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Southend: Charges secured following imitation firearm incident
16:53 09/10/2026Officers responding to reports of a man with what appeared to be a handgun in Southend detained a suspect within minutes and recovered an imitation firearm.
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Southend: Man jailed for 13 years after targeting young girl
15:05 06/10/2026A man has been jailed for more than 13 years after detectives identified and arrested him following offences against a 11-year-old girl in Leigh.
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New Essex Police Rural Independent Advisory Group gives farmers and rural communities a stronger voice in policing
17:00 05/10/2026First meeting of Essex Police’s Rural Independent Advisory Group set up to give farmers, landowners and rural businesses a stronger voice in policing
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Southend: Marine Unit helps to tackle illegal shellfish harvesting – 22kgs seized
15:00 28/09/2026Our Marine Unit visited Chalkwell beach alongside Southend City Council and Kent & Essex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority to tackle illegal shellfish harvesting
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Westcliff man in court just 15 hours after arrest for shop theft
17:25 21/09/2026A Westcliff man has appeared at court charged with shop theft just 15 hours after being arrested
Crimes
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Priority:
Action taken:
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Priority:
We are focusing on reducing repeat shop theft across the Southend district.
Action taken:
The priority is to protect businesses, cut repeat offending, and make the town centre safer.
Officers and partners will be carrying out regular high-visibility patrols, using CCTV and shared information to spot patterns and respond quickly.
We will continue to work with retailers and youth services to prevent harm and support those at risk.
We will work with a focus within Southend High Street and alongside retailers across the whole district.
We will be identifying repeat offenders and taking positive action to disrupt further offending.
This remains in our priority and is in progress. -
Priority:
We are focusing on reducing sexual exploitation and safeguarding vulnerable people.
Action taken:
Our aim is to protect vulnerable people, reduce repeat harm, and make the area safer for residents, in doing so:
Officers will carry out regular patrols, focusing on both safeguarding and deterrence.
We will engage directly with individuals at risk to offer support, signpost services, and provide safety advice.
We are working with a focus to reducing this issue in Ambleside Drive, York Road and Woodgrange Drive in Southend-on-Sea.
We are working closely with partner agencies to tackle exploitation and support those who want to exit harmful situations.
We are identifying and taking action against those responsible for exploitation, harm, or related nuisance.
We will continue to speak with residents and encourage reporting, which helps us target activity and support those affected.
This remains in our priority and is in progress. -
Priority:
We are taking action to reduce incidents related to drugs, exploitation, theft of vehicles, theft of personal property and organised crime by focusing on engagement, prevention, early intervention, and visible policing.
Action taken:
To address reports of this crime type across the Southend district, our officers are targeting thieves, drug activities and groups linked to violence, using patrols and proactive work to disrupt offending.
We are working with a focus to reduce this issue in the areas of London Road, Southend through to Westcliff at key times, to include additional presence around the night-time economy, to prevent incidents and keep people safe.
We are committed to tackling harm and protecting our communities.
This remains in our priority and is in progress.