Reading Crime Overview
Reading is the most dangerous city in Berkshire, and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Berkshire's 108 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Reading in 2020 was 66 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Berkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 1.3% lower than the Berkshire rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Reading is among the top 20 safest cities, and the 1,651st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In December 2020, Reading had the worst crime rate in Berkshire for bicycle theft, with 41 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.16 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Reading residents, when it was Berkshire's most dangerous area for criminal damage and arson, recording 143 crimes at a rate of 0.55 per 1,000 residents. Reading recorded 60 reports of drugs during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.23 the worst for drugs in Berkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Reading are violence and sexual offences, with 6,875 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 27. This is 11% higher than 2019's figure of 6,089 offences and a difference of 3.04 from 2019's crime rate of 24. Reading's least common crimes are possession of weapons, with 181 offences recorded in 2020, a decrease of 1.7% from 2019's figure of 184 crimes.
Compare Reading to other towns and cities
See how Reading shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Reading and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Reading Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Reading This Year
| Reading | Berkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 2,665 | 10.31 | 10,223 | 11.17 | 8% safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 741 | 2.87 | 1,906 | 2.08 | 28% more dangerous |
| Burglary | 969 | 3.75 | 3,628 | 3.96 | 6% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 1,787 | 6.91 | 6,602 | 7.21 | 4.3% safer |
| Drugs | 734 | 2.84 | 2,552 | 2.79 | 1.8% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 328 | 1.27 | 1,232 | 1.35 | 6% safer |
| Other Theft | 1,360 | 5.26 | 4,797 | 5.24 | 0.38% more dangerous |
| Possession of Weapons | 181 | 0.70 | 664 | 0.73 | 4.3% safer |
| Public Order | 1,296 | 5.01 | 4,715 | 5.15 | 2.8% safer |
| Robbery | 256 | 0.99 | 653 | 0.71 | 28% more dangerous |
| Shoplifting | 841 | 3.25 | 3,066 | 3.35 | 3.1% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 293 | 1.13 | 1,003 | 1.10 | 2.7% more dangerous |
| Vehicle Crime | 1,514 | 5.86 | 6,171 | 6.74 | 15% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 6,875 | 26.60 | 24,638 | 26.92 | 1.2% safer |
Crime in Reading Compared To Berkshire
Reading Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 12 | 10 | 10 | Safer |
| Bicycle Theft | 4.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Burglary | 5 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | Safer |
| Drugs | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.8 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.94 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.70 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 5 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | 0.85 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 7 | 5 | 4.2 | 3.2 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Getting worse |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 15 | 21 | 24 | 27 | Getting worse |
Changes In Reading's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Reading to the UK's Major Cities
| City | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 66.45 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 1.9% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 14% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 20% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 23% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 23% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 32% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 35% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 38% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 50% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 52% more dangerous |
Crime in Reading's Neighbourhoods
Reading Central is the most dangerous neighbourhood in Reading, followed by Norcot South in second place, and Palmer Park as the third most dangerous area. Reading's safest neighbourhoods are, in order, Caversham Heights, Lower Earley North, and Southlake.
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcot South | 199 | 36 | 19th |
| Caversham Balmore Park | 380 | 47 | 16th |
| Caversham Emmer Green | 281 | 38 | 18th |
| Caversham Heights | 169 | 24 | 23rd |
| Coley Park | 747 | 86 | Seventh |
| Earley | 522 | 53 | 15th |
| Leighton Park | 594 | 62 | 12th |
| Lower Caversham | 580 | 74 | Tenth |
| Lower Earley North | 277 | 27 | 22nd |
| Lower Earley South | 312 | 40 | 17th |
| Norcot North | 612 | 77 | Ninth |
| Norcot South | 1,148 | 126 | Second |
| Palmer Park | 1,035 | 98 | Third |
| Reading Central | 3,387 | 231 | First |
| Sonning & Woodley North | 265 | 34 | 20th |
| Southampton Street & Redlands Road | 1,015 | 97 | Fourth |
| Southcote | 732 | 85 | Eighth |
| Southlake | 239 | 27 | 21st |
| Tilehurst North | 399 | 53 | 14th |
| Tilehurst South | 652 | 88 | Fifth |
| Whitley Wood | 626 | 88 | Sixth |
| Wokingham Road | 527 | 65 | 11th |
| Woodley South | 389 | 54 | 13th |
Reading Neighbourhood Crime Breakdown
Showing the safest and most dangerous parts of Reading for specific criminal activity, with crime count and rate shown in brackets.
| Crime Type | Safest Neighbourhood | Most Dangerous Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Lower Earley North (27) | Reading Central (396) |
| Bicycle Theft | Lower Earley South (1) | Reading Central (323) |
| Burglary | Lower Earley South (6) | Reading Central (148) |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | Southlake (18) | Reading Central (240) |
| Drugs | Caversham Heights (3) | Reading Central (120) |
| Other Crime | Caversham Heights (2) | Reading Central (59) |
| Other Theft | Caversham Heights (7) | Reading Central (313) |
| Possession of Weapons | Wokingham Road (1) | Reading Central (40) |
| Public Order | Caversham Heights (7) | Reading Central (314) |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | Lower Earley North (1) | Reading Central (98) |
| Shoplifting | Southlake (2) | Reading Central (428) |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | Tilehurst North (1) | Reading Central (107) |
| Vehicle Crime | Southlake (13) | Caversham Balmore Park (92) |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | Caversham Heights (57) | Reading Central (1,044) |
Crime in Reading During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Reading change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in October, when Reading saw a 100% increase in possession of weapons. Reading saw a large fall in theft from the person during August, when it fell by 78% compared to August in 2019. Shoplifting saw a fall in every month of Reading's lockdown.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | +0% | +0% | -9% | -12% | +6% | +10% | +2% | +5% | +26% | +26% |
| Bicycle Theft | +46% | -23% | -42% | +37% | +22% | +18% | +3% | -41% | -12% | -15% |
| Burglary | +21% | +14% | +4% | +20% | +6% | +13% | +6% | -21% | -16% | -52% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | -4% | -19% | -21% | -5% | +13% | +2% | -6% | -20% | -16% | -3% |
| Drugs | +12% | -20% | +4% | +30% | +37% | +25% | +45% | -21% | +58% | +18% |
| Other Crime | -26% | -6% | +4% | -18% | +24% | +15% | +39% | +30% | +30% | -4% |
| Other Theft | -16% | -57% | -16% | -35% | -22% | -44% | -23% | +8% | -12% | +4% |
| Possession of Weapons | -35% | -40% | +70% | +6% | +30% | +41% | +90% | +100% | -50% | -38% |
| Public Order | -17% | -14% | +17% | +26% | +32% | +29% | +58% | +49% | +90% | +93% |
| Robbery | -22% | -18% | +12% | -23% | +38% | -3% | +33% | -63% | +38% | -40% |
| Shoplifting | -24% | -61% | -53% | -37% | -6% | -25% | +20% | -3% | -36% | -38% |
| Theft From the Person | +14% | -69% | -48% | -64% | -36% | -78% | -18% | - | -18% | -50% |
| Vehicle Crime | +11% | -6% | -25% | -11% | -21% | +19% | +18% | +99% | +85% | +20% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +26% | -5% | +6% | -9% | +18% | +37% | +9% | +6% | +3% | +10% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Reading
What police force serves Reading?
Reading's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Reading?
Reading is the most dangerous city in Berkshire.What is Reading's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Reading are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Reading?
Reading's least common crimes are possession of weapons.Last updated: 01 Apr 2021