Southend-on-Sea Crime Overview
Southend-on-Sea is the most dangerous city in Essex, and is the 29th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 319 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Southend-on-Sea in 2020 was 99 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 21% higher than the Essex rate of 78 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Southend-on-Sea is among the top 20 most dangerous cities, and the 514th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Southend-on-Sea had the worst crime rate in Essex for bicycle theft, with 15 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.08 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Southend-on-Sea residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 78 crimes at a rate of 0.42 per 1,000 residents. Southend-on-Sea recorded 116 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.63 the worst for criminal damage and arson in Essex that month.
The most common crimes in Southend-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences, with 8,744 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 47. This is 7% lower than 2019's figure of 9,350 offences and a difference of 3.27 from 2019's crime rate of 51. Southend-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person, with 145 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 46% from 2019's figure of 212 crimes.
Compare Southend-on-Sea to other towns and cities
See how Southend-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 Southend-on-Sea and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Southend-on-Sea Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Southend-on-Sea This Year
| Southend-on-Sea | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 7,098 | 38.34 | 49,414 | 26.76 | 30% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 367 | 1.98 | 1,867 | 1.01 | 49% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 892 | 4.82 | 7,121 | 3.86 | 20% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,729 | 9.34 | 14,037 | 7.60 | 19% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 778 | 4.20 | 6,452 | 3.49 | 17% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 358 | 1.93 | 3,205 | 1.74 | 10% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,146 | 6.19 | 9,427 | 5.10 | 18% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 207 | 1.12 | 1,196 | 0.65 | 42% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,029 | 10.96 | 15,093 | 8.17 | 25% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 231 | 1.25 | 1,227 | 0.66 | 47% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 650 | 3.51 | 7,118 | 3.85 | 10% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 145 | 0.78 | 992 | 0.54 | 31% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,038 | 5.61 | 10,550 | 5.71 | 1.8% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 8,744 | 47.24 | 65,394 | 35.41 | 25% more dangerous |
Crime in Southend-on-Sea Compared To Essex
Southend-on-Sea Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 34 | 35 | 29 | 38 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.0 | Safer |
| Burglary | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Other Theft | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.92 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | Safer |
| Shoplifting | 4.9 | 7 | 6 | 3.5 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.78 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 30 | 40 | 51 | 47 | Getting worse |
Changes In Southend-on-Sea's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Southend-on-Sea to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.71 | 46% safer |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 28% safer |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 19% safer |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 15% safer |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 15% safer |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 1.5% safer |
| Southend-on-Sea | 98.94 | - |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 3.8% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 8% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 26% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 28% more dangerous |
Crime in Southend-on-Sea's Neighbourhoods
Southend Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Southend-on-Sea, followed by Victoria in second place, and Kursaal as the third most dangerous area. Southend-on-Sea's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Eastwood Park, Thorpe Bay, and West Leigh.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blenheim Park | 861 | 77 | Ninth |
| Chalkwell | 1,207 | 115 | Fourth |
| Eastwood | 820 | 78 | Seventh |
| Eastwood Park | 447 | 47 | 14th |
| Kursaal | 2,291 | 186 | Third |
| Leigh | 685 | 65 | 12th |
| Prittlewell | 993 | 93 | Sixth |
| Shoeburyness | 1,121 | 93 | Fifth |
| Southend Central | 2,860 | 244 | First |
| St Lukes | 876 | 77 | Eighth |
| Thorpe Bay | 444 | 48 | 13th |
| Victoria | 2,965 | 230 | Second |
| West Leigh | 388 | 41 | 15th |
| West Shoebury | 702 | 67 | 11th |
| Westborough | 753 | 67 | Tenth |
Southend-on-Sea Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Southend-on-Sea for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | West Leigh (166) | Southend Central (1,150) |
| Bicycle Theft | West Shoebury (1) | Southend Central (84) |
| Burglary | West Shoebury (19) | Chalkwell (107) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | West Leigh (28) | Victoria (275) |
| Drugs | West Leigh (14) | Southend Central (158) |
| Other Crime | West Leigh (3) | Victoria (63) |
| Other Theft | West Shoebury (19) | Kursaal (189) |
| Possession of Weapons | West Leigh (2) | Southend Central (41) |
| Public Order | Westborough (45) | Victoria (399) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | St Lukes (2) | Southend Central (69) |
| Shoplifting | Eastwood Park (6) | Southend Central (147) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Shoeburyness (1) | Southend Central (66) |
| Vehicle Crime | West Shoebury (25) | Prittlewell (87) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | West Leigh (141) | Southend Central (1,321) |
Crime in Southend-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 Southend-on-Sea change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in August, when Southend-on-Sea saw a 236% increase in robbery. Southend-on-Sea saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 75% compared to April in 2019. Rates of theft from the person and vehicle crime both fell year-on-year for every month during Southend-on-Sea's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -4% | +70% | +54% | +34% | +27% | +28% | +12% | +17% | +82% | +83% |
| Bicycle Theft | +122% | +39% | -14% | -5% | +19% | -18% | +95% | +14% | +107% | -29% |
| Burglary | -9% | +13% | -2% | -50% | -15% | -1% | -25% | -20% | -18% | +16% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -16% | -41% | -17% | -19% | -11% | -36% | -5% | -1% | -1% | -31% |
| Drugs | +2% | +13% | +85% | +74% | +9% | -23% | -4% | -11% | -26% | -25% |
| Other Crime | -60% | -21% | -27% | -20% | -6% | +35% | +3% | -48% | -10% | -29% |
| Other Theft | -33% | -42% | -33% | -11% | -34% | -13% | -20% | -31% | -20% | -7% |
| Possession of Weapons | +69% | -26% | -41% | +100% | -19% | +87% | +13% | +21% | -41% | -7% |
| Public Order | -5% | -18% | -2% | +3% | +6% | +5% | +13% | +15% | +8% | +4% |
| Robbery | -5% | -39% | - | -37% | +16% | +236% | +14% | -35% | +22% | -28% |
| Shoplifting | -33% | -61% | -57% | -67% | -12% | -14% | -36% | -20% | -45% | -43% |
| Theft From the Person | - | -75% | -73% | -75% | -37% | -8% | -11% | -33% | -33% | -59% |
| Vehicle Crime | -56% | -40% | -19% | -61% | -30% | -24% | +11% | -18% | -48% | -42% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -21% | -34% | -19% | +3% | +5% | +14% | +8% | -12% | -3% | -16% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Southend-on-Sea
What police force serves Southend-on-Sea?
Southend-on-Sea's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.How dangerous is Southend-on-Sea?
Southend-on-Sea is the most dangerous city in Essex.What is Southend-on-Sea's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Southend-on-Sea are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Southend-on-Sea?
Southend-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person (inc. pickpocketing).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021