 1,403 crimes in Wickford with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 494 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 641 | 45.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 431 | 30.7% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 100 | 7.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 58 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 50 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 34 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 16 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 11 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Wickford has an estimated population of 28,014 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (7.6%, against 17.1%), fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%) and fewer students (4.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wickford average decile 7.3 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Wickford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 22.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 12.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 78.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 7.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wickford a safe place to live?
Wickford recorded 67.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 815th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Wickford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 556 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (494).
Is crime in Wickford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wickford was up 5% on the year before: 1,897 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,810 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wickford?
About 28,014 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wickford?
Wickford 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.