Rayleigh is the second safest medium-sized town in Essex, and is the 149th safest overall out of Essex's 315 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Rayleigh in 2021 was 44 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 83% lower than the Essex rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Rayleigh is the 24th safest medium-sized town, and the 3,975th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In October 2018, Rayleigh was the worst MediumTown.ToInlineText() in Essex for theft from the person, with 5 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.15 per 1,000 inhabitants. March 2016 was also a bad month for Rayleigh residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous MediumTown.ToInlineText() for possession of weapons, recording 2 crimes at a rate of 0.06 per 1,000 residents. Rayleigh recorded 11 reports of bicycle theft during September 2015, making its crime rate of 0.33 the worst MediumTown.ToInlineText() for bicycle theft in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Rayleigh are violence and sexual offences, with 760 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 23. This is 6% higher than 2020's figure of 714 offences and a difference of 1.38 from 2020's crime rate of 21. Rayleigh's least common crime is theft from the person, with 9 offences recorded in 2021, a decrease of 133% from 2020's figure of 21 crimes.
Second Safest
Medium-Sized Towns, Essex
59% lower, regional crime rate
East of England
64% lower, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Rayleigh is 59% lower than the East of England and 64% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Rayleigh | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Rayleigh represent the time frame between April 2019 and March 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
Hover over a point to see a breakdown of crime types recorded at that location. You can also filter by individual crime types, or use a combinations of offences to visualize the data you need.
Last updated: 11 May, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44 | 1,479 |
| 2020 | 45 | 1,492 |
| 2019 | 52 | 1,732 |
| 2018 | 46 | 1,545 |
| 2017 | 37 | 1,245 |
| 2016 | 37 | 1,220 |
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| Rayleigh | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 370 | 11.10 | 38,402 | 20.80 | 87% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 18 | 0.54 | 1,650 | 0.89 | 65% safer |
| Burglary | 66 | 1.98 | 5,840 | 3.16 | 60% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 138 | 4.14 | 13,534 | 7.33 | 77% safer |
| Drugs | 45 | 1.35 | 5,362 | 2.90 | 115% safer |
| Other Crime | 22 | 0.66 | 3,180 | 1.72 | 161% safer |
| Other Theft | 108 | 3.24 | 10,249 | 5.55 | 71% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 12 | 0.36 | 1,182 | 0.64 | 78% safer |
| Public Order | 164 | 4.92 | 16,425 | 8.89 | 81% safer |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.39 | 1,250 | 0.68 | 74% safer |
| Shoplifting | 35 | 1.05 | 7,095 | 3.84 | 266% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 9 | 0.27 | 1,038 | 0.56 | 107% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 89 | 2.67 | 10,154 | 5.50 | 106% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 760 | 22.79 | 72,864 | 39.46 | 73% safer |
| Medium-Sized Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billericay | 1,241 | 43.70 | 1.5% safer |
| Rayleigh | 1,479 | 44.35 | - |
| Wickford | 1,873 | 53.73 | 17% more dangerous |
| Stanford-le-Hope | 1,559 | 53.75 | 17% more dangerous |
| Brentwood | 4,471 | 78.51 | 44% more dangerous |
| Canvey Island | 3,079 | 79.26 | 44% more dangerous |
| Loughton | 2,941 | 88.88 | 50% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near Claydons Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Kings Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near King George'S Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Boston Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Hockley Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Parking Area | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Creswick Avenue | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lansdowne Drive | Further action is not in the public interest |
| March 2022 | Drugs | On or near Church Street | Local resolution |
| March 2022 | Burglary | On or near Upway | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Danbury Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near York Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near London Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Public order | On or near Parking Area | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Bellingham Lane | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Other theft | On or near High Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Church Street | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Jubilee Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Prison | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| March 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Hambro' Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 0.39 | 0.45 | 0.39 | 0.54 | Getting worse |
| Burglary | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 4.8 | 7 | 3.3 | 4.1 | Safer |
| Drugs | 0.66 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.75 | 0.66 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 4.7 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.27 | 0.57 | 0.33 | 0.36 | Safer |
| Public Order | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.30 | 0.39 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 4.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.84 | 0.51 | 0.63 | 0.27 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.5 | 5 | 4.4 | 2.7 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 18 | 21 | 21 | 23 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Rayleigh that are named, and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries during 2021.
| Name | ASB | Drugs | Public Order | Robbery | VSO | All Others | Crimes per Hectare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King George's Field | 6 | - | 1 | - | 5 | 3 | 3.7 |
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 39.93 | 11% safer |
| Rayleigh | 44.35 | - |
| Birmingham | 49.60 | 11% more dangerous |
| Barnet | 67.08 | 34% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 46% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 90.03 | 51% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 51% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 60% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 64% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 66% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 71% more dangerous |
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rayleigh North East | 248 | 30 | Second |
| Rayleigh South East | 221 | 27 | Third |
| Rayleigh South West | 612 | 68 | First |
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Rayleigh change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Rayleigh saw a 600% increase in drugs. Rayleigh saw a large fall in other crime during June, when it fell by 88% compared to June in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -70% | -24% | -13% | +58% | +29% | +47% | +25% | +75% | +146% | +62% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | +200% | - | +200% | - | -67% | - | - | - |
| Burglary | - | -75% | -76% | -67% | - | +67% | -64% | -75% | -56% | -60% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -15% | -87% | -71% | -61% | -44% | -31% | -32% | -21% | -32% | -67% |
| Drugs | -80% | -43% | - | - | -50% | +80% | +40% | +600% | +67% | -29% |
| Other Crime | -67% | - | +100% | -88% | - | -20% | +100% | -50% | - | -50% |
| Other Theft | -58% | -69% | -73% | -62% | +10% | -42% | -60% | -11% | -27% | +29% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | -33% | -20% | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | -88% | +58% | +15% | - | +71% | -6% | +129% | -46% | +33% |
| Robbery | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | -33% | -67% | +67% | - | -75% | -50% | +67% | -40% |
| Theft From the Person | -33% | - | - | - | - | - | -33% | - | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -83% | -46% | -23% | +60% | -18% | +111% | -32% | -17% | - | -42% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -32% | -49% | -37% | -21% | +76% | +50% | +7% | -12% | +68% | +11% |
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