Rochford Crime Overview
Rochford is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Essex, and is the 33rd most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Rochford in 2020 was 95 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 18% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Rochford is the 72nd most dangerous small town, and the 597th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In February 2019, Rochford was the worst small town in Essex for possession of weapons, with 4 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.42 per 1,000 inhabitants. September 2018 was also a bad month for Rochford residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for burglary, recording 11 crimes at a rate of 1.1 per 1,000 residents. Rochford recorded 23 reports of criminal damage and arson during March 2017, making its crime rate of 2.4 the worst small town for criminal damage and arson in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Rochford are violence and sexual offences, with 479 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 50. This is 10% higher than 2019's figure of 431 offences and a difference of 4.99 from 2019's crime rate of 45. Rochford's least common crime is theft from the person, with 2 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 100% from 2019's figure of 4 crimes.
Compare Rochford to other towns and cities
See how Rochford shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Rochford and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Rochford Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Rochford This Year
| Rochford | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 267 | 27.77 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 3.6% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 6 | 0.62 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 63% safer |
| Burglary | 37 | 3.85 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 0.26% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 107 | 11.13 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 32% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 32 | 3.33 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 4.8% safer |
| Other Crime | 25 | 2.60 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 33% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 55 | 5.72 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 11% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 12 | 1.25 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 48% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 103 | 10.71 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 24% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.42 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 57% safer |
| Shoplifting | 14 | 1.46 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 164% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 2 | 0.21 | 992 | 0.54 | 157% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 37 | 3.85 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 48% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 479 | 49.81 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 29% more dangerous |
Crime in Rochford Compared To Essex
Rochford Compared to Nearby Small Towns
| Small Town | Total Crimes | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halstead | 870 | 71.54 | 33% safer |
| Maldon | 1,069 | 72.97 | 30% safer |
| Chigwell | 1,100 | 78.79 | 21% safer |
| Myland | 1,273 | 84.60 | 12% safer |
| Epping | 1,069 | 86.34 | 10% safer |
| Rochford | 913 | 94.95 | - |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,312 | 102.89 | 8% more dangerous |
| Harwich | 2,027 | 107.01 | 11% more dangerous |
| Tilbury | 1,721 | 121.88 | 22% more dangerous |
Rochford Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 30 | 33 | 25 | 28 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.62 | Safer |
| Burglary | 9 | 11 | 4.6 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | Safer |
| Drugs | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.73 | 1.4 | 0.83 | 1.2 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 5.0 | 8 | 11 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.62 | 0.73 | 1.1 | 0.42 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.21 | 0.83 | 0.42 | 0.21 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 25 | 43 | 45 | 50 | Getting worse |
Changes In Rochford's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Rochford to the UK's Major Cities
| Small Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 40% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 23% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 14% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 11% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 10% safer |
| Rochford | 94.95 | - |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 2.6% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 8% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 11% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 29% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 31% more dangerous |
Crime in Rochford's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochford Outer & Hawkwell East | 668 | 83 | First |
Crime in Rochford During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Rochford change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in May, when Rochford saw a 600% increase in drugs. Rochford saw a large fall in burglary during March, when it fell by 83% compared to March in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -50% | -14% | +37% | +24% | +50% | +94% | -26% | -5% | +189% | +115% |
| Bicycle Theft | - | - | - | +100% | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | -83% | -50% | +400% | - | -33% | -50% | +400% | - | -75% | +67% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -79% | -76% | -50% | -23% | -33% | +150% | -45% | +180% | -9% | -25% |
| Drugs | +100% | - | +600% | - | - | - | - | - | +75% | +50% |
| Other Crime | - | -33% | - | -33% | - | - | +100% | -67% | - | +50% |
| Other Theft | -63% | - | -50% | +25% | -43% | +14% | - | -67% | -67% | -25% |
| Possession of Weapons | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Public Order | - | -29% | - | +43% | +8% | -31% | -11% | -29% | +29% | -29% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | - |
| Shoplifting | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | - |
| Vehicle Crime | -33% | -50% | - | -67% | - | - | -50% | +200% | -33% | -67% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -13% | +11% | +10% | -3% | -31% | +20% | +46% | -21% | +36% | +6% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Rochford
What police force serves Rochford?
Rochford's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Rochford?
Rochford is among the top 5 most dangerous small towns in Essex.What is Rochford's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Rochford are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Rochford?
Rochford's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021