Clacton-on-Sea Crime Overview
Clacton-on-Sea is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Essex, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Clacton-on-Sea in 2020 was 119 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 35% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Clacton-on-Sea is among the top 20 most dangerous medium-sized towns, and the 281st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In March 2019, Clacton-on-Sea had the worst crime rate in Essex for possession of weapons, with 14 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.26 per 1,000 inhabitants. August 2019 was also a bad month for Clacton-on-Sea residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for robbery, recording 18 crimes at a rate of 0.33 per 1,000 residents. Clacton-on-Sea recorded 34 reports of drugs during May 2016, making its crime rate of 0.63 the worst for drugs in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Clacton-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences, with 3,315 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 62. This is 2.9% higher than 2019's figure of 3,219 offences and a difference of 1.78 from 2019's crime rate of 60. Clacton-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person, with 40 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 45% from 2019's figure of 58 crimes.
Compare Clacton-on-Sea to other towns and cities
See how Clacton-on-Sea shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Clacton-on-Sea and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Clacton-on-Sea Crime Map
Crime in Clacton-on-Sea Compared To Essex
Summary of Crimes in Clacton-on-Sea This Year
| Clacton-on-Sea | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 1,886 | 35.08 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 24% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 94 | 1.75 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 42% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 261 | 4.85 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 20% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 675 | 12.55 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 39% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 310 | 5.77 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 40% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 142 | 2.64 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 34% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 360 | 6.70 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 24% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 67 | 1.25 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 48% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 683 | 12.70 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 36% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 44 | 0.82 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 20% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 247 | 4.59 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 16% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 40 | 0.74 | 992 | 0.54 | 27% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 161 | 2.99 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 91% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 3,315 | 61.65 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 43% more dangerous |
Clacton-on-Sea Compared to Nearby Medium-Sized Towns
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canvey Island | 3,141 | 80.85 | 47% safer |
| Witham | 2,205 | 81.82 | 45% safer |
| Brentwood | 4,758 | 83.55 | 42% safer |
| Loughton | 2,893 | 87.43 | 36% safer |
| Braintree | 4,366 | 96.88 | 23% safer |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 6,399 | 119.01 | - |
Crime Over Time in Clacton-on-Sea
View crime percentage over time forClacton-on-Sea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 40 | 36 | 32 | 35 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Burglary | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.0 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Public Order | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.82 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4.6 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.74 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 6 | 8 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 41 | 53 | 60 | 62 | Getting worse |
Changes In Clacton-on-Sea's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Clacton-on-Sea to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 76% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 54% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 43% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 39% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 38% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 22% safer |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 16% safer |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 11% safer |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 119.01 | - |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 11% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 13% more dangerous |
Crime in Clacton-on-Sea's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clacton Central | 2,233 | 311 | First |
| Clacton East | 1,052 | 126 | Second |
| Clacton North | 516 | 74 | Fourth |
| Clacton Rush Green | 840 | 103 | Third |
| Holland-on-Sea | 282 | 42 | Fifth |
Clacton-on-Sea Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Clacton-on-Sea for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Holland-on-Sea (101) | Clacton Central (681) |
| Bicycle Theft | Clacton North (1) | Clacton Central (54) |
| Burglary | Holland-on-Sea (13) | Clacton Central (72) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Holland-on-Sea (34) | Clacton Central (192) |
| Drugs | Holland-on-Sea (9) | Clacton Central (141) |
| Other Crime | Clacton North (6) | Clacton Central (42) |
| Other Theft | Holland-on-Sea (19) | Clacton Central (137) |
| Possession of Weapons | Holland-on-Sea (1) | Clacton Central (28) |
| Public Order | Holland-on-Sea (25) | Clacton Central (250) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Clacton North (1) | Clacton Central (20) |
| Shoplifting | Clacton Rush Green (8) | Clacton Central (141) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Clacton Rush Green (1) | Clacton Central (27) |
| Vehicle Crime | Clacton North (14) | Clacton East (33) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Holland-on-Sea (138) | Clacton Central (1,101) |
Crime in Clacton-on-Sea During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Clacton-on-Sea change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in September, when Clacton-on-Sea saw a 300% increase in theft from the person. Clacton-on-Sea saw a large fall in bicycle theft during March, when it fell by 86% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -14% | +30% | +22% | +20% | +15% | +3% | -10% | -16% | +74% | +55% |
| Bicycle Theft | -86% | -44% | +75% | -14% | -52% | +50% | +60% | -38% | +50% | - |
| Burglary | -44% | -38% | +22% | -21% | -31% | -39% | -17% | +13% | -31% | +38% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -10% | +14% | -10% | -9% | -18% | +11% | +26% | +35% | -13% | -15% |
| Drugs | -54% | +4% | +160% | -8% | -11% | +20% | +33% | +4% | +4% | - |
| Other Crime | -10% | +33% | -27% | -40% | +33% | +50% | -8% | -7% | -50% | -45% |
| Other Theft | - | -24% | -63% | -40% | -40% | +13% | -9% | +14% | -21% | +37% |
| Possession of Weapons | -29% | - | -25% | -20% | -71% | +38% | +100% | +17% | -54% | +20% |
| Public Order | -8% | -25% | +6% | -14% | -4% | +28% | -24% | +1% | +7% | -3% |
| Robbery | -86% | -50% | +50% | +200% | -75% | -83% | -30% | -75% | - | +33% |
| Shoplifting | -57% | -74% | -85% | -76% | -9% | -59% | -25% | -35% | -37% | -28% |
| Theft From the Person | -25% | -75% | -40% | -43% | - | -50% | +300% | -67% | -75% | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -71% | -74% | -48% | -55% | -55% | -81% | -70% | -81% | -65% | -19% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +2% | -6% | -16% | +26% | +5% | +7% | +5% | +26% | -11% | +8% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Clacton-on-Sea
What police force serves Clacton-on-Sea?
Clacton-on-Sea's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Clacton-on-Sea?
Clacton-on-Sea is the most dangerous medium-sized town in Essex.What is Clacton-on-Sea's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Clacton-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Clacton-on-Sea?
Clacton-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 07 May 2021