Southend-on-Sea is the most dangerous city in Essex, and is the 24th most dangerous overall out of Essex's 315 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Southend-on-Sea in 2021 was 109 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares poorly to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 26% higher than the Essex rate of 81 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Southend-on-Sea is among the top 10 most dangerous cities, and the 463rd most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In July 2021, Southend-on-Sea had the worst crime rate in Essex for bicycle theft, with 41 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.22 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2021 was also a bad month for Southend-on-Sea residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous area for burglary, recording 56 crimes at a rate of 0.30 per 1,000 residents. Southend-on-Sea recorded 147 reports of criminal damage and arson during December 2021, making its crime rate of 0.79 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 10,296 offences during 2021, giving a crime rate of 56. This is 13% higher than 2020's figure of 8,971 offences and a difference of 7.16 from 2020's crime rate of 48. Southend-on-Sea's least common crime is theft from the person, with 169 offences recorded in 2021, an increase of 15% from 2020's figure of 144 crimes.
Most Dangerous
Cities, Essex
36% higher, regional crime rate
East of England
30% higher, national crime rate
England, Wales & NI
As of 2022, the crime rate in Southend-on-Sea is 36% higher than the East of England and 30% higher than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.
| Southend-on-Sea | |
| East of England | |
| England, Wales & NI |
Incidents mapped in Southend-on-Sea represent the time frame between May 2019 and April 2022. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.
Last updated: 02 Jun, 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: 02 Jun, 2022
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| Year | Crime Rate per 1,000 people | Total Crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 109 | 20,251 |
| 2020 | 102 | 18,855 |
| 2019 | 114 | 21,014 |
| 2018 | 104 | 19,292 |
| 2017 | 82 | 15,256 |
| 2016 | 82 | 15,215 |
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| Southend-on-Sea | Essex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 5,667 | 30.61 | 38,402 | 20.80 | 32% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 346 | 1.87 | 1,650 | 0.89 | 52% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 870 | 4.70 | 5,840 | 3.16 | 33% more dangerous |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,722 | 9.30 | 13,534 | 7.33 | 21% more dangerous |
| Drugs | 756 | 4.08 | 5,362 | 2.90 | 29% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 370 | 2.00 | 3,180 | 1.72 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Theft | 1,347 | 7.28 | 10,250 | 5.55 | 24% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 190 | 1.03 | 1,182 | 0.64 | 38% more dangerous |
| Public Order | 2,254 | 12.18 | 16,425 | 8.89 | 27% more dangerous |
| Robbery | 299 | 1.62 | 1,250 | 0.68 | 58% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 792 | 4.28 | 7,095 | 3.84 | 10% more dangerous |
| Theft From the Person | 169 | 0.91 | 1,038 | 0.56 | 38% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 840 | 4.54 | 10,154 | 5.50 | 21% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 10,296 | 55.62 | 72,865 | 39.46 | 29% more dangerous |
View crime percentage over time for
| Date | Crime Type | Location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Outing Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Shoplifting | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lovelace Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Holmsdale Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Stromness Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near St Helen'S Road | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Baltic Avenue | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Stanier Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Ronald Hill Grove | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Nelson Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Milton Avenue | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Vehicle crime | On or near Westminster Drive | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Other theft | On or near Supermarket | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Robbery | On or near Balmoral Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Cobham Road | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other crime | On or near Canterbury Avenue | Further action is not in the public interest |
| April 2022 | Drugs | On or near Outing Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
| April 2022 | Criminal damage and arson | On or near Norwich Close | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Violence and sexual offences | On or near Lovelace Gardens | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| April 2022 | Other crime | On or near Rayleigh Avenue | Unable to prosecute suspect |
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 36 | 30 | 40 | 31 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4.7 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.0 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | Getting worse |
| Public Order | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 6 | 3.5 | 4.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.78 | 0.91 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4.5 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 41 | 52 | 48 | 56 | Getting worse |
We only display green spaces in Southend-on-Sea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonchurch Recreation Ground | 8 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 13 |
| Chalkwell Park | - | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2.2 |
| Cockethurst Recreation Ground | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0.55 |
| Priory Park | 11 | - | 2 | - | 5 | 3 | 1.2 |
| Shoebury Common | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0.34 |
| Shoeburyness Park | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 7 |
| Southchurch Hall Gardens | 25 | - | - | - | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| Southchurch Park | 17 | - | - | - | 5 | 6 | 2.2 |
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 67.08 | 63% safer |
| Croydon | 82.48 | 33% safer |
| Sheffield | 90.05 | 21% safer |
| Bristol | 90.52 | 21% safer |
| Coventry | 102.24 | 7% safer |
| Southend-on-Sea | 109.40 | - |
| Leicester | 111.59 | 2.0% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 123.06 | 11% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 129.64 | 16% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 132.28 | 17% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 150.94 | 28% more dangerous |
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 | 776 | 70 | 11th |
| Chalkwell | 1,171 | 111 | Fifth |
| Eastwood | 808 | 77 | Eighth |
| Eastwood Park | 487 | 51 | 13th |
| Kursaal | 2,514 | 204 | Third |
| Leigh | 614 | 59 | 12th |
| Prittlewell | 1,241 | 117 | Fourth |
| Shoeburyness | 1,012 | 84 | Sixth |
| Southend Central | 3,313 | 283 | First |
| St Lukes | 830 | 73 | Ninth |
| Thorpe Bay | 469 | 51 | 14th |
| Victoria | 3,438 | 267 | Second |
| West Leigh | 400 | 42 | 15th |
| West Shoebury | 874 | 83 | Seventh |
| Westborough | 800 | 71 | Tenth |
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 (130) | Southend Central (904) |
| Bicycle Theft | Eastwood Park (1) | Southend Central (82) |
| Burglary | Eastwood Park (16) | Southend Central (144) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | West Leigh (41) | Victoria (296) |
| Drugs | West Shoebury (13) | Southend Central (173) |
| Other Crime | Leigh (6) | Victoria (66) |
| Other Theft | Eastwood Park (24) | Kursaal (229) |
| Possession of Weapons | West Leigh (1) | Southend Central (44) |
| Public Order | West Leigh (31) | Victoria (436) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Eastwood (4) | Southend Central (80) |
| Shoplifting | Thorpe Bay (5) | Southend Central (243) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | West Shoebury (1) | Southend Central (65) |
| Vehicle Crime | West Shoebury (23) | Chalkwell (85) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | West Leigh (180) | Victoria (1,735) |
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 245% increase in robbery. Southend-on-Sea saw a large fall in theft from the person during April, when it fell by 77% compared to April in 2019. Southend-on-Sea saw consistent falls in the crime rate of several types of crime during every month of its Coronavirus lockdown, including criminal damage and arson, theft from the person, and vehicle crime.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -2% | +71% | +54% | +32% | +27% | +28% | +12% | +14% | +79% | +89% |
| Bicycle Theft | +139% | +45% | -15% | -2% | +10% | -9% | +91% | +9% | +100% | -29% |
| Burglary | -11% | +7% | -2% | -52% | -18% | +4% | -18% | -15% | -24% | +11% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -13% | -39% | -16% | -18% | -13% | -33% | -3% | -1% | - | -29% |
| Drugs | +3% | +18% | +85% | +82% | +15% | -21% | -4% | -13% | -23% | -29% |
| Other Crime | -57% | -18% | -20% | -20% | -11% | +34% | +6% | -46% | -4% | -27% |
| Other Theft | -32% | -40% | -33% | -9% | -30% | -14% | -19% | -29% | -17% | -8% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | +7% | -41% | +82% | -25% | +81% | +13% | +21% | -41% | -13% |
| Public Order | -3% | -16% | +1% | +6% | +5% | +6% | +10% | +20% | +5% | +8% |
| Robbery | -5% | -37% | - | -37% | +20% | +245% | +14% | -38% | +16% | -28% |
| Shoplifting | -32% | -62% | -58% | -65% | -10% | -16% | -38% | -18% | -43% | -42% |
| Theft From the Person | +6% | -77% | -73% | -75% | -37% | -4% | -11% | -37% | -33% | -57% |
| Vehicle Crime | -53% | -39% | -18% | -58% | -32% | -22% | +7% | -19% | -45% | -44% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | -21% | -33% | -20% | +3% | +4% | +16% | +9% | -11% | -2% | -15% |
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