Crime in Essex
Essex is among the top 20 most dangerous counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The overall crime rate in Essex in 2020 was 78 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 35 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of Essex's larger towns and cities, Basildon is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Clacton-on-Sea, and Harlow comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of Essex, starting with Billericay which ranks as the safest area in Essex, followed up by Rayleigh in second place, and Wickford in third place.
Crime Map of Essex
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Essex Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 49,414 | 26.76 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,867 | 1.01 |
| Burglary | 7,121 | 3.86 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14,037 | 7.60 |
| Drugs | 6,452 | 3.49 |
| Other Crime | 3,205 | 1.74 |
| Other Theft | 9,427 | 5.10 |
| Possession of Weapons | 1,196 | 0.65 |
| Public Order | 15,093 | 8.17 |
| Robbery | 1,227 | 0.66 |
| Shoplifting | 7,118 | 3.85 |
| Theft From the Person | 992 | 0.54 |
| Vehicle Crime | 10,550 | 5.71 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 65,394 | 35.41 |
Essex's Population Centres
| Name | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Essex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basildon | 14,364 | 122 | 36% more dangerous |
| Billericay | 1,213 | 43 | 82% safer |
| Braintree | 4,366 | 97 | 20% more dangerous |
| Brentwood | 4,758 | 84 | 7% more dangerous |
| Brightlingsea | 413 | 48 | 63% safer |
| Buckhurst Hill | 754 | 64 | 22% safer |
| Burnham-on-Crouch | 532 | 67 | 16% safer |
| Canvey Island | 3,141 | 81 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Chelmsford | 8,752 | 74 | 6% safer |
| Chigwell | 1,100 | 79 | 1.2% more dangerous |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 6,399 | 119 | 35% more dangerous |
| Colchester | 12,756 | 92 | 16% more dangerous |
| Epping | 1,069 | 86 | 10% more dangerous |
| Frinton and Walton | 1,116 | 57 | 36% safer |
| Grays | 7,270 | 96 | 19% more dangerous |
| Great Baddow | 155 | 10 | 653% safer |
| Great Dunmow | 605 | 59 | 33% safer |
| Halstead | 870 | 72 | 9% safer |
| Harlow | 9,580 | 110 | 29% more dangerous |
| Harwich | 2,027 | 107 | 27% more dangerous |
| Hawkwell | 415 | 33 | 137% safer |
| Heybridge | 504 | 59 | 32% safer |
| Hockley | 354 | 36 | 119% safer |
| Leigh-on-Sea | 647 | 28 | 181% safer |
| Loughton | 2,893 | 87 | 11% more dangerous |
| Maldon | 1,069 | 73 | 7% safer |
| Myland | 1,273 | 85 | 8% more dangerous |
| Rayleigh | 1,507 | 45 | 72% safer |
| Rochford | 913 | 95 | 18% more dangerous |
| Saffron Walden | 828 | 48 | 63% safer |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 752 | 47 | 65% safer |
| Southend-on-Sea | 18,314 | 99 | 21% more dangerous |
| Springfield | 667 | 32 | 145% safer |
| Stanford-le-Hope | 1,522 | 52 | 48% safer |
| Stanway | 409 | 38 | 104% safer |
| Tilbury | 1,721 | 122 | 36% more dangerous |
| Tiptree | 521 | 57 | 38% safer |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,312 | 103 | 24% more dangerous |
| Wickford | 1,777 | 51 | 53% safer |
| Witham | 2,205 | 82 | 4.9% more dangerous |
| Wivenhoe | 264 | 33 | 134% safer |
Crime Trends in Essex
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 25 | 23 | 21 | 27 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3.9 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 3.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.96 | 1.1 | 0.81 | 0.65 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.75 | 0.84 | 0.90 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 5.0 | 6 | 6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.80 | 0.83 | 0.73 | 0.54 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 22 | 29 | 35 | 35 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 09 Apr 2021