Brentwood Crime Overview
Brentwood is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Essex, and is the 48th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Brentwood in 2020 was 84 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 7% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Brentwood is the 71st most dangerous medium-sized town, and the 871st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Brentwood was the worst medium-sized town in Essex for burglary, with 26 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.46 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Brentwood residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous medium-sized town for other theft, recording 36 crimes at a rate of 0.63 per 1,000 residents. Brentwood recorded 10 reports of bicycle theft during June 2020, making its crime rate of 0.18 the worst medium-sized town for bicycle theft in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Brentwood are violence and sexual offences, with 1,680 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 30. This is 0.06% lower than 2019's figure of 1,681 offences and a difference of 0.02 from 2019's crime rate of 30. Brentwood's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 25 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 60% from 2019's figure of 40 crimes.
Compare Brentwood to other towns and cities
See how Brentwood shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Brentwood and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Brentwood Crime Map
Crime in Brentwood Compared To Essex
Summary of Crimes in Brentwood This Year
| Brentwood | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,709 | 30.01 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 67 | 1.18 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 14% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 348 | 6.11 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 37% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 377 | 6.62 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 15% safer |
| Drugs | 143 | 2.51 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 39% safer |
| Other Crime | 88 | 1.55 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 12% safer |
| Other Theft | 491 | 8.62 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 41% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 25 | 0.44 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 48% safer |
| Public Order | 453 | 7.95 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 2.8% safer |
| Robbery | 45 | 0.79 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 16% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 292 | 5.13 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 25% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 35 | 0.61 | 992 | 0.54 | 11% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 714 | 12.54 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 54% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 1,680 | 29.50 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 20% safer |
Brentwood Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rayleigh | 1,507 | 45.19 | 85% safer |
| Wickford | 1,777 | 50.98 | 64% safer |
| Stanford-le-Hope | 1,522 | 52.48 | 59% safer |
| Canvey Island | 3,141 | 80.85 | 3.3% safer |
| Witham | 2,205 | 81.82 | 2.1% safer |
| Brentwood | 4,758 | 83.55 | - |
| Loughton | 2,893 | 87.43 | 4.4% more dangerous |
| Braintree | 4,366 | 96.88 | 14% more dangerous |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 6,399 | 119.01 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Brentwood
View crime percentage over time forBrentwood Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 24 | 22 | 18 | 30 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Burglary | 10 | 8 | 9 | 6 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.5 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.32 | 0.39 | 0.70 | 0.44 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.1 | 5 | 7 | 8 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.58 | 0.83 | 1.2 | 0.79 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 3.5 | 4.9 | 6 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.95 | 0.61 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 20 | 26 | 30 | 30 | Getting worse |
Changes In Brentwood's Crime Rates Over Time
Offences in Brentwood's Green Spaces
We only display green spaces in Brentwood that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2020.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishops Hall Park | 18 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 8 |
| Courage Cricket Ground | 10 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| King Georges Playing Fields | 3 | - | 5 | - | 4 | 0 | 0.62 |
| Larkin's Playing Fields | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 0.70 |
| Shenfield Common | 8 | - | 1 | - | 4 | 5 | 1.4 |
| Warley Park Golf Course | 2 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0.08 |
| Weald Country Park | 12 | - | 4 | - | 4 | 6 | 0.15 |
Comparing Brentwood to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 23% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 8% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 0.40% safer |
| Brentwood | 83.55 | - |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 3.1% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 14% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 19% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 22% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 37% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 39% more dangerous |
Crime in Brentwood's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood Central | 1,405 | 118 | First |
| Brentwood North | 640 | 77 | Fourth |
| Brentwood South & Warley | 699 | 82 | Third |
| Brook Street & Pilgrim's Hatch | 664 | 95 | Second |
| Hutton | 557 | 68 | Fifth |
| Shenfield & Hutton Mount | 695 | 66 | Sixth |
Brentwood Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Brentwood for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Shenfield & Hutton Mount (197) | Brentwood Central (624) |
| Bicycle Theft | Brentwood South & Warley (3) | Brentwood Central (29) |
| Burglary | Brentwood North (41) | Brentwood South & Warley (62) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Brook Street & Pilgrim's Hatch (31) | Brentwood Central (115) |
| Drugs | Brentwood North (14) | Brentwood Central (48) |
| Other Crime | Hutton (8) | Brentwood Central (26) |
| Other Theft | Shenfield & Hutton Mount (40) | Brook Street & Pilgrim's Hatch (182) |
| Possession of Weapons | Shenfield & Hutton Mount (2) | Brentwood North (5) |
| Public Order | Shenfield & Hutton Mount (55) | Brentwood Central (159) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Brook Street & Pilgrim's Hatch (3) | Brentwood Central (17) |
| Shoplifting | Brentwood South & Warley (9) | Brentwood Central (119) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Brentwood South & Warley (1) | Brentwood Central (24) |
| Vehicle Crime | Hutton (57) | Brook Street & Pilgrim's Hatch (132) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Shenfield & Hutton Mount (172) | Brentwood Central (517) |
Crime in Brentwood During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Brentwood change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Brentwood saw a 200% increase in robbery. Brentwood saw a large fall in possession of weapons during November, when it fell by 86% compared to November in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +43% | +77% | +110% | +104% | +57% | +55% | +49% | +55% | +94% | +132% |
| Bicycle Theft | +67% | -56% | +175% | +11% | -55% | +50% | -15% | -50% | - | - |
| Burglary | +19% | -50% | -60% | -45% | +29% | -23% | -48% | -58% | -62% | -41% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -18% | -57% | -15% | -25% | -20% | +3% | +34% | -21% | -30% | -43% |
| Drugs | +43% | -42% | +157% | -10% | +43% | -18% | +20% | -27% | -8% | +17% |
| Other Crime | +86% | +75% | -29% | +20% | +67% | - | -44% | +29% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -21% | -44% | -37% | -14% | -28% | +24% | +7% | -11% | -5% | -32% |
| Possession of Weapons | -80% | - | +50% | -33% | -33% | - | +100% | - | -86% | -50% |
| Public Order | -42% | -32% | +10% | +69% | +16% | +77% | +17% | +36% | +3% | +42% |
| Robbery | -43% | - | +33% | -71% | +33% | +200% | -75% | - | -80% | -80% |
| Shoplifting | -52% | -53% | - | -24% | +5% | -27% | +14% | +12% | -45% | -7% |
| Theft From the Person | -33% | -71% | - | - | +200% | - | - | -60% | -50% | -33% |
| Vehicle Crime | +15% | -47% | -61% | -34% | +5% | +7% | -7% | -8% | -7% | +18% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -10% | -14% | -3% | +20% | +6% | +1% | +48% | -13% | -25% | -26% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Brentwood
What police force serves Brentwood?
Brentwood's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Brentwood?
Brentwood is among the top 5 most dangerous medium-sized towns in Essex.What is Brentwood's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Brentwood are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Brentwood?
Brentwood's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021