Southend: Work by officers leads to 40% fall in violence

The work of officers tackling incidents of violence in Southend has led to a significant decrease in serious incidents across the city.

Since our sustained and significant policing operation was launched in the very early part of October we’ve seen a 40% decrease in incidents of serious violence in Southend.

And in that time, of a group of about ten people who we had identified as being involved in a number of incidents, nine have been charged with offences which have seen them remanded into custody.

For those who are not in custody at this stage, they are the subject of targeted and regular monitoring by officers. This is to ensure their opportunity to commit crime is severely curtailed.

Our work to tackle this group – and others who we believe are connected – will continue throughout December and into 2025.

Chief Inspector Dave Browning, Southend district commander, said:

“I felt it was important to keep the community updated on our operation, which at this stage has led to a significant drop in incidents of serious violence in our city.

“I’ve spoken before about the impact a small group of people involved in criminality can have on our wider community. I hope these numbers we’ve given today bear that out.

“For us, though, nothing changes. We’re continuing to target the people who believe are causing harm in our communities or at risk of causing harm in the community and working with them to prevent that happening.”

Ch Insp Browning added:

“Of course, we can only do this with the support of the public, in terms of reporting concerning behaviour or incidents to us. We’re really fortunate that 78% of people in Southend tell us that they believe we’re doing a good or excellent job.

“I know there’s still more to work on – there always is – but we’re thankful to the public for their help. I know the incidents which made news headlines over the summer period are not reflective of our city and I hope our community feels that way too.”

The district commander added:

“I also want to be honest with the community – I am a realist and I know it is possible that incidents which are not connected to the previous series may take place solely because Southend is a popular place with high footfall and a vibrant nightlife, albeit I am determined to prevent them.

“Should that be the case, we will be there to deal with them quickly and robustly.”

Cllr Martin Terry, cabinet member for community safety, added:

“Southend is a fantastic place to live, work, and visit, and our close collaboration with the police and other partners through the Southend Community Safety Partnership is delivering real results.

“The recent decrease in serious violence highlights the impact of this teamwork, and I’m proud of the leadership Southend has shown in driving these efforts.

“Together, we’ll continue to focus on keeping our city safe and urge residents to support us in creating an even safer environment for all.”

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