The County

Essex is home to approximately 1.9 million people and continues to grow rapidly, connecting the country with major ports, two airports (one of which is the UK’s fourth busiest) and key strategic transport corridors.  The county is a major economic hub and home to significant manufacturing, energy and logistics businesses. 

The county borders Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Kent and four London Boroughs, and has the second‑longest coastline of any English region, alongside beautiful countryside and a strong reliance on the strategic road network to move people and goods.  Three quarters of the county is agricultural, intersected by the cities of Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend-on-Sea.

The resident population is increased by students of two universities and many colleges, and the county attracts millions of tourists each summer.  Its 15 local authorities serve communities that include areas of significant prosperity as well as pockets of ongoing deprivation.

Essex Police operates a long‑standing, mature and embedded collaboration with Kent Police with a number of integrated operational and support services designed to improve capacity, capability, resilience and value for money while maintaining operational independence.  Collaborative directorates include the joint Support Services, Human Resources and Learning and the Serious Crime Directorates.