Thatcham Crime Overview
Thatcham is the third most dangerous medium-sized town in Berkshire, and is the 34th most dangerous overall out of Berkshire's 108 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Thatcham in 2020 was 50 crimes per 1,000 people. This compares favourably to Berkshire's overall crime rate, coming in 36% lower than the Berkshire rate of 67 per 1,000 residents. For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Thatcham is the 35th safest medium-sized town, and the 3,091st most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
In November 2020, Thatcham was the worst medium-sized town in Berkshire for criminal damage and arson, with 23 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.91 per 1,000 inhabitants. December 2020 was also a bad month for Thatcham residents, when it was Berkshire's most dangerous medium-sized town for drugs, recording 19 crimes at a rate of 0.75 per 1,000 residents. Thatcham recorded 1 report of possession of weapons during December 2020, making its crime rate of 0.04 the worst medium-sized town for possession of weapons in Berkshire that month.
The most common crimes in Thatcham are violence and sexual offences, with 622 offences during 2020, giving a crime rate of 24. This is 32% higher than 2019's figure of 426 offences and a difference of 7.72 from 2019's crime rate of 17. Thatcham's least common crime is robbery, with 6 offences recorded in 2020, the same as 2019's figure of 6 crimes.
Compare Thatcham to other towns and cities
See how Thatcham shapes up compared to other locations around the country, including side-by-side comparisons of specific crime types, and separate charting of how Thatcham and your comparison town's crime rates stack up against one another.
Thatcham Crime Map
Summary of Crimes in Thatcham This Year
| Thatcham | Berkshire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Rate Difference |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 351 | 13.82 | 10,223 | 11.17 | 19% more dangerous |
| Bicycle Theft | 27 | 1.06 | 1,906 | 2.08 | 96% safer |
| Burglary | 54 | 2.13 | 3,628 | 3.96 | 86% safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 164 | 6.46 | 6,602 | 7.21 | 12% safer |
| Drugs | 82 | 3.23 | 2,552 | 2.79 | 14% more dangerous |
| Other Crime | 27 | 1.06 | 1,232 | 1.35 | 27% safer |
| Other Theft | 74 | 2.91 | 4,797 | 5.24 | 80% safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 11 | 0.43 | 664 | 0.73 | 70% safer |
| Public Order | 83 | 3.27 | 4,715 | 5.15 | 57% safer |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.24 | 653 | 0.71 | 196% safer |
| Shoplifting | 59 | 2.32 | 3,066 | 3.35 | 44% safer |
| Theft From the Person | 7 | 0.28 | 1,003 | 1.10 | 293% safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 45 | 1.77 | 6,171 | 6.74 | 281% safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 622 | 24.49 | 24,638 | 26.92 | 10% safer |
Crime in Thatcham Compared To Berkshire
Thatcham Crime Trends
| Crime Rate Per 1,000 Residents | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | 16 | 10 | 15 | 14 | Getting worse |
| Bicycle Theft | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | Safer |
| Burglary | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.1 | Safer |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safer |
| Drugs | 3.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.2 | Getting worse |
| Other Crime | 0.91 | 1.1 | 0.91 | 1.1 | Getting worse |
| Other Theft | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | Safer |
| Possession of Weapons | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.63 | 0.43 | Safer |
| Public Order | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 3.3 | Getting worse |
| Robbery (inc. mugging) | - | 0.12 | 0.24 | 0.24 | Getting worse |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 2.3 | Safer |
| Theft From the Person (inc. pickpocketing) | 0.71 | 0.51 | 0.47 | 0.28 | Safer |
| Vehicle Crime | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 1.8 | Safer |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | 11 | 15 | 17 | 24 | Getting worse |
Changes In Thatcham's Crime Rates Over Time
Comparing Thatcham to the UK's Major Cities
| Medium-Sized Town | Crime Rate | Rate Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Thatcham | 49.65 | - |
| Barnet | 67.71 | 27% more dangerous |
| Coventry | 77.41 | 36% more dangerous |
| Croydon | 83.22 | 40% more dangerous |
| Sheffield | 85.81 | 42% more dangerous |
| Bristol | 86.21 | 42% more dangerous |
| Leicester | 97.44 | 49% more dangerous |
| Birmingham | 102.87 | 52% more dangerous |
| Liverpool | 107.28 | 54% more dangerous |
| Bradford | 133.02 | 63% more dangerous |
| Leeds | 137.10 | 64% more dangerous |
Crime in Thatcham's Neighbourhoods
| Neighbourhood | Crime Count | Crime Rate | Danger Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thatcham North East | 199 | 29 | Third |
| Thatcham Town | 471 | 59 | First |
| Thatcham West | 241 | 31 | Second |
Crime in Thatcham During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Looking at the months the UK was in lockdown in 2020 due to Covid-19, how did crime rates in Thatcham change compared to the same month in 2019? The biggest increase in lockdown crime came in December, when Thatcham saw a 400% increase in shoplifting. Thatcham saw a large fall in shoplifting during June, when it fell by 91% compared to June in 2019.
| Crime | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Social Behaviour | -4% | -14% | -25% | -33% | -24% | -4% | -39% | +39% | +33% | +19% |
| Bicycle Theft | -67% | - | +20% | -33% | -67% | +67% | - | - | - | - |
| Burglary | +200% | +100% | -14% | -50% | -60% | - | +25% | -33% | -50% | -29% |
| Criminal Damage and Arson | +33% | -38% | -20% | -50% | -23% | +67% | -36% | -52% | +15% | +150% |
| Drugs | +300% | +200% | +80% | +100% | -83% | +350% | -29% | -55% | +300% | +280% |
| Other Crime | -67% | -80% | +100% | +50% | +100% | - | -33% | +200% | - | - |
| Other Theft | -36% | -67% | -25% | -60% | - | -29% | - | +63% | +71% | -30% |
| Possession of Weapons | +100% | - | - | -33% | - | - | +100% | - | - | -67% |
| Public Order | -50% | +17% | -43% | +129% | +17% | +250% | -44% | +133% | +100% | +11% |
| Robbery | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -50% | - |
| Shoplifting | +43% | -60% | -60% | -91% | - | -60% | +25% | -82% | -57% | +400% |
| Theft From the Person | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -67% | - | +100% |
| Vehicle Crime | -31% | -57% | -71% | -62% | -63% | -60% | -33% | -79% | -78% | -50% |
| Violence and Sexual Offences | +47% | +123% | +80% | +115% | +26% | +60% | +37% | +17% | +48% | -11% |
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Thatcham
What police force serves Thatcham?
Thatcham's local territorial police force is the Thames Valley Police.How dangerous is Thatcham?
Thatcham is the third most dangerous medium-sized town in Berkshire.What is Thatcham's most common crime?
The most common crimes in Thatcham are violence and sexual offences.What is the least common crime in Thatcham?
Thatcham's least common crime is robbery (inc. mugging).Last updated: 01 Apr 2021