Crime and Safety in Springfield

Last updated: 07 Jun 2026

Page highlights:

Springfield is the third safest small town in Essex, and is the 89th safest overall out of Essex's 315 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Springfield in 2026 is 34 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Essex's overall crime rate, coming in 51% lower than the Essex rate of 69 per 1,000 daytime population. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Springfield is the 62nd safest small town, and the 3,431st safest location out of all towns, cities, and villages.

In April 2025, Springfield was the worst small town in Essex for theft from the person, with 1 crime reported and a crime rate of 0.12 per 1,000 daytime population. April 2023 was also a bad month for Springfield residents, when it was Essex's most dangerous small town for possession of weapons, recording 3 crimes at a rate of 0.36 per 1,000 daytime population.

The most common crimes in Springfield are violence and sexual offences, with 187 offences during 2026, giving a crime rate of 22. This is 1.1% lower than 2025's figure of 189 offences and a difference of 0.25 from 2025's crime rate of 23. Springfield's least common crime is bicycle theft, with 0 offences recorded in 2026.

Springfield 2026 Crime Scorecard

Third Safest

Small Towns, Essex

44% lower, regional crime rate

East of England

53% lower, national crime rate

England, Wales & NI

Local Crime in Context

As of April 2026, the crime rate in Springfield is 44% lower than the East of England and 53% lower than the England, Wales & Northern Ireland overall figure.

Springfield Crime Rate Over Time

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Springfield
East of England
England, Wales & NI

Springfield Crime Map

Incidents mapped in Springfield represent the time frame between January 2016 and April 2026. Each point on the map represents an area where crimes have been recorded locally.

Use Crime Map

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 visualise the data you need.

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Design element, blobs on the right

See How Springfield Compares

You can compare Springfield's crime statistics against any other town, village, or city from across the country. Search for a location's name below to see how they stack up.

CCTV illustration

Introduction to Springfield's crime statistics

 

This crime profile provides a detailed view of crime and safety around Springfield up to April 2026, the most recent data release available. The crime figures and statistics have been calculated across each of Springfield's 124 postcodes using three area sizes for comparison:

  • Within a Five-Minute Walk
  • Within a Ten-Minute Walk
  • Within a Fifteen-Minute Walk

Individual crime risk scores and index figures are for the 12-month period ending April 2026 unless otherwise stated.

Overview map crime around Springfield

CrimeRate Insights

Looking into a specific address in Springfield? CrimeRate Insights reports convert raw numbers into practical insight for any location, from single addresses and postcodes, up to major towns and cities.

Crime rates don’t happen by themselves; they follow people and patterns. Where crowds gather - near pubs and late-night venues, around the station, by supermarkets and forecourts - incidents naturally concentrate.

That doesn’t mean an area is "bad"; it usually means footfall is higher.

Your report explores these factors in a calm, non-judgemental way, putting the numbers in context and helping you spot what’s typical for places like this.

Crime Risk Scores

Springfield • 12 Months Ending April 2026

 

The typical five-minute walk within Springfield has a crime risk score of 394. This is based on analysis of 124 nearby areas within Springfield, with "most" referring to roughly two thirds of the nearby locations.

Five Mins
394 crime risk score
Ten Mins
538 crime risk score
Fifteen Mins
666 crime risk score

Crime risk scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and consider the severity of the crimes involved, as determined by sentencing guidelines. A score of 1 represents the lowest risk, and 1,000 the highest risk. This approach ensures that - unlike overall crime rate figures - bicycle theft is not given the same importance in Springfield's risk scores as, for example, robbery, or violence & sexual offences.

Within a five-minute walk of the typical location in Springfield, crime risk scores are typically around 394, while in Essex they are average 496.

Areas within a ten-minute walk typically see crime risk scores of 538 (502 for Essex), and scores within a fifteen-minute walk are most often around 666 (Essex 509).

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Trends in Crime Risk

Springfield

 

Calculated via Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess, the Seasonality Adjusted line represents the original data with seasonality subtracted, and the Trend line has been plotted unadjusted. Overall trend direction has been identified using the Mann-Kendall trend test, and rate calculated from the slope of the best-fit line identified from linear regression.

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No trend could be found in Springfield's crime risk scores over the last 10 years, and the trend may well be static.

Looking at the previous five years, the trend in Springfield's crime risk score is down by 8%. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, cross-referencing with major cultural events and Covid's impact during this time is advised.

The risk score trend over the last year has not shown any statistically meaningful movement up or down.

Crime Rates and Indexes

Springfield

 

The CrimeRate Index shows how crime rates compare against the national average.

1.0 equals the average
2.0 is double
3.0 triple
0.5 is half and
0.25 a quarter.

Highest Crime Rates

Springfield • 12 Months Ending April 2026

 

Excluding other crime and other theft because their geographic location is often not relevant, anti-social behaviour as its definition is too wide, and bicycle theft for its specificity.

Burglary
1.31 CrimeRate Index
Robbery
1.20 CrimeRate Index
Vehicle Crime
0.73 CrimeRate Index

Burglary offences have a crime rate of 0.72 reports per 1,000 people in Springfield, which is 1.31 times the national average. This figure is calculated from 6 crime reports logged by Essex Police during the 12-month period ending April 2026.

For the same period, Essex Police recorded 1 report of Robbery in Springfield, resulting in a crime rate of 0.12 reports per 1,000, and a CrimeRate Index of 1.20.

The crime rate for Vehicle Crime is 0.73 times the national average at 2.88 reports per 1,000. This is from 24 crime reports reported to Essex Police.

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Most Significant 3-Year Increases in Crime Types

Springfield

 

Excluding other crime and other theft, anti-social behaviour, and bicycle theft, and calculated with the same STL method described in Trends in Crime Risk, using CrimeRate Index figures to identify crime types that are trending above or below the national average, and the analysis timeframe limited to the last three years.

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Violence and Sexual Offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.54 for the month of April 2026.

Three years ago, the monthly Violence and Sexual Offences CrimeRate Index was 0.52 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 3.8% over this timeframe.

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Drugs offences are trending upwards, though the CrimeRate Index three years ago is too low to measure, and the trend should be reviewed with caution.

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Vehicle Crime offences are trending upwards, and have a CrimeRate Index of 0.34 for the month of April 2026.

Three years ago, the monthly Vehicle Crime CrimeRate Index was 0.82 times the national average, and the current trend indicates an increase of 59% over this timeframe.

Most Significant 3-Year Decreases in Crime Types

Springfield

 

Calculated with the same methodology as the largest increases section above.

No significant decreases identified.

Crime Type Breakdown & Heat Map

Springfield • 12 Months Ending April 2026

 

Size and colour reflect the CrimeRate Index figures for each type of crime.

 
Springfield
Essex
East of England
Crime TypeCountRateIndexCountRateIndexCountRateIndex
Anti-Social Behaviour232.760.2115,8267.630.5474,18210.230.72
Bicycle Theft---1,2110.590.815,3250.720.99
Burglary60.721.315,3282.580.8217,5932.420.77
Criminal Damage and Arson242.880.4912,4275.980.9540,1075.510.88
Drugs91.080.616,8073.271.0618,9352.590.84
Other Crime50.600.773,3301.610.8712,2411.700.92
Other Theft151.800.4310,3774.980.8834,7034.780.84
Possession of Weapons---1,7520.840.995,9310.830.98
Public Order121.440.6110,6755.120.8832,0884.420.76
Robbery10.121.201,4330.690.584,4920.610.52
Shoplifting30.360.2013,4246.460.9143,0685.940.83
Theft From the Person---9970.490.323,6540.520.34
Vehicle Crime242.880.7310,3144.971.1627,8213.840.89
Violence and Sexual Offences18722.270.7365,64131.561.04200,68427.650.91
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Total Crime by Year

 
Springfield
Essex
East of England
YearCountRateIndexCountRateIndexCountRateIndex
202628634.150.66143,71669.140.96446,64261.530.85
202527733.120.60139,78067.680.91441,08261.310.83
202429635.360.62150,05573.450.97443,46062.340.83
202337044.610.67162,63680.641.02474,71567.510.85
202246756.460.83166,73983.601.09471,61767.780.88
202148658.380.94150,12175.781.11437,86963.510.93
202038446.110.75162,25982.341.11465,37667.880.92
201944153.090.80161,36582.251.08482,53970.870.93
201840548.170.79137,57870.550.99439,88264.910.91
201728433.680.71122,86063.430.99396,74758.760.92
2016789.280.6237,12819.191.01116,49317.300.91
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Springfield Compared to Nearby Small Towns

12 Months Ending Apr 2026

 

Small TownTotal CrimesCrime RateRate Difference
Wivenhoe35746.7337% more dangerous
Brightlingsea42746.8537% more dangerous
Frinton and Walton1,13853.1556% more dangerous
Burnham-on-Crouch50549.4945% more dangerous
Great Dunmow65148.8843% more dangerous
Springfield28634.15-
Leigh-on-Sea1,00342.0823% more dangerous
Tiptree38537.199% more dangerous
South Woodham Ferrers66740.3518% more dangerous
Saffron Walden70036.025% more dangerous
Hawkwell37029.4514% safer
Hockley27226.1523% safer

Comparing Springfield to the UK's Major Cities

12 Months Ending Apr 2026

 

City NameCrime RateRate Difference
Springfield34.15-
Cardiff79.55133% more dangerous
Newcastle upon Tyne82.69142% more dangerous
Sheffield84.09146% more dangerous
Leicester97.87187% more dangerous
Bristol104.64206% more dangerous
Birmingham105.05208% more dangerous
Liverpool106.48212% more dangerous
Leeds107.10214% more dangerous
Nottingham107.74215% more dangerous
Westminster125.00266% more dangerous

Offences In and Around Springfield's Parks & Leisure Spaces

 

Limited to spaces in Springfield that are named and have had crimes recorded within their boundaries in the 12 months to Apr 2026.

NameASBDrugsPublic OrderRobberyVSOAll Others
Boleyn Gardens213161

Recent Crimes in Springfield

The 20 most recent crime reports in Springfield.

 

DateCrime TypeLocationOutcome
April 2026Anti-social behaviourOn or near Wavell Close
April 2026Criminal damage and arsonOn or near Barn Green
April 2026DrugsOn or near Daisy Court
April 2026DrugsOn or near Perriclose
April 2026Other theftOn or near Daisy Court
April 2026Public orderOn or near Pump Lane
April 2026Public orderOn or near Churchill Rise
April 2026Vehicle crimeOn or near Harness Close
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Trenchard Crescent
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Pump Lane
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Churchill Rise
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Lupin Mews
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Lily Close
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Petunia Crescent
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Petunia Crescent
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Wallflower Court
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Rubens Gate
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Shire Close
April 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Pump Lane
March 2026Violence and sexual offencesOn or near Raphael Drive

Methodology & Data Sources

Springfield Crime Report

 

Data Sources & Processing

Every month, CrimeRate processes crime reports from data.police.uk, the UK's official provider of open crime report data. Each crime report includes anonymised coordinates, most often "snapped" to the middle of the nearest street, or to the nearest major landmark. The reports also include the month and year the crime was reported, as well as the type of crime.

Data releases on data.police.uk happen once a month, with a two-month delay. This means that, for example, crimes reported in Springfield during June 2026 will typically become available in August 2026. The latest release is for Apr 2026 and was released in Jun 2026. To provide current and historical crime statistics, CrimeRate processed 61,669,232 crime reports for the latest release.

Springfield Data Points

For Springfield, CrimeRate uses the geographic boundaries provided by The Office for National Statistics in the December 2023 release of their Parishes and Non Civil Parished Areas dataset, using the PARNCP23CD column value E04013172.

Due to the 2021 Census being conducted during a UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown, the daytime population figures released so far cannot be relied on for purposes such as comparing crime rates. Instead, CrimeRate uses Springfield's daytime - or "workday" - population of 5,099 from the ONS 2011 Census for calculations throughout the site.

All geographic boundaries use the full resolution - extent of the realm versions where provided to avoid missing crime reports near coastlines and rivers - the banks of the Thames in particular - that would otherwise not be included when using the clipped to the coastline datasets.

Springfield geographic boundaries light outline
CrimeRate's boundaries for Springfield

Calculating Crime Rates

CrimeRate locates the UK region, county, and town/city/village locality for each crime report, and calculates the crime rate by taking the sum of all crime reports, dividing it by the locality's daytime / "workday" population, and multiplying the result by 1,000 to get the crime rate per 1,000.

Crime Risk Score Calculations

CrimeRate calculates crime counts for local, nearby, and wider areas for every postcode in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The postcodes locations are deduplicated by a process that ensures distinct points are approximately 50 metres apart. This process removes the bias that would otherwise come from counting the same crimes several times in heavily populated areas.

Using a custom algorithm developed in-house, CrimeRate applies a crime severity weighting to each area's crime counts, based on the type of crime reported. This increases or decreases the crime count, or zeroes it out entirely, depending on the crime type. A separate crime severity rate is then calculated, standardised, and scaled to fit the crime risk score range of 1 to 1,000, with 1 being the lowest score, and 1,000 the highest.

Crime risk scores undergo further analysis per town, city, and village plus other areas including police forces and neighbourhoods. CrimeRate uses percentiles to work out the most common range of crime risk scores in each locality. This includes identifying the high and low bounds where approximately 68% of scores fall, and finding the median (50th percentile) for easy reference.

The crime types with a weight of zero are: Anti-Social Behaviour; Bicycle Theft; Other Crime; Other Theft; and Shoplifting. The highest weights to are assigned to Violence & Sexual Offences, and the lowest to Vehicle Crime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Crime in Springfield

 

What police force serves Springfield?
Springfield's local territorial police force is the Essex Police.

How dangerous is Springfield?
Springfield is the third safest small town in Essex.

What is Springfield's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Springfield are violence and sexual offences.

What is the least common crime in Springfield?
Springfield's least common crime is bicycle theft.