Meet Southend's neighbourhood police at Tesco Westcliff on 13 October, the Odeon or Asda Shoebury on the 14th, and 16 more drop-ins to 7 December. Full list.

Southend’s four neighbourhood police teams have published at least 19 drop-in sessions between now and 7 December, where anyone can raise a crime or anti-social behaviour worry face to face. The first is tomorrow morning, Tuesday 13 October, at Tesco on Prince Avenue in Westcliff.

Essex Police calls the sessions “Let’s Talk”. Each team lists its own on its neighbourhood page, with the place, the time and the postcode (Southend Central, Southend East, Westcliff, Eastwood and Leigh). We read all four on Monday 12 October and put them in one list below.

Every Southend drop-in, by date

Essex Police "Let's Talk" sessions in Southend-on-Sea, 13 October to 7 December 2026
DateTimeWhereTeam
Tue 13 Oct10am to 11amTesco, Prince Avenue, Westcliff, SS0 0JPWestcliff
Wed 14 Oct10:30am to 2pmOutside the Odeon, High Street, Southend, SS1 1TJSouthend Central
Wed 14 Oct11am to noonAsda, North Shoebury Road, Shoeburyness, SS3 8DASouthend East
Sat 17 OctNoon to 1pmHavens, 138-140 Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, SS0 7LWWestcliff
Sat 17 Oct1pm to 1:30pmChalkwell Park Café, London Road, SS0 8NLWestcliff
Sun 18 Oct11am to noonWaitrose, Fossetts Way, Eastern Avenue, SS2 4DQSouthend Central
Sun 18 Oct3pm to 4pmBelfairs Woodland Centre, Eastwood Road North, Leigh, SS9 4LREastwood and Leigh
Sun 25 Oct1pm to 1:30pmBP garage, 600 London Road, Westcliff, SS0 9HSWestcliff
Mon 26 Oct11am to noonHavens, 138-140 Hamlet Court Road, WestcliffWestcliff
Mon 2 Nov11am to noonAsda, North Shoebury Road, ShoeburynessSouthend East
Wed 4 Nov10am to 11amThe Ironworks, Leigh Community Centre, 71-73 Elm Road, SS9 1SPEastwood and Leigh
Tue 10 Nov11am to noonThe Glass House Café, Warrior Square, SS1 2NQSouthend Central
Sat 14 Nov3pm to 4pmBelfairs Woodland Centre, LeighEastwood and Leigh
Mon 23 Nov10am to 11amHavens, 138-140 Hamlet Court Road, WestcliffWestcliff
Mon 23 Nov3pm to 4pmWaitrose, Fossetts WaySouthend Central
Tue 24 Nov10:30am to 11:30amTesco, Prince Avenue, WestcliffWestcliff
Sun 6 Dec11am to noonBelfairs Woodland Centre, LeighEastwood and Leigh
Mon 7 Dec11am to noonThe Glass House Café, Warrior SquareSouthend Central
Mon 7 Dec11am to noonAsda, North Shoebury Road, ShoeburynessSouthend East

The longest session is the High Street one on Wednesday 14 October, which runs for three and a half hours outside the Odeon. Three of the four pages end in a “See more” link, so the teams may add more dates. Sessions can also be cancelled when officers are called away, so check the team’s page on the day.

What each team is dealing with

Each neighbourhood page also lists the crimes most often reported in its area. These are the August 2026 figures, the latest the pages show.

Most commonly reported crimes by Southend neighbourhood area, August 2026
AreaAll crimeTop four
Southend Central992Violence and sexual offences 390; anti-social behaviour 183; shoplifting 69; public order 67
Southend East457Violence and sexual offences 164; anti-social behaviour 100; other theft 42; shoplifting 30
Westcliff376Violence and sexual offences 135; shoplifting 59; anti-social behaviour 56; public order 27
Eastwood and Leigh264Violence and sexual offences 106; anti-social behaviour 54; public order 22; criminal damage and arson 20
Bar chart of crimes recorded in August 2026 in each of Southend's four neighbourhood policing areas: Southend Central 992, Southend East 457, Westcliff 376, Eastwood and Leigh 264.
Chart by Southend Today
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Violence and sexual offences top the list in all four areas. Westcliff is the only one where shoplifting comes second, ahead of anti-social behaviour.

All four areas recorded more crime in August than in September 2025, the first month on each page’s 12-month table:

  • Southend Central: 762 in September 2025, 992 in August 2026. The peak was 1,043 in July.
  • Southend East: 309, rising to 457. The peak was 487 in July.
  • Westcliff: 268, rising to 376. The peak was 430 in July.
  • Eastwood and Leigh: 204, rising to 264, its highest month of the year.

The same pages show the lowest month for Southend Central was January, at 678. Our August crime report compares the same month across three years for the area around the city centre.

What it means for you

  • You do not need to book. Turn up at any session, in any area, during the listed hour.
  • It is for local worries, not emergencies. Call 999 if a crime is happening or someone is in danger. For anything else, report online or on 101; a drop-in suits the issue that keeps recurring on your street.
  • Bring specifics. A place, a time of day and how often it happens help officers far more than a general complaint.
  • There is a session near most of the city. Shoeburyness, Leigh, Westcliff and the town centre each have at least three dates before Christmas.