Crime in Rayleigh
Recorded crime in Rayleigh is about the Rochford average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 14%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Rayleigh: about 24,220 residents in 25 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −14%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.0×the Rochford average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Rayleigh.
Crime over 5 years
Down 14% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Rayleigh, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the Rochford average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 49 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 68% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 68% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 10 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Rochford (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Rochford council area, not only Rayleigh. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 129 | 1.4 | Down 23% |
| Cars broken into | 78 | 0.87 | Down 17% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 201 | 2.2 | Down 5% |
| Burglary of homes | 108 | 1.2 | Up 8% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 0 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in SS6
In SS6, the postcode district at the centre of Rayleigh, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 724 | 7% | 9% | 70% | 11% | 3% |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 17% | 17% | 15% | 49% | 2% |
| Public order | 118 | 9% | 5% | 55% | 24% | 7% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 108 | 4% | 6% | 31% | 55% | 4% |
| Other theft | 104 | 1% | 2% | 34% | 54% | 10% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 93 | 3% | 1% | 11% | 82% | 3% |
| Burglary | 71 | 7% | 1% | 8% | 79% | 4% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 4% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 2.4 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 22.1 |
| Drugs | 1.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 3.8 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 4.2 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 4.5 |
| Public order | 4.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.4 |
| Shoplifting | 3.1 |
Postcode districts in Rayleigh
Nearby towns
Council: Rochford
Questions about crime in Rayleigh
- Is Rayleigh a safe place to live?
- Rayleigh scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is about the Rochford average.
- Is crime going up or down in Rayleigh?
- Down 14% over 5 years, from 1,353 recorded crimes a year to 1,168.
- What is the most common crime in Rayleigh?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 22 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Rayleigh compare with Rochford?
- Crime severity in Rayleigh is about the Rochford average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Rayleigh?
- In SS6, the postcode district at the centre of Rayleigh, 8% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 30% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Rayleigh?
- Of 71 burglaries reported in SS6, the postcode district at the centre of Rayleigh between September 2024 and August 2025, 7% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Rayleigh?
- In Rochford, the council area Rayleigh is in, the police recorded 129 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.4 per 1,000 residents, down 23% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Rayleigh?
- 201 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Rochford, the council area Rayleigh is in, 2.2 per 1,000 residents, 0.5 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Rayleigh last year?
- No homicides (murder or manslaughter) were recorded in 2025/26, in Rochford, the council area Rayleigh is in, against 0 the year before.