Crime Type

2023–2024

2024–2025

Difference

% Change

All Crime

12,448

12,574

+126

+1%

Violence Against the Person

1,567

1,459

-108

-6.9%

Residential Burglary

321

285

-36

-11.2%

Personal Robbery

77

70

-7

-9.1%

Theft of a Motor Vehicle

273

255

-18

-6.6%

Shoplifting

783

1,006

+223

+28.5%

Hate Crime

267

262

-5

-1.9%

Possession of Drugs

232

197

-35

-15.1%

Possession of Weapons

160

162

+2

+1.3%

Public Order Offences

1,136

984

-152

-13.4%

Domestic Abuse

2,648

2,505

-143

-5.4%

ASB Type

2023–2024

2024–2025

Difference

% Change

Total ASB Incidents

1,114

1,157

+43

+3.9%

Environmental ASB

71

45

-26

-36.6%

Nuisance ASB

687

896

+209

+30.4%

Personal ASB

356

216

-140

-39.3%

Questions by Members:

Answers:

Are there identifiable causes that explain the recent increase in shoplifting incidents?

Essex Police - The increase in shoplifting recorded during the reporting period can be attributed primarily to an identifiable reporting issue linked to a large national retailer operating within the district. During this period, Essex Police identified that the retailer was reporting a high volume of incidents that did not meet the threshold for theft. This included situations where items failed to scan correctly at self service checkouts, customers were subsequently required to pay, but the incident was still recorded by the retailer as a theft.

This practice resulted in an artificial inflation of recorded shoplifting offences and does not reflect a genuine increase in criminal behaviour across the district. The Essex Police Business Crime Team has escalated this issue at a senior level with the retailer to address reporting practices and to provide appropriate guidance and education to ensure crimes are reported accurately and proportionately.

As the year has progressed, these incorrectly reported offences have reduced and fallen out of the year to date figures. As a result, shoplifting across the district has decreased. As at the end of February 2026, shoplifting offences are down by 8.9 percent, equating to 88 fewer offences compared to the same period last year.

Alongside this corrective work, Essex Police continues to take a proactive approach to preventing and responding to shoplifting in Tendring. We actively promote the Shop Safe scheme and work closely with retail partners to improve prevention, reporting standards and offender management. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams focus on the most prolific shoplifters, using intelligence led patrols and enforcement activity, and where appropriate utilising post conviction tools such as Criminal Behaviour Orders to disrupt repeat offending and protect local businesses

The report indicates that 40% of our residents are dissatisfied with how crime and ASB are being dealt with in the district. It also notes that there were 29 common assaults in key locations last year. Could you provide the number of incidents recorded this year, along with their outcomes? Additionally, should we consider increasing enforcement activity, including making more arrests where appropriate, as a means of reassuring the public and improving overall perceptions of safety?

Essex Police – The reference within the report to resident satisfaction levels relates to the Essex Police’s Public Perception Survey. It is important to clarify that this data presents a broadly positive picture of public confidence in policing within Tendring. The most recent survey results for Quarter 1 of 2025 to 2026 show that 61 percent of residents agree that Essex Police are dealing effectively with crime and anti social behaviour, and 80 percent of respondents state that policing in their local area is doing a good or excellent job. Tendring continues to record the highest confidence levels of any policing district in Essex.

While perceptions of crime and anti social behaviour can be influenced by a range of factors, including local incidents, visibility and wider national commentary, Essex Police remains focused on maintaining public confidence through effective enforcement, prevention and engagement.

In relation to the reference to common assaults in key locations, I am unable to provide a specific breakdown of recorded incidents for the current year at short notice.

However, I can provide assurance regarding enforcement activity across the district. During the last 12 months, Neighbourhood and Local Policing Teams have made a total of 1,840 arrests. Of these, 841 arrests relate to offences against the person, with 747 arrests, equating to 47.4 percent, linked to domestic abuse offences. This demonstrates sustained and proactive enforcement activity, particularly in relation to safeguarding victims and addressing violent offending.

In response to the question regarding increased enforcement and arrests as a means of reassurance, Essex Police already apply a robust and proportionate approach. Where offences are committed and arrest is necessary, officers take decisive enforcement action. However, public reassurance is not achieved through enforcement alone. Visibility, problem solving, partnership working and early intervention play a critical role in improving perceptions of safety.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams continue to focus on hotspot locations, repeat offenders and community concerns, using intelligence led patrols alongside preventative and enforcement powers. This balanced approach ensures that enforcement activity is targeted and effective, while also addressing the underlying causes of crime and anti-social behaviour to support longer term improvements in community confidence.

Could you outline the targeted actions being taken to address these identified hotspots? Furthermore, what operational or strategic options have been considered to strengthen our approach, and are there additional measures that could be evaluated?

Essex Police – A range of targeted operational and partnership actions are being taken to address identified hotspot locations and the behaviours contributing to crime and anti-social behaviour.

Operationally, Essex Police is delivering focused activity through Operation Guardian and Operation Vigilant. Operation Guardian is a neighbourhood focused initiative aimed at tackling persistent crime and anti-social behaviour in identified hotspot areas. It brings together targeted patrols, problem solving and offender management to address the specific drivers of harm within local communities. The operation prioritises repeat locations and individuals, using crime data, intelligence and community feedback to ensure resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact. A strong emphasis is placed on visibility, engagement and early intervention, alongside proportionate enforcement where required.

Operation Vigilant complements this approach by focusing on higher risk offending, particularly violence and disorder in busy or vulnerable locations. It uses intelligence led deployment, enhanced uniformed and plain clothes patrols, and proactive engagement to identify risk early, disrupt offending and safeguard potential victims. Together, these operations provide a balanced preventative and enforcement-based response to hotspot areas.

These policing activities are supported by ongoing Neighbourhood Policing Team patrols to ensure a consistent presence and sustained focus beyond specific operations.

In parallel, work continues with partners to address environmental and situational factors that contribute to crime and anti-social behaviour. This includes enhanced CCTV coverage through Safer Streets funding, which strengthens preventative capability and supports evidential opportunities where offences occur.

The use of the Council Enforcement Team is proposed at this time, with an expansion of this capability also proposed as part of a strengthened partnership approach. This would be welcomed. Improving visibility and public reassurance should not rest with policing alone. An expanded council enforcement presence would enable a broader and more visible response to issues such as environmental disorder, street drinking and breaches of Public Space Protection Orders, using a wider range of powers alongside police activity and reinforcing a joined-up approach to community safety.

Strategically, this activity is delivered through a targeted hotspot policing model. Resources are deployed based on crime data and intelligence, with a clear focus on high visibility patrols, coordinated enforcement and sustained presence in priority locations. The objective is to disrupt repeat offending, deter criminal behaviour and provide immediate public reassurance, while maintaining consistent pressure on locations and individuals that generate the highest demand

How are we assessing the true extent of crime, not just the incidents that make it into official records?

Essex Police – When we talk about understanding crime in Tendring, we are careful not to rely solely on recorded crime figures. We recognise that not all harm is reported to the police or captured as a crime, particularly in a district with a large seasonal population, vulnerable communities and repeat low?level issues that can escalate over time. While Essex Police is independently assessed by HMICFRS as having good levels of crime data accuracy and compliance with national recording standards, we also recognise that accurate recording only reflects what is reported to us. To understand the true extent of crime and harm, we therefore look at a wider range of information including incident data, repeat locations and callers, victim feedback, and partnership intelligence from the council and other agencies, alongside patterns identified through local tasking meetings. This broader approach helps us identify hidden demand, intervene earlier and ensure resources are directed to the areas and communities experiencing the greatest harm, even where that harm is not always visible in official crime statistics.

What are the key reasons behind the decline in public confidence when it comes to reporting incidents to the police, and how can this be improved?

Essex Police - Public confidence in reporting incidents to the police is influenced by both local experience and wider national factors. Within Tendring, confidence remains strong. The district continues to record the highest levels of public confidence in Essex, with residents reporting that the police are doing a good or excellent job locally.

While Essex Police as a whole has seen a slight reduction in confidence, this is not reflected in Tendring. The county wide change appears to be driven largely by national and high-profile issues rather than local policing performance. This includes events elsewhere in the county, such as those linked to the Bell Hotel in Epping, alongside the wider national debate around immigration and policing. These issues can affect perception at a county level even where there is no direct local impact.

In Tendring, confidence in reporting remains supported by visible neighbourhood policing, proactive enforcement and regular community engagement. Neighbourhood Policing Teams continue to focus on accessibility, visibility and responsiveness, ensuring residents feel confident to report incidents and raise concerns.

Maintaining and improving confidence relies on clear communication, visible action and consistent engagement. By continuing to demonstrate effective local policing and addressing community concerns promptly and proportionately, Essex Police aims to sustain high levels of trust and confidence in reporting across the district.

How is the redeployment of Police Officers from this area to London, Wethersfield, and other locations affecting local policing?

Essex Police - The redeployment of police officers from Tendring to support major incidents or events elsewhere, including London, Wethersfield and other locations, has had minimal impact on local policing delivery. While officers are at times required to support large scale or high-profile operations, sufficient resources are always retained within Tendring to continue policing the district effectively.

Many of these deployments are staffed through overtime, rest day working or officers volunteering additional hours, rather than through the abstraction of core neighbourhood or response capability. This ensures that local demand, emergency response and neighbourhood policing activity within Tendring are maintained.

Tendring also benefits from reciprocal support from across the wider force when required. For example, large scale local events such as the Clacton Airshow are supported by officers from other areas, ensuring a robust policing presence without detracting from routine local policing.

Overall, resource deployment is managed carefully at force level to balance operational requirements while protecting frontline policing capability within Tendring

Please could you provide updated figures from page 22 for crime and reported ASB for 2025–26, covering as much of the year as is currently available, and at minimum the first nine months to December 2025.

In addition, please provide part?year updates for the following programmes: Girls Inspired, CARA Specialist Counselling, UTURN Project X, TIC Stronger Together, and the Women’s Safety Charter.

TDC - Updates for the Following Programmes:

Girls Inspired Programme

80 young girls have attended the programme.

We have started two Girls Inspired programmes in LIFT academy schools- Thorpe and Frinton sites.

We have 24 females referred to the course.

We have planned in first aid, mental health and wellbeing along with VAWG topics and youth crime prevention.

The project teaches:

Sports and activities.

Mentoring

Guided support

First aid awareness planned

Group well- being sessions held

Various topics covered around key subjects

Team work

Social skills

Communication skills

Mental health sessions

All the young females were engaged and participated throughout the project.

The course is linked to ASDAN so all females attending will achieve a qualification on completion

Both projects started mid-September and run to December.

CARA Specialist Counselling

Between 1^st July and 30^th September, we provided 122 specialist sexual violence counselling sessions for 18 young people from Tendring.

Based on 12 before and after questionnaires completed by young people from Tendring who completed counselling during this period:

• 100% told us that they had felt heard and believed.
• 100% told us they had a better understanding of what happened to them and how it had affected them.
• 100% told us they felt more able to recognise abusive relationships and behaviour.
• 100% told us they were using new ways to look after their mental health.
• 100% told us they felt better able to manage their self-harm (e.g. cutting, eating issues, risky behaviour or misuse of illegal substances).
• 89% described the service as excellent and 11%described it as good.

We were also able to recruit a new, very experienced young person’s counsellor to work with young people in Tendring.  She has been appointed on a free-lance basis and will start to offer sessions in early October, providing 4 sessions a week in Harwich, and providing an additional 4 sessions a week in Clacton, increasing our capacity and reducing waiting times for young people in Clacton.

UTURN Impact Project X

This project has seen 30 young people to date over 24 hours of mentoring on various days and times.

The project has achieved significant successes in supporting young females aged 11–17 who are at risk of exploitation, violence, and criminal involvement. One of the main outcomes met has been increased awareness and understanding of safeguarding issues, including county lines, domestic and peer violence, sexual exploitation, and financial crime. Through one-to-one mentoring and group workshops, participants have demonstrated improved confidence in recognising risks, making safer choices, and seeking help when needed.

A further success has been the positive impact of the weekly physical activity sessions. Dance fit, conditioning, and self-defence classes have not only improved participants’ physical fitness but also enhanced their mental well-being, resilience, and self-esteem. Several young females have reported feeling stronger, more confident, and better able to manage stress and anxiety as a result of these activities.

The programme has also successfully fostered trusted relationships between young people and mentors, creating safe spaces for open discussion and guidance. This has led to improved engagement in education, more positive peer relationships, and a noticeable reduction in risky behaviours among participants.

TIC Stronger Together

A mixed response has been received by the schools as some were very engaging and supportive of this project however unfortunately some schools were difficult to get responses from or declined to be part of the project.

Sixth Form Lift Clacton – 2 productions were delivered on the 26^th and 27^th February 2026. The feedback received from the teachers and students was extremely positive and they have requested two more dates for June and July 2026 after exam time has finished.

Manningtree – We are working with the teacher to finalise dates as unfortunately the school cancelled the previous date, but they are still keen to work with delivering this project within the school.

Colne – We are working with the school to finalise dates in the near future.

Clacton Costal Academy – 3 productions were delivered on the 14^th November 26^th and 27^th November. The feedback was again extremely positive.

Tendring Technical - We are working with the school to finalise dates in the near future.

Clacton County High – Declined the offer of this project

Women’s Safety Charter

This project was only launched on the 24^th February and the initial training to local businesses and organisations was held on the 13^th March so we are unable to provide a comprehensive update at this stage, however this will be provided later in the year as the project progresses.

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Essex Police - Please find Rolling 12 months to February 2026

Can you confirm that Appendix A (Tendring Strategic Assessment) covers the period from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.

TDC - This is correct. This information is on page 4 under 1.2 Data Parameters.

Please could the Committee be given access to the training resources provided by Karen Whybrow, with the opportunity to consider inviting her to present at a future meeting to support the Committee in forming relevant recommendations.

TDC - Karen Whybrow contact details are karenwhybro@gmail.com Karen will be able to provide her full range of training resources and her availability to attend any future meetings.

What stance has the Cabinet adopted in relation to the Women’s Safety Charter?

TDC - Cllr Peter Kotz attended the launch of the Women’s Safety Charter at the Town Hall on Tuesday 24^th February and the first training for local businesses and organisations took place Friday 13^th March. Further training sessions are to be planned throughout the year in which Counsellors are welcome to attend. A wider public launch of the charter will follow later in 2026.

The report notes that £18,900 has been allocated by the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. In your view, is this funding adequate for the Community Safety Partnership to support programmes addressing the 2026/27 priority areas?

TDC - The amount allocated to the Community Safety Partnership is decided by the Office Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. To date the Community Safety Partnership has been able to support many local organisations with their funding request however, in the last year due to the volume of applications we have not always been able to support the applicants with their full funding request but have supported with a smaller amount to help them, but we have signposted them to other funding streams which maybe able to support their project as well.

In relation to the Health Profile Statistics in report A (pages 44-46), is there a risk in relying on data that is 7–8 years old when developing the strategy, particularly given how much the world has changed post?Covid? Is more up?to?date data available?

TDC - This data was provided by Essex County Council.

Questions by Members:

Answers:

Do you think the data suggests a link between the recent closure of the front desk at Clacton Police Station and residents’ reduced ability to report crime in person?

(Chief Inspector Stuart Austin) No, I don’t believe so. While there are reductions in some areas, there are also increases in others. If the ability to report in person at the station were a significant factor, we would expect to see reductions across the board. Whilst I would prefer to see the Front Desk open to the public, Essex Police had a decision to make and upon review of what was being reported at the Clacton Front Office, the majority of interactions were enquiries rather than crime reports. I’m confident that the decrease in reporting is not linked to the closure of the front desk.

I am interested in the Stronger Together initiative and concerned that CCHS has declined to take part. Could you explain the reasons behind this decision, especially given that other schools have embraced the initiative?

(Leanne Thornton) I don’t yet have the full details on which schools have completed the course. Once the end?of?year statistics are available, we should be able to identify the reasons for any lack of engagement. I’ll need to provide that information at a later date.

(Councillor Kotz) We will explore ways to encourage greater engagement from schools.

Questions by Members:

Answers:

Is ShopSafe helping prevent shoplifting?

(CI Stuart Austin) Yes, it is. It’s especially beneficial when businesses collaborate and share information, although some prefer not to participate or choose alternative solutions instead.

Domestic abuse–related death reviews show ongoing concern that suicide rates remain high. How can we better prevent these tragedies?

(CI Stuart Austin) We need a whole?system approach where every partner plays an active role — policing, health, wellbeing services, and others. It would be helpful to understand whether there are any local hotspots, either in public spaces where targeted initiatives could be effective, or within private households or facilities where closer collaboration with health services may be needed to provide appropriate leadership.

(Leanne Thornton) Domestic Homicide Reviews are increasingly identifying cases linked to suicide. We are working with the Samaritans and other partners to strengthen suicide?prevention efforts. The Domestic Review Board at ECC is also examining domestic?related suicides, which remain a high priority on their agenda.

(Councillor Kotz) One of the things we’re focusing on within the Community Safety Partnership is the outcomes, and we may need look more deeply into working closely with our health colleagues to examine the outcomes of underlying processes in greater depth.

Could you clarify the earlier point about shoplifting — specifically, that the rise in reported incidents was due to one store recording unscanned items as shoplifting offences? Has that now been corrected in the system.

(CI Stuart Austin) Yes, it has. We’re now seeing a reduction in shoplifting, although part of that decrease reflects the fact that the retailer responsible for those mis?logged incidents dropped out of the data over a year ago. While the statistics show a downward trend, we may need another six months to understand whether this represents a genuine reduction or simply the impact of that retailer no longer appearing in the 12?month figures.

Could this be due to some businesses choosing not to participate in the ShopSafe scheme?

(CI Stuart Austin) That is a possibility. In this case, the issue involved a multinational retailer that my team, together with the Essex Police Business Crime Team, engaged with directly. There had been significant over?reporting, but their data is now aligned with what we would expect. Once we are able to assess the figures without the distortion caused by that retailer’s previous reporting, we will be in a better position to determine whether shoplifting has genuinely decreased in Tendring.

How does Operation Vigilant work in practice? If officers are patrolling in public spaces, do they proactively approach women, or how is engagement managed? We need to ensure people feel supported rather than uncomfortable.

(CI Stuart Austin) Operation Vigilant is Home Office funded. The Minister for Safeguarding, Jess Phillips MP, visited Colchester around three months ago to see the work firsthand. The operation uses a mix of uniformed and plain?clothes officers. The plain?clothes teams focus on identified hotspots, looking for individuals displaying concerning behaviours who may need to be spoken to. Even if no offence has been committed, early engagement is important, and uniformed officers will then step in to carry that out. The approach is adapted from counter?terrorism tactics, where initiating a conversation with a potential offender can be enough to disrupt or deter harmful behaviour. The aim is to have a visible and proactive presence in the places where people feel most vulnerable.

With resources being directed to areas of highest need, are you satisfied that other areas are still receiving adequate coverage?

(CI Stuart Austin) I’d always welcome more resources, but yes — I’m content with the current level of coverage. Last summer we rebranded Neighbourhood Policing and saw an uplift in neighbourhood officers, with further increases expected over the next six months once final numbers are confirmed. Tendring is a particularly challenging district to resource because of its seasonality: we have sufficient capacity in winter, but demand rises sharply in summer, which is common across seaside areas.

To support this, Operation Sunbeam provides additional officers in the District between June and September, working on a response model focused on getting to 999 calls as quickly as possible, alongside the strengthened neighbourhood teams. Historically, neighbourhood officers have had to backfill response during the summer, but with these changes we should see far greater visibility and presence throughout the peak season.

Regarding the hotspots — particularly McDonald’s in the town centre, where the same individuals are repeatedly involved — has there been any consideration of reducing licensing hours or increasing police presence in these locations?

(CI Stuart Austin) Two of those locations are already designated Operation Guardian hotspots, so we have additional officers deployed there. McDonald’s tends to attract youth?related ASB, and we make use of the PSPO powers to seize alcohol and disperse groups when necessary.

However, the perception of safety is influenced by more than police presence alone. It requires a whole?system, partnership approach, as well as consideration of the wider community factors. I’m confident that, through the CSP, we’re making strong progress in addressing these issues.

Can you give an example of a community group that receives greater protection?

(CI Stuart Austin) Yes — there are several examples where we provide enhanced engagement. For instance, we work closely with the Jaywick community, supported by our Fraud Prevention Officer, Tammy, who delivers targeted fraud?prevention workshops to make sure we’re reaching residents effectively. We also use channels like Your Local Update and the Dispatch newsletter to keep people informed in ways that suit the district’s communication habits.

We tailor our engagement to the needs and circumstances of different groups, including African families with established links in the district and other communities who may benefit from more focused support.

To what extent does the redeployment of officers, including those volunteering to work on rest days, place additional pressure on the overall budget?

(CI Stuart Austin) When there is significant disorder — such as the incidents in Epping last summer or the Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 — the associated costs can be reclaimed by the force through a Home Office grant. Regardless of these deployments, we always ensure that officers are backfilled within the district so that Tendring continues to have the appropriate level of policing.

In the context of the programme updates, what assurances do we have regarding the individuals delivering these programmes, and are volunteers and social workers fully covered under our current arrangements?

(Leanne Thornton) As the Community Safety Partnership, we commission partner organisations to deliver these programmes on our behalf. It’s the responsibility of those organisations to ensure they have the appropriately trained and equipped people in place to run and implement the programmes effectively. I’m as confident as I can be that they are meeting the standards and assurances they’ve committed to.

(Councillor Kotz) The voluntary sector is well represented within the Community Safety Partnership.

Have you seen any changes in drinking patterns that have influenced local crime rates?

(CI Stuart Austin) I haven’t seen any noticeable changes or impact on crime. The biggest shift in drinking behaviour actually came during COVID, which transformed town centres quite significantly. Tendring doesn’t have a traditional nightlife economy, but we do experience an increase in crime during the summer months linked to tourism and higher levels of drinking in caravan parks and similar locations. This makes demand more sporadic and can complicate resourcing.

Considering Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), what assurances do we have that Tendring’s heightened needs during the summer period will continue to be prioritised?

(CI Stuart Austin) I am confident. It’s very likely that Essex Police will adjust policing areas to reflect the move to LGR, although no final decision has been made yet because the full picture wasn’t known earlier. There is still some uncertainty about what the final operating model will look like. What we have seen, however, is a continued emphasis on neighbourhood policing and maintaining a strong presence at the heart of communities. That priority isn’t going to change — it’s just the structure around it that may look different.

What is the current level of hate crime in the District, and to what extent do residents understand what constitutes a hate crime?

(CI Stuart Austin) Generally, people don’t always recognise when something constitutes a hate crime, and as a result it often goes unreported. We don’t have a significant hotspot in the District overall. Pier Ward shows slightly higher levels, but that simply reflects the broader crime picture in that area rather than a specific pattern of hate crime.

All reports are investigated by the neighbourhood policing team, with a focus on understanding the community impact. At present, there’s no consistent pattern and no single group or type of incident that stands out as being highest.

Do you extract and monitor particular crime categories, and what processes are in place to respond to spikes in low?level crime, including issues like dog theft and hare coursing?

(CI Stuart Austin) We receive regular statistical updates — monthly, quarterly, and annually — through our analytic system. However, the numbers only tell part of the story. For example, robbery of business property is currently showing a 108% increase, but in real terms that equates to only around eight additional crimes over the year. This is why we place greater emphasis on volume rather than percentage change, as it provides a more accurate picture of who is actually being affected

In terms of specific issues like hare coursing, we’ve worked with the Rural Engagement Team to raise awareness and improve understanding of what it involves. Even during periods where overall crime is reducing, we’re still seeing an increase in solved crime, which is encouraging.

We review the data month by month to understand what’s happening across the District and to respond appropriately to any emerging trends.