Leigh-on-Sea Crime Overview
Leigh-on-Sea is the second safest small town in Essex, and is the 65th safest overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Leigh-on-Sea in 2020 was 28 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 181% lower than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Leigh-on-Sea is the 98th safest small town, and the 4,417th safest location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In August 2020, Leigh-on-Sea was the worst small town in Essex for bicycle theft, with 7 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.30 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2020 was also a bad month for Leigh-on-Sea residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 residents. Leigh-on-Sea recorded 3 reports of theft from the person during July 2020, making its crime rate of 0.13 the worst small town for theft from the person in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Leigh-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences, with 251 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 11. This is 9% higher than 2019's figure of 228 offences and a difference of 0.99 from 2019's crime rate of 10. Leigh-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person, with 4 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 8 crimes.
Compare Leigh-on-Sea to other towns and cities
See how Leigh-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 Leigh-on-Sea and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Leigh-on-Sea Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Leigh-on-Sea This Year
| Leigh-on-Sea | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 324 | 13.89 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 93% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 36 | 1.54 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 34% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 46 | 1.97 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 96% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 70 | 3.00 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 153% safer |
| Drugs | 30 | 1.29 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 171% safer |
| Other Crime | 13 | 0.56 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 211% safer |
| Other Theft | 36 | 1.54 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 231% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 7 | 0.30 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 117% safer |
| Public Order | 67 | 2.87 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 185% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.26 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 154% safer |
| Shoplifting | 10 | 0.43 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 795% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 4 | 0.17 | 992 | 0.54 | 218% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 71 | 3.04 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 88% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 251 | 10.76 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 229% safer |
Crime in Leigh-on-Sea Compared To Essex
Leigh-on-Sea Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Baddow | 155 | 10.33 | 168% safer |
| Leigh-on-Sea | 647 | 27.73 | - |
| Springfield | 667 | 31.76 | 13% more dangerous |
| Hawkwell | 415 | 32.90 | 16% more dangerous |
| Wivenhoe | 264 | 33.21 | 17% more dangerous |
| Hockley | 354 | 35.56 | 22% more dangerous |
| Stanway | 409 | 38.09 | 27% more dangerous |
Leigh-on-Sea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.8 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.64 | 0.51 | 0.73 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.47 | 0.56 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 2.0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.04 | 0.13 | 0.34 | 0.30 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.09 | 0.43 | 0.13 | 0.26 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 1.6 | 0.99 | 0.47 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.21 | 0.26 | 0.34 | 0.17 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.3 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 3.0 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | Getting worse |
Changes In Leigh-on-Sea's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Leigh-on-Sea to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Leigh-on-Sea | 27.73 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 59% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 64% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 67% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 68% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 68% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 72% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 73% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 74% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 79% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 80% more dangerous |
Crime in Leigh-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 Leigh-on-Sea change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Leigh-on-Sea saw a 800% increase in public order. Leigh-on-Sea saw a large fall in burglary during November, when it fell by 88% compared to November in 2019. Vehicle Crime saw a fall in every month of Leigh-on-Sea's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +109% | +33% | +50% | -7% | +53% | +3% | +5% | -11% | +62% | +273% |
| Bicycle Theft | +200% | +300% | -17% | -50% | -38% | +133% | -67% | - | +50% | - |
| Burglary | -20% | -60% | -50% | -25% | -57% | +400% | +100% | +700% | -88% | -33% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +133% | -38% | -44% | -13% | -50% | +200% | +150% | -40% | - | +20% |
| Drugs | - | - | +200% | +600% | +200% | -50% | - | -33% | +100% | -75% |
| Other Crime | +100% | - | +50% | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - |
| Other Theft | - | - | - | +100% | +67% | -83% | - | +200% | - | -33% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% |
| Public Order | +25% | +75% | +100% | +100% | -50% | +17% | -57% | +800% | -80% | +67% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | -67% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | +200% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -10% | -57% | -64% | -17% | -73% | -27% | -63% | -14% | +17% | -71% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -17% | -17% | -25% | +19% | +6% | +121% | +10% | -5% | +53% | +73% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Leigh-on-Sea
What police force serves Leigh-on-Sea?
Leigh-on-Sea's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Leigh-on-Sea?
Leigh-on-Sea is the second safest small town in Essex.What is Leigh-on-Sea's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Leigh-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Leigh-on-Sea?
Leigh-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021