HMIC Crime and Policing Comparator Contextual InformationForce Performance Highlights for April 2011 to March 2012Force performance highlights for April 2011 to March 2012 compared to the same period for 2010/11:
Background information about EssexGeographyThe Essex Police District covers an area of 1,405 square miles.
For more information on the geography of Essex, visit the About Us section of our website.
Population numbersEssex has a population of 1.72 million residing in its twelve district and borough councils and the two unitary authorities of Southend-on-sea and Thurrock. It is the fifth most populous county in England with the second-largest population of any non-metropolitan county after Kent, making up almost a quarter of the population of the East of England region.
Essex has a different population structure to that of England as a whole; it has a similar proportion of children, but more older-aged people. Tendring, which incorporates the seaside towns of Clacton-on-Sea and Frinton-on-Sea, has the second-highest proportion of older people in the East of England, with more than 25% of residents over the age of 65.
Essex has a working-age population of just over one million. This equates to 60.2% of the population which is slightly less than the overall Eastern region (60.6%) and Great Britain (61.9%).
Ethnicity
Essex has 178,000 residents from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups . This comprises 116,700 residents from ethnic groups other than white and 61,300 from white minority groups (including Irish white and other white). People from all BME groups made up 10.2% of Essex residents; lower than the 16.4% across England.
Estimates show that Essex has become more diverse since the 2001 Census, with the areas closest to London and those containing the largest towns tending to have the highest concentrations of people from BME groups*. The highest proportions of people from all BME groups are in Epping Forest, Harlow and Brentwood.
Migrant population
The advent of economic migration associated with the expansion of the European Union has led to significant inward migration into Essex. A cumulative total of 15,430 migrants registered to work in Essex between May 2004 and December 2009. Migrants tend to be young adults aged 18-34 and two thirds are from Poland.
Local Priorities for Essex
The Essex Police Strategy 2012 – 15 sets a clear direction for the policing of Essex over the next three years and provides a framework for the annual plan.
To read more about local priorities for Essex, take a look at our policing plan page.
*According to the NeSS Geography Hierarchy, Resident Population Estimates for mid-2007
- 15th top performing force nationally
- Incidents of anti-social behaviour have reduced by 9657 incidents (13.5%)
- Criminal damage has been reduced by 1798 offences (9.8%)
- We continue to use a range of methods for dealing with offenders to allow victim based resolutions. Neighbourhood Resolutions were introduced in 2010 for low level offences and anti-social behaviour. They are used for first time offenders when both victim and police consider it more appropriate for the offender to resolve the incident to the satisfaction of the victim through an apology, financial recompense, or similar.This has contributed to an overall solved rate of 29.8%.
- There were 60 fewer people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions, which represents an overall reduction of 7.5%
- 31 organised crime groups have been either disrupted or dismantled across Essex – an increase of 4
- Under the Proceeds of Crime Act the force achieved seizures of £3,145,016.57 against a target of £2,420,000
- Cost savings of £17 million have been achieved via the Reform programme
Background information about EssexGeographyThe Essex Police District covers an area of 1,405 square miles.
For more information on the geography of Essex, visit the About Us section of our website.
Population numbersEssex has a population of 1.72 million residing in its twelve district and borough councils and the two unitary authorities of Southend-on-sea and Thurrock. It is the fifth most populous county in England with the second-largest population of any non-metropolitan county after Kent, making up almost a quarter of the population of the East of England region.
Essex has a different population structure to that of England as a whole; it has a similar proportion of children, but more older-aged people. Tendring, which incorporates the seaside towns of Clacton-on-Sea and Frinton-on-Sea, has the second-highest proportion of older people in the East of England, with more than 25% of residents over the age of 65.
Essex has a working-age population of just over one million. This equates to 60.2% of the population which is slightly less than the overall Eastern region (60.6%) and Great Britain (61.9%).
Ethnicity
Essex has 178,000 residents from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups . This comprises 116,700 residents from ethnic groups other than white and 61,300 from white minority groups (including Irish white and other white). People from all BME groups made up 10.2% of Essex residents; lower than the 16.4% across England.
Estimates show that Essex has become more diverse since the 2001 Census, with the areas closest to London and those containing the largest towns tending to have the highest concentrations of people from BME groups*. The highest proportions of people from all BME groups are in Epping Forest, Harlow and Brentwood.
Migrant population
The advent of economic migration associated with the expansion of the European Union has led to significant inward migration into Essex. A cumulative total of 15,430 migrants registered to work in Essex between May 2004 and December 2009. Migrants tend to be young adults aged 18-34 and two thirds are from Poland.
Local Priorities for Essex
The Essex Police Strategy 2012 – 15 sets a clear direction for the policing of Essex over the next three years and provides a framework for the annual plan.
To read more about local priorities for Essex, take a look at our policing plan page.
*According to the NeSS Geography Hierarchy, Resident Population Estimates for mid-2007