Crime in Essex
Essex is the 53rd safest county in England and Wales. The overall crime rate in Essex in 2020 was 56 crimes per 1,000 people, and the most common crimes were violence and sexual offences, which happened to roughly every 25 out of 1,000 residents.
Out of all of Essex's larger towns and cities, Harlow is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Basildon, and Loughton comes in as third most dangerous. There are safer parts of Essex, starting with Braintree which ranks as the safest area in Essex, followed up by Castle Point in second place, and Billericay in third place.
Crime Map of Essex
Click to use map
Essex Crime Summary
| Crime | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36,814 | 18.51 |
| Bicycle Theft | 1,354 | 0.68 |
| Burglary | 5,606 | 2.82 |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 11,073 | 5.57 |
| Drugs | 5,316 | 2.67 |
| Other Crime | 2,573 | 1.29 |
| Other Theft | 7,364 | 3.70 |
| Possession of Weapons | 892 | 0.45 |
| Public Order | 11,829 | 5.95 |
| Robbery | 864 | 0.43 |
| Shoplifting | 5,345 | 2.69 |
| Theft From the Person | 708 | 0.36 |
| Vehicle Crime | 8,243 | 4.14 |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 50,648 | 25.47 |
Essex's Population Centres
| Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference from Essex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basildon | 15,544 | 83 | 32% more dangerous |
| Billericay | 1,144 | 40 | 40% safer |
| Braintree | 4,089 | 27 | 110% safer |
| Brentwood | 4,407 | 57 | 1.7% more dangerous |
| Brightlingsea | 374 | 43 | 30% safer |
| Buckhurst Hill | 694 | 59 | 4.6% more dangerous |
| Burnham-on-Crouch | 504 | 63 | 11% more dangerous |
| Canvey Island | 2,926 | 75 | 25% more dangerous |
| Castle Point | 2,553 | 28 | 99% safer |
| Chelmsford | 7,266 | 41 | 38% safer |
| Chigwell | 1,037 | 74 | 24% more dangerous |
| Colchester | 11,178 | 57 | 2.1% more dangerous |
| Epping | 1,002 | 81 | 31% more dangerous |
| Frinton and Walton | 1,037 | 53 | 6% safer |
| Great Baddow | 250 | 17 | 237% safer |
| Great Dunmow | 572 | 55 | 1.6% safer |
| Halstead | 823 | 68 | 17% more dangerous |
| Harlow | 9,410 | 108 | 48% more dangerous |
| Harwich | 1,881 | 99 | 43% more dangerous |
| Hawkwell | 379 | 30 | 87% safer |
| Heybridge | 441 | 52 | 9% safer |
| Heybridge Basin | 14 | 1.6 | 3328% safer |
| Hockley | 322 | 32 | 74% safer |
| Loughton | 2,699 | 82 | 31% more dangerous |
| Maldon | 999 | 68 | 18% more dangerous |
| Myland | 1,772 | 118 | 52% more dangerous |
| Rayleigh | 1,409 | 42 | 33% safer |
| Rochford | 892 | 93 | 39% more dangerous |
| Saffron Walden | 753 | 43 | 30% safer |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 691 | 43 | 30% safer |
| Springfield | 1,230 | 59 | 4.0% more dangerous |
| Stanway | 777 | 72 | 22% more dangerous |
| Tendring | 7,121 | 49 | 16% safer |
| Tiptree | 484 | 52 | 7% safer |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,103 | 94 | 40% more dangerous |
| Witham | 2,049 | 76 | 26% more dangerous |
| Wivenhoe | 247 | 31 | 81% safer |
Crime Trends in Essex
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.0 | 0.98 | 0.96 | 0.68 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 2.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3.7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.80 | 0.91 | 0.62 | 0.45 | Safer |
| Public Order | 3.8 | 4.9 | 6 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Robbery | 0.53 | 0.60 | 0.64 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person | 0.60 | 0.62 | 0.54 | 0.36 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 17 | 22 | 27 | 25 | Getting worse |
Last updated: 18 Feb 2021