Grays Crime Overview
Grays is the third most dangerous major town in Essex, and is the 32nd most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Grays in 2020 was 96 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 19% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Grays is the 36th most dangerous major town, and the 570th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2020, Grays had the worst crime rate in Essex for shoplifting, with 80 crimes reported and a crime rate of 1.1 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2017 was also a bad month for Grays residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for bicycle theft, recording 24 crimes at a rate of 0.32 per 1,000 residents. Grays recorded 90 reports of vehicle crime during February 2017, making its crime rate of 1.2 the worst for vehicle crime in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Grays are violence and sexual offences, with 2,873 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 38. This is 1.5% lower than 2019's figure of 2,916 offences and a difference of 0.56 from 2019's crime rate of 39. Grays's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 72 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 12% from 2019's figure of 81 crimes.
Compare Grays to other towns and cities
See how Grays shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Grays and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Grays Crime Map
Crime in Grays Compared To Essex
Summary of Crimes in Grays This Year
| Grays | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,491 | 32.95 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 84 | 1.11 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 9% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 310 | 4.10 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 6% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 666 | 8.81 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 14% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 255 | 3.37 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 3.6% safer |
| Other Crime | 161 | 2.13 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 18% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 466 | 6.16 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 17% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 72 | 0.95 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 32% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 649 | 8.59 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 4.9% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 98 | 1.30 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 49% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 766 | 10.13 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 62% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 84 | 1.11 | 992 | 0.54 | 51% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 786 | 10.40 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 45% more dangerous |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 2,873 | 38.01 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 7% more dangerous |
Grays Compared to Nearby Major Towns
| Major Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford | 8,752 | 73.70 | 30% safer |
| Colchester | 12,756 | 92.35 | 4.1% safer |
| Grays | 7,270 | 96.17 | - |
| Harlow | 9,580 | 109.88 | 12% more dangerous |
| Basildon | 14,364 | 122.06 | 21% more dangerous |
Crime Over Time in Grays
View crime percentage over time forGrays Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 29 | 25 | 25 | 33 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 7 | 6 | 4.9 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.77 | 0.77 | 1.1 | 0.95 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 16 | 18 | 17 | 10 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 24 | 30 | 39 | 38 | Getting worse |
Changes In Grays's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Grays to the UK's Major Cities
| Major Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 42% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 24% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 16% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 12% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 12% safer |
| Grays | 96.17 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 1.3% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 7% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 10% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 28% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 30% more dangerous |
Crime in Grays's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chafford & North Stifford | 409 | 50 | Sixth |
| Grays Chafford Gorges & Orsett Road | 927 | 99 | Third |
| Grays Town | 1,231 | 122 | Second |
| Little Thurrock South | 530 | 69 | Fifth |
| Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside | 3,000 | 196 | First |
| South Chafford | 568 | 70 | Fourth |
Grays Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Grays for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Chafford & North Stifford (157) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (869) |
| Bicycle Theft | Chafford & North Stifford (3) | Grays Town (26) |
| Burglary | Chafford & North Stifford (14) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (120) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Chafford & North Stifford (38) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (227) |
| Drugs | Little Thurrock South (13) | Grays Chafford Gorges & Orsett Road (61) |
| Other Crime | Little Thurrock South (11) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (57) |
| Other Theft | Chafford & North Stifford (10) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (208) |
| Possession of Weapons | South Chafford (4) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (25) |
| Public Order | Chafford & North Stifford (37) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (231) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Chafford & North Stifford (5) | Grays Town (24) |
| Shoplifting | Little Thurrock South (14) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (503) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Chafford & North Stifford (2) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (48) |
| Vehicle Crime | Grays Chafford Gorges & Orsett Road (57) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (519) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Chafford & North Stifford (203) | Purfleet, South Stifford & Lakeside (912) |
Crime in Grays During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Grays change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in November, when Grays saw a 267% increase in theft from the person. Grays saw a large fall in shoplifting during May, when it fell by 85% compared to May in 2019. Rates of criminal damage and arson and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Grays's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | - | +68% | +57% | +45% | +13% | +5% | +22% | +35% | +69% | +76% |
| Bicycle Theft | -17% | +40% | -14% | -30% | -38% | -11% | +50% | -9% | -20% | +50% |
| Burglary | -41% | - | -51% | -23% | -33% | -30% | +29% | +43% | +28% | -28% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -17% | -5% | -50% | -17% | -5% | -8% | -12% | -24% | +2% | -29% |
| Drugs | -23% | +100% | +25% | +6% | -16% | +23% | -5% | -9% | -26% | -24% |
| Other Crime | +9% | - | +64% | +6% | -33% | +25% | +50% | -16% | +25% | -46% |
| Other Theft | -12% | -80% | -61% | +29% | -47% | +18% | +41% | +23% | -17% | -28% |
| Possession of Weapons | -85% | -77% | +40% | -14% | +100% | +75% | +150% | -17% | +100% | -78% |
| Public Order | +2% | -20% | -23% | -31% | -21% | +70% | -20% | -16% | -42% | -17% |
| Robbery | -71% | -80% | -81% | -14% | - | +160% | +50% | +88% | -61% | -30% |
| Shoplifting | -30% | -69% | -85% | -68% | -46% | -9% | -17% | -26% | -55% | -42% |
| Theft From the Person | -9% | - | -43% | -20% | +100% | +133% | -20% | +22% | +267% | -44% |
| Vehicle Crime | -49% | -45% | -55% | -49% | -32% | -26% | -23% | +2% | -27% | -26% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +8% | -22% | -22% | -27% | -20% | +7% | +11% | -1% | +15% | -6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Grays
What police force serves Grays?
Grays's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Grays?
Grays is the third most dangerous major town in Essex.What is Grays's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Grays are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Grays?
Grays's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 07 May 2021