Car theft and vehicle crime in Southend-on-Sea
Between October 2025 and September 2026, Essex Police logged 448 vehicle offences inside a one-mile radius of Southend-on-Sea. The last three months (142) ran 15% above the three before (123), so the recent direction is up.
Southend-on-Sea month by month
The busiest month was August 2026 with 50 offences; the quietest was February 2026 with 26. Offences rose 45% from the first half of the period to the second. Average: 37.3 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 27 | -10 |
| Nov 2025 | 29 | -8 |
| Dec 2025 | 28 | -9 |
| Jan 2026 | 36 | -1 |
| Feb 2026 | 26 | -11 |
| Mar 2026 | 37 | -0 |
| Apr 2026 | 49 | +12 |
| May 2026 | 38 | +1 |
| Jun 2026 | 36 | -1 |
| Jul 2026 | 45 | +8 |
| Aug 2026 | 50 | +13 |
| Sep 2026 | 47 | +10 |
How Southend-on-Sea compares
Ranked against 83 other towns, Southend-on-Sea comes 23. Its 37 offences a month are about 1.6 times the typical town in our set, next to 116 for Cardiff.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Southend-on-Sea averaged 47 vehicle offences a month. That puts central Southend-on-Sea busier than 92% of the places in our Great Britain sample. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Southend-on-Sea is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Essex Police area, Southend-on-Sea ranks 1 of the 4 centres we track at 37 offences a month. The others: Basildon (20), Colchester (13), Chelmsford (12).
Towns nearest to Southend-on-Sea
- Basildon (10 miles away): 20 a month, 46% fewer than Southend-on-Sea
- Chelmsford (17 miles away): 12 a month, 69% fewer than Southend-on-Sea
- Maidstone (21 miles away): 13 a month, 65% fewer than Southend-on-Sea
Where in Southend-on-Sea offences were recorded
These five police.uk map points account for 15% of the offences near Southend-on-Sea.
- On or near Parking Area: 22
- On or near Supermarket: 12
- On or near Boston Avenue: 11
- On or near Harcourt Avenue: 11
- On or near Crowborough Road: 9
What happened to Southend-on-Sea cases
The most common recorded outcome near Southend-on-Sea was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (346 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 346 | 77% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 51 | 11% |
| Under investigation | 22 | 5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 13 | 3% |
| Status update unavailable | 7 | 2% |
| Court result unavailable | 5 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea sees around 37 vehicle offences a month: low by city standards, yet thieves target the most valuable cars first. Numbers have climbed recently, so review how your vehicle is protected before the next August.
Against the 448 offences logged here in a year, an aftermarket immobiliser slows thieves who clone or relay keys, and an S5 or S7 tracker covers you if they still get away. See installation options.
Southend-on-Sea car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Southend-on-Sea?
In the year to September 2026, 448 vehicle crimes were logged inside a mile of central Southend-on-Sea: about 37 every month, placing it 23 of the 84 towns we track (among the higher end).
When was vehicle crime worst in Southend-on-Sea?
August 2026 was the peak with 50 offences, against 26 in February 2026. The latest month, September 2026, recorded 47.
Are car thieves caught in Southend-on-Sea?
Police.uk shows 346 of 448 Southend-on-Sea cases (77%) closed without a suspect and 19 with a court-stage outcome, so an owner is far better served by an immobiliser and tracker than by the odds of a conviction.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Southend-on-Sea?
The Southend-on-Sea total of 448 includes thefts of vehicles, thefts from them and interference: police.uk does not split these at street level, so treat it as all car crime rather than stolen cars only.
Source: police.uk, centred on 51.5459, 0.7077, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.